Matthew Perry Early life
Matthew Perry was born on August 19, 1969 in Williamstown, Massachusetts to Suzanne Marie Morrison a Canadian journalist who served to Canadian Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau and John Bennett Perry who is an American actor and a former model. His parents later divorced and his Mother married Canadian-born broadcast journalist Keith Morrison. Perry was raised in Ottawa, Ontario by his mother. He became a top-ranked junior tennis player in Canada. At the age of 15 he moved to Los Angeles to live with his father where he developed more interest in acting. Perry still remained a devoted tennis player and he ranked 17th nationally in the junior singles category and third in the doubles category.
Matthew Perry Professional Career
In 1979 Matthew Perry got his first credited role in acting in the drama “240-Robert”. After this he got other bit parts in several shows including “Charles in Charge,” “Silver Spoons” and “The Tracey Ullman Show.”
After graduating, Perry played Chazz Russell in the TV series ‘’Second Chance’’ and After 13 episodes, the series was renamed ‘’Boys Will Be Boys’’ (its about a man who dies and returns to earth to mentor his younger self).
Perry got his first big film role in 1988 in “A Night in the Life of Jimmy Reardon’’ alongside River Phoenix. Though this film didn’t get a wide audience ,Perry landed more high profile roles in TV projects including “Growing Pains,” “Who’s The Boss” and “Beverly Hills, 90210.”
Matthew Perry on “FRIENDS’’
(“Friends” was a production of Warner Bros. Television, which is owned by CNN’s parent company, Warner Bros. Discovery.)
At the age of 24 he started playing Chandler Bing on NBC’s sitcom ‘’Friends’’. His co-stars were Jennifer Aniston, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc and David Schwimmer; Courteney Cox Among others .Chandler Bing is casted as notoriously sarcastic, has a great sense of humor.
Friends was the hottest show of the 90s. Perry and his costars became fixtures of NBC’s unparalleled “Must-See TV” lineup, encountering a level of fame rarely seen in television or anywhere else. The group became one of the highest paid actors at that time ultimately earning approximately $1 million per episode.
This show heightened Perry’s career and he later got roles on the big screen in 1997’s “Fools Rush in,” “Almost Heroes” in 1998 and “The Whole Nine Yards” in 2000.
This role earned him a primetime Emmy nomination in 2002. He also got four other nominations including for his role as Joe Quincy on “The West Wing.”
‘’Friends’’ series ended in 2004 after 10 seasons.
His last Emmy nomination came in 2021 for his role in “Friends: The Reunion,” which streamed on HBO Max, and featured Perry alongside his co-stars as the reminisced on the series that has become beloved by so many.
While “Friends” was his best known TV series, Perry also starred in “Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip,” “Mr. Sunshine, “and “The Odd Couple.”
Matthew Perry Opioid Addiction
Regardless of his prosperous career Matthew Perry in an interview with PEOPLE, he revealed that he had struggled with opioid addiction which a doctor had prescribed him after a 1997 Jet Ski accident. He even claimed to not remember three years of his time on Friends and to spending over $9m on his fight to stay sober.
“I had a big problem with alcohol and pills and I couldn’t stop,” he told PEOPLE in an exclusive cover story in 2013 “Eventually things got so bad that I couldn’t hide it, and then everybody knew.”
In his Memoir “Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing: A Memoir’’ which he published in November 2022, He revealed that his opioid addiction led to a colon rupture when he was 49yrs. The Doctors told him he had 2% chance of survival and was in a coma for two weeks followed by many more months in the hospital. He also admitted to have gone to rehab 15 times over the years in hopes of kicking his drug addiction and also undergone 14surgeries to repair the abdominal damage.
“I was taking 55 Vicodin a day, I weighed 128lbs, I was on Friends getting watched by 30 million people – and that’s why I can’t watch the show, because I was brutally thin. I didn’t watch the show, and haven’t watched the show, because I could go, ‘Drinking, opiates, drinking, cocaine,’” he said. “I could tell season by season, by how I looked. That’s why I don’t wanna watch it, because that’s what I see.” Perry said in a CBC interview last year
Matthew Perry Personal relationships
In his memoir, the Friends actor also opened up about several of his past romantic relationships including some with the biggest names in Hollywood such as Julia Roberts and Cameron Diaz. His last publicly known relationship was with Molly Hurwitz which began in 2018.He asked her to marry him in November 2020. however, the two called it quits for good in June 2021.
“Sometimes things just don’t work out and this is one of them,” Perry said in a statement to PEOPLE. “I wish Molly the best.”
Matthew Perry’s Death
Matthew Perry Died on Saturday October 28,2023.The death was confirmed by Capt. Scot Williams of the Los Angeles Police Department’s Robbery-Homicide division. He said the cause of death was not likely to be determined for some time, but there was no indication of foul play.
Perry died in an apparent drowning accident at his Los Angeles home, according to the Los Angeles Times, citing law enforcement sources
Matthew Perry’s Tributes
Perry’s Costars in ‘’Friends”, friends and fans all over the world have given their tributes and condolences in their various social media accounts;
The verified Instagram account for “Friends” posted a heartfelt tribute: ‘’We are devastated to learn of Matthew Perry’s passing. He was a true gift to us all. Our heart goes out to his family, loved ones, and all of his fans’’
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“All of us loved Matthew Perry, and I did especially. Every day. I loved him unconditionally. And he me. And I’m broken. Broken hearted. Sweet dreams Matty.” Selma Blair, who also appeared on “Friends,” called Perry her “oldest boy friend’’ posted on her Instagram account
“What a loss. The world will miss you Matthew Perry. The joy you brought to so many in your too short lifetime will live on. I feel so very blessed by every creative moment we shared.” Maggie Wheeler, who played Chandler’s on/off again girlfriend Janice on the show, wrote on her Instagram account
Canadian PM Justin Trudeau, who was friends with Perry at school, said: “Matthew Perry’s passing is shocking and saddening. I’ll never forget the schoolyard games we used to play, and I know people around the world are never going to forget the joy he brought them.”
Adele also shared a tribute to Perry on stage During her show in Las Vegas this weekend, saying: “He was so open with his struggles with addiction and sobriety, which I think is incredibly, incredibly brave. I just wanna say how much I love what he did for all of us.
May he rest in Peace.
