Matthew Perry facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Matthew Perry
Perry in 2013
Born	Matthew Langford Perry (1969-08-19)August 19, 1969 Williamstown, Massachusetts, US
Died	October 28, 2023(2023-10-28) (aged 54) Los Angeles, California, US
Burial place	Forest Lawn Memorial Park, California
Citizenship	United States Canada
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1979–2022
Parent(s)	John Bennett Perry (father) Keith Morrison (stepfather)
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Matthew Langford Perry (born August 19, 1969 – died October 28, 2023) was a famous actor from both the United States and Canada. He became very well known for playing Chandler Bing on the TV show Friends. This show was on TV from 1994 to 2004.

Matthew Perry also acted in other popular TV shows. He was in Ally McBeal in 2002. He also got nominations for awards for his acting in The West Wing (2003) and The Ron Clark Story (2006). He played a main character in the NBC series Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip from 2006 to 2007. He was also a lead actor in movies like Fools Rush In (1997) and 17 Again (2009).

Perry helped create, write, and produce the TV show Mr. Sunshine in 2011. He also starred in it. In 2012, he played a sportscaster named Ryan King in the show Go On. From 2015 to 2017, he helped develop and starred in a new version of the show The Odd Couple. He also had roles in the legal shows The Good Wife (2012–2013) and The Good Fight (2017). In 2017, he played Ted Kennedy in The Kennedys: After Camelot. His last TV role was playing himself in Friends: The Reunion in 2021. He also lent his voice to the character Benny in the video game Fallout: New Vegas (2010).

Early Life and Education

Matthew Langford Perry was born in Williamstown, Massachusetts, on August 19, 1969. His mother, Suzanne Marie Morrison, was a Canadian journalist. She used to be the press secretary for the Canadian prime minister, Pierre Trudeau. A press secretary helps a leader by giving information to reporters. Matthew's father, John Bennett Perry, is an American actor and former model.

Matthew's parents separated when he was one year old. His mother later married a Canadian journalist named Keith Morrison. Matthew grew up mostly in Ottawa, Ontario, in Canada, with his mother. He also lived for a short time in Toronto and Montreal. He went to Rockcliffe Park Public School and Ashbury College, which is a boarding school in Ottawa. He had four younger half-siblings from his mother's side and one younger half-sister from his father's side. His siblings would cheer for him when he performed as a child.

When he was 15, Matthew moved to Los Angeles to live with his father. He started studying acting at Buckley School. He also took classes in improvisational comedy. This is a type of acting where you make things up on the spot. He graduated in 1987.

Acting Career Highlights

Starting Out: 1979–1993

Perry as Chazz Russell in Boys Will Be Boys, 1988

Matthew Perry's first acting role was in a TV show called 240-Robert in 1979. He was a child actor then. After moving to Los Angeles, he started trying out for many roles. He made guest appearances on shows like Charles in Charge and Silver Spoons. From 1987 to 1988, he played Chazz Russell in the TV series Second Chance. His first movie role was in A Night in the Life of Jimmy Reardon in 1988. In 1989, he had a role in Growing Pains as Carol Seaver's boyfriend, Sandy.

Perry was a regular actor on the CBS show Sydney in 1990. He played the younger brother of Valerie Bertinelli's character. In 1991, he appeared on Beverly Hills, 90210. He also had a main role in the ABC sitcom Home Free in 1993.

Becoming Famous with Friends: 1994–2004

Perry departing from rehearsal for the 1995 Emmy Awards

Matthew Perry was first going to be in a different TV show pilot. But when that show didn't work out, he got the chance to try out for a show called Six of One. This show later became Friends. He was chosen to play Chandler Bing. At 24 years old, he was the youngest main actor on the show.

Friends became a huge hit around the world. It made Matthew Perry an international star. By 2002, he and the other main actors were earning a lot of money for each episode. The show also earned him an Emmy Award nomination in 2002. Perry also acted in movies during this time, such as Fools Rush In, The Whole Nine Yards, and its sequel The Whole Ten Yards. In 1995, he and Jennifer Aniston appeared in a special video to promote Microsoft's Windows 95.

For his role as Joe Quincy in The West Wing, Perry received two Emmy nominations in 2003 and 2004. He also appeared in two episodes of Ally McBeal. In 2004, he directed an episode of the show Scrubs and also acted in it. His father also appeared in that episode.

Later Work: 2005–2022

Perry in 2007

In 2006, Perry starred in the movie The Ron Clark Story. He played a teacher named Ron Clark and received nominations for a Golden Globe Award and an Emmy Award. From 2006 to 2007, he was in Aaron Sorkin's drama Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip. He played Matt Albie, a writer-director trying to save a comedy show.

In 2009, Perry starred in the movie 17 Again. He played a 37-year-old man who turns back into his 17-year-old self, played by Zac Efron. The movie was successful at the box office.

In 2009, Matthew Perry was a guest on The Ellen DeGeneres Show. He gave Ellen DeGeneres an Xbox 360 and the game Fallout 3. Because of this, the game studio Obsidian Entertainment asked him to voice a character named Benny in their game Fallout: New Vegas.

Perry's comedy show Mr. Sunshine was bought by ABC. He played the main character, a man having a mid-life crisis. ABC canceled the show after nine episodes in 2011.

Perry in 2012

In 2012, Perry starred in the NBC comedy series Go On. He played Ryan King, a sportscaster who goes to therapy after his wife dies. In the same year, he appeared on the CBS drama The Good Wife as attorney Mike Kresteva. He played this role again in 2013.

From 2015 to 2017, Perry starred in, co-wrote, and produced a new version of the sitcom The Odd Couple on CBS. He played Oscar Madison.

Perry also wrote a play called The End of Longing. He starred in its first production in London in 2016. He also acted in a second production of the play in New York City in 2017.

In 2017, Perry played attorney Mike Kresteva again in The Good Fight. Later that year, he played Ted Kennedy in the mini-series The Kennedys: After Camelot.

In May 2021, he was part of the special episode Friends: The Reunion. He was supposed to have a role in the movie Don't Look Up, but he had to leave the project in 2020 due to health reasons. Perry published a book about his life, called Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing, in October 2022. It became a very popular book.

Personal Life

Perry in 2013

Matthew Perry had citizenship in both Canada and the United States. He owned several homes during his life, including places in Hollywood Hills, Malibu, and Pacific Palisades. In 2017, he bought a large apartment in Los Angeles for $20 million. He sold it in 2021. In June 2023, Perry bought a new house in Hollywood Hills.

Perry was known for being a perfectionist. He liked to make things just right. He also believed in God and felt he had a "very close relationship" with Him.

Helping Others

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Matthew Perry started a clothing line inspired by Friends. The money raised from selling these clothes was given to the World Health Organization's COVID-19 relief fund. This helped people during the pandemic.

Death

Matthew Perry passed away on October 28, 2023, at the age of 54. He was found at his apartment in Los Angeles.

Acting Credits

Film

Television

Theatre

Video Games

Awards and Nominations

See also

In Spanish: Matthew Perry (actor) para niños