Matthew Perry Funny guy Matthew Perry is best known for his role as Chandler Bing on Friends as well as for an addiction that sent him to rehab. What many don’t know is that acting wasn’t his original intended career path, yet he stuck with it with persistence.
Perry was born on August 19, 1969, in Williamstown, Massachusetts. He is the son of actor John Bennett Perry, best known as the sailor in the Old Spice commercials, and Suzanne Perry Morrison, the one-time press secretary for the Prime Minister of Canada, Pierre Trudeau. As a result of his parent’s divorce before he turned one, Perry was mostly raised by his mother in Ontario. Growing up Perry became nationally known on the Canadian tennis scene, and was ranked seventeenth in junior singles and third in doubles.
At the age of fifteen, Perry moved to Los Angeles to live with his father, but found it hard to be competitive in tennis in the United States. He turned to his father’s occupation, getting small TV guest spots alongside other young actors in Charles in Charge with Scott Baio and Willie Aames, and Silver Spoons with Ricky Schroeder. Perry had planned to attend USC, but instead was offered the role of Chaz Russell on the television series Second Chance. This series only lasted one year, yet gave Perry a definite foot in the door.
Soon after, Perry landed a role in the movie A Night in the Life of Jimmy Reardon, appearing with River Phoenix, Ann Magnuson, and Ione Skye. He figured he had made the big time, only to return to small comedic guest spots in the shows Mr. Belevedere, Just the Ten of Us, and Empty Nest. Once again getting a movie role, Perry appeared with Tony Danza, Catherine Hicks, and Ami Dolenz in She’s Out of Control as young college student.
Again, Perry returned to small guest roles on TV, appearing as Tracey Gold’s boyfriend on Growing Pains, and acted again with Tony Danza, this time on Who’s the Boss. The young actor also made an appearance on Beverly Hills 90210 as Jason Priestley’s new friend, a tennis player, a role that definitely was no stretch for the former tennis star. Fate stepped in for Perry at this time, as his friend didn’t get the role he wanted on a new comedy series about six friends in New York. Perry then decided to try out for the role.
Perry landed the role of Chandler Bing on Friends on a Friday, and started work the following Monday. His onscreen (and soon real life) friends became David Schwimmer, Matt LeBlanc, Courteney Cox-Arquette, Jennifer Aniston, and Lisa Kudrow. While all six of the actors went on to feature film careers while still working on Friends, Perry holds the prestigious honor of being the only one of the six to never receive a Razzie, an award given to the best of the worst in movies.
In his first film since landing Friends, Perry starred in Fools Rush In with Salma Hayek, and his father had a small role in the film as well. Perry’s next film had him starring with Neve Campbell and Dylan McDermott in Three to Tango. After this came a string of three separate films with Bruce Willis – The Kid, The Whole Nine Yards, and its sequel The Whole Ten Yards. Willis enjoyed working onscreen with Perry, as he even made a guest appearance on Friends as the father of Chandler’s young girlfriend.
While filming Friends, Perry made headlines for his time spent in rehab for his alcohol and prescription drug addiction. The second time his doctor had ordered him to return after a mix he was doing of Vicodin, speed, and alcohol was giving him stomach trouble. His on-and-off-again habit also gave Perry dramatic weight losses and gains that became very noticeable on the set of Friends. Producers reportedly ordered him to get control of it, prompting Jennnifer Aniston to act as his trainer.
Despite his success, Perry hasn’t forgotten his roots. He still makes appearances on TV, despite having a successful film and television career of his own. He has appeared in The West Wing with Martin Sheen, and on Scrubs, working once again with his father. In the fall of 2006 he began work starring in yet another television series, Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip with Bradley Whitford. |
