Here is an overview of Matthew Perry’s biography, education, and business career:
Biography
- Full Name: Matthew Langford Perry
- Birth: August 19, 1969, in Williamstown, Massachusetts, USA
- Death: October 28, 2023, in Los Angeles, California, USA
- Parents:
- Father: John Bennett Perry (actor and model)
- Mother: Suzanne Morrison (Canadian journalist and press secretary to former Canadian Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau)
- Nationality: American-Canadian
- Early Life:
Perry grew up primarily in Ottawa, Canada, where he attended school and developed an interest in tennis. He was a top-ranked junior tennis player in Canada before moving to Los Angeles in his teenage years to pursue acting.
Education
- Schooling:
- Perry attended Rockcliffe Park Public School in Ottawa, Canada.
- Later, he studied at Ashbury College, a private school in Ottawa.
- Acting Focus:
Perry moved to Los Angeles at the age of 15 and attended The Buckley School in Sherman Oaks, California. Here, he began acting in school productions and was determined to pursue an acting career. - Higher Education:
Perry did not pursue a college degree, as he focused on acting early on, landing roles in television during his teenage years.
Business and Acting Career
Early Acting Career
- Perry’s first television roles came in the late 1980s, with appearances in shows like:
- Charles in Charge
- Silver Spoons
- Growing Pains
Breakthrough Role
- “Friends” (1994–2004): Perry rose to international fame as Chandler Bing on the NBC sitcom Friends. The show became a cultural phenomenon, and Perry’s comedic timing and sarcasm made him a fan favorite.
- Friends made Perry one of the highest-paid actors on television, earning approximately $1 million per episode in the later seasons.
Film Career
- Perry also pursued a successful film career, starring in movies such as:
- Fools Rush In (1997)
- The Whole Nine Yards (2000) and its sequel The Whole Ten Yards (2004)
- Serving Sara (2002)
Business Ventures and Producing
- Perry ventured into production and writing:
- He co-created and starred in the 2015 CBS show The Odd Couple, a modern reboot of the classic series.
- He served as an executive producer for various projects, further establishing his presence in Hollywood behind the scenes.
Challenges and Advocacy
- Throughout his career, Perry was open about his struggles with substance abuse and alcohol addiction, which impacted his health and personal life.
- He became a strong advocate for addiction recovery and wrote about his experiences in his memoir “Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing” (2022).
- Perry used his resources to help others, including converting his former Malibu home into a sober living facility for men, called the Perry House.
Legacy
- Matthew Perry is remembered for his immense talent, humor, and advocacy. Despite personal struggles, his work on Friends and other projects continues to entertain and inspire audiences around the world.