Matthew Perry
Matthew Perry | |
|---|---|
 Perry smoking with friends in 2007 | |
| Born | Matthew Langford Perry |
| Other names | Matty |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1979-present |
Matthew Langford Perry (born August 19, 1969) is an American-Canadian actor best known for his role as Chandler Bing on the NBC sitcom Friends, for which he earned a Primetime Emmy Award nomination in 2002. Perry has also appeared in Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, as well as having roles in the films The Whole Nine Yards and its sequel The Whole Ten Yards, and 2009's 17 Again. Perry was also nominated for an Emmy Award and a Golden Globe for his role in The Ron Clark Story.
Early Life
Perry was born in Williamstown, Massachusetts, United States. His mother, Suzanne Jane Louise Morrison (née Langford), is a Canadian journalist and former press secretary to Canadian Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau, and his father, John Bennett Perry, is an American actor and former model.[1][2][3] His parents divorced before his first birthday and his mother subsequently married Keith Morrison, a broadcast journalist. Perry was raised by his mother in Ottawa, Ontario and was enrolled at Rockcliffe Park Public School and Lisgar Collegiate Institute, both of the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board. While growing up he took a keen interest in tennis and became a top-ranked junior player.
Career
1980s
Perry moved from Ottawa to Los Angeles to pursue acting. For high school, he attended The Buckley School in Sherman Oaks. While at Buckley, Perry was featured as George Gibbs in Our Town and appeared as a junior in a production of The Miracle Worker. Patty Duke attended and praised the young Perry's convincing role as Helen's brother Jimmy. He was also featured in The Sound of Music as a junior. In his senior year, director Tim Hillman had planned a production of "The Elephant Man" specifically to feature Perry as John Merrick along with Vanessa Smith, and future Les Misérables star Lisa Capps. He then got his professional break at age 18. On being cast in A Night in the Life of Jimmy Reardon with River Phoenix, Perry withdrew from Elephant Man and ended his high school acting career. Perry also pursued improv comedy at the LA Connection in Sherman Oaks while still in high school, quickly becoming a featured performer.
After some guest appearances in late 1980s television, it was his intention to enroll at the University of Southern California, but when he was offered the lead role of Chazz Russell in Second Chance he became noticed on the acting scene. Perry originally starred alongside Kiel Martin when the series premiered in 1987, but after 13 episodes the format changed: Second Chance became Boys Will Be Boys, Perry was elevated to top-billing status, and the plots re-focused on the adventures of Chazz and his teenage friends. Despite the shift, the show ran for only one season. When it concluded, Perry stayed in Los Angeles and made guest appearance on the television program Growing Pains in which he portrayed Carol's boyfriend who dies from injuries in the hospital sustained in a drunk driving accident.
1990s
In 1991, Perry made a guest appearance on Beverly Hills, 90210 as Roger Azarian. In the midst of his many continuing guest roles on TV, Perry was a regular on the 1990 CBS sitcom Sydney, playing the younger brother of Valerie Bertinelli's title character. Three years later, he landed his second TV starring role on the ABC sitcom Home Free, which only lasted 13 episodes in the spring of 1993. In 1993, he also played the role of football manager in the classic "Rudy," wearing Buddy Holly glasses. By then, Perry was making his mark, and was instantly cast in a new dramatic pilot titled LAX 2194. The project was slow to take off, so as a backup option, he attempted to secure an audition for the pilot Six of One, later to be known as Friends, by Marta Kauffman and David Crane, both of whom he had worked with on Dream On. However, due to previous commitments to the pilot LAX 2194, he was not initially considered for an audition. When he did eventually get a reading, he landed the part he is best known for, the role of Chandler Bing.
The program was hugely successful and Perry, along with his co-stars, gained wide renown among television viewers. The program also earned him Emmy nominations in 2002 for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series along with Matt LeBlanc, but he lost to Ray Romano. As well as his successful career on Friends, Perry has appeared in films such as Fools Rush In (alongside father John Bennett Perry and Salma Hayek), Almost Heroes, Three to Tango, The Whole Nine Yards (alongside Bruce Willis) and its sequel The Whole Ten Yards, and Serving Sara.
2000s
While known primarily for his comic roles, Perry has carved out a career in drama as well, particularly in his portrayal of Associate White House Counsel Joe Quincy in Aaron Sorkin's The West Wing. His three appearances in that series (twice in the fourth season and once in the fifth) earned him two Emmy nominations for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series in 2003 and 2004. Perry is referred to in the show prior to his guest appearance-Donna Moss seeks him out (off screen) in the episode "20 Hours in LA." He also appeared as attorney Todd Merrick in two episodes near the end of Ally McBeal's 5-season run, including a 2-hour special intended to revive the legal comedy-drama.
After Friends wrapped up, Perry made his directorial debut in an episode of the 4th season of the American comedy-drama Scrubs (in which he also guest starred as "Murray Marks", an operator of a small airport's traffic control team. Murray is asked to donate a kidney to his father Gregory played by Perry's real father).
He starred in the TNT movie, The Ron Clark Story which premiered 13 August 2006. Perry played small town teacher Ron Clark who relocates to the toughest class in the country. Perry received a Golden Globe nomination as well as an Emmy nomination for his performance.
In 2006-2007, Perry appeared in Aaron Sorkin's hour-long drama Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip. Perry played Matt Albie alongside Bradley Whitford's Danny Tripp, a writer-director duo brought in to help save a failing sketch show. Perry's character was considered to be substantially based on Sorkin's own personal experiences, particularly in television.[4]
In 2006 he began filming Numb, a comedy drama about a chronically depressed writer. The film's tentative release date was pushed back several times, but was finally released to DVD on May 13, 2008. He also appeared in David Mamet's Sexual Perversity in Chicago in London.[5] In 2009 he starred in the film 17 Again playing the older Mike O'Donnell.
Showtime has passed on a pilot called The End of Steve, a dark comedy starring, written and produced by Perry and Peter Tolan.[6]
Matthew Perry's hotly sought-after new comedy pilot ended up in the hands of ABC, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The deal for the untitled comedy is said to include penalties if the pilot doesn't make it to series, almost guaranteeing that the project will get a green light, THR reports. It is based on an original idea by Perry, and will be written by Perry as well as Alex Barnow and Marc Firek, who have both signed as executive producers. Thomas Schlamme is in talks to direct.[7] The new pilot is called Mr. Sunshine.[8] In January 2010, it was announced that ABC has greenlit Mr. Sunshine. It was also revealed that the project is a single-camera sitcom starring Perry as a man who has a minor identity crisis on his 40th birthday. The venture comes from Sony TV and Jamie Tarses' Fanfare Productions.[9]
Theatre
- Sexual Perversity in Chicago, Comedy Theatre, London, UK
Personal life
Despite relationships with such well-known figures as Julia Roberts, Yasmine Bleeth and Lauren Graham, Perry remains unmarried.[10] He is reportedly dating fashion student Rachel Dunn.[11]
Perry did a 28 day program in 1997 for a Vicodin addiction.[12]
Perry again entered rehab in March 2001 to treat an addiction to Vicodin, methadone, speed, and alcohol. Perry was in Dallas filming Serving Sara with Elizabeth Hurley when he had such severe stomach pains that he called a local doctor, who advised rehab. Perry flew to Los Angeles and checked into Marina del Rey's Daniel Freeman Hospital. Perry's publicist Lisa Kasteler confirmed his rehab stay.[13]
He is also fluent in French and holds dual Canadian-American citizenship.
Filmography
Film
| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1988 | A Night in the Life of Jimmy Reardon | Fred Roberts | Credited as Matthew L. Perry |
| 1989 | She's Out of Control | Timothy | Credited as Matthew L. Perry |
| 1994 | Getting In | Randall Burns | |
| 1997 | Fools Rush In | Alex Whitman | |
| 1998 | Almost Heroes | Leslie Edwards | |
| 1999 | Three to Tango | Oscar Novak | |
| 2000 | The Whole Nine Yards | Nicholas 'Oz' Oseransky | |
| Disney's The Kid | Mr. Vivian | Uncredited | |
| 2002 | Serving Sara | Joe Tyler | |
| 2004 | The Whole Ten Yards | Oz | |
| 2005 | Hoosiers II: Senior Year | Coach Norman Dale Jr. | |
| 2006 | The Ron Clark Story | Ron Clark (teacher) | |
| 2007 | Numb | Hudson | Executive producer |
| 2008 | Birds of America | Morrie Tanager | |
| 2009 | 17 Again | Adult Mike O'Donnell |
Television
| Year | Series | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1979 | 240-Robert | Arthur | Episode 1.6: "Bank Job" |
| 1983 | Not Necessarily the News | Bob | Episode 1.10: "Audrie in Love" |
| 1985 | Charles in Charge | Ed Stanley | Episode 1.20: "The Wrong Guy" Credited as Matthew L. Perry |
| 1986 | Silver Spoons | Davey | Episode 5.6: "Rick Moves Out" |
| 1987-1988 | Second Chance (a/k/a Boys Will Be Boys) |
Chazz Russell | Main cast member; appeared in all 21 episodes |
| 1988 | Dance 'Til Dawn | Roger | TV film |
| Just the Ten of Us | Ed | Episode 2.4: "The Dinner Test" Credited as Matthew L. Perry | |
| Highway to Heaven | David Hastings | Episode 5.2: "Hello and Farewell" | |
| 1989 | Empty Nest | Bill aged 18 | Episode 1.21: "A Life in the Day" |
| Growing Pains | Sandy | Appeared in three episodes | |
| 1990 | Sydney | Billy Kells | Appeared in 13 episodes |
| Who's the Boss? | Benjamin Dawson | Episode 7.8: "Roomies" | |
| Call Me Anna | Desi Arnaz, Jr. | TV film | |
| 1991 | Beverly Hills, 90210 | Roger Azarian | Episode 1.18: "April Is the Cruelest Month" |
| 1992 | Sibs | Unknown | Episode 1.18: "What Makes Lily Run?" |
| Dream On | Alex | Episode 3.23: "To the Moon, Alex!" | |
| 1993 | Home Free | Matt Bailey | Main cast member; appeared in all 13 episodes |
| Deadly Relations | George Westerfield | TV film | |
| 1994 | L.A.X. 2194 | Blaine | Pilot |
| Parallel Lives | Willie Morrison | TV film | |
| 1994-2004 | Friends | Chandler Bing | Main cast member |
| 1995 | The John Larroquette Show | Steven | Episode 2.21: "Rachel Redux" |
| Caroline in the City | Chandler Bing | Episode 1.6: "Caroline and the Folks" | |
| 2001 | The Simpsons | Ultrahouse Matthew Perry voice option | Episode 13.1: "Treehouse of Horror XII" |
| 2002 | Ally McBeal | Attorney Todd Merrick | Episodes 5.16 and 5.17: "Love Is All Around" Parts 1 and 2 |
| 2003 | The West Wing | Joe Quincy | Appeared in three episodes |
| 2004 | Scrubs | Murray Marks | Episode 4.11: "My Unicorn"; also director |
| 2006 | The Ron Clark Story | Ron Clark | TV film |
| 2006-2007 | Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip | Matt Albie | Appeared in all but one of the 22 episodes, The Disaster Show |
| 2009 | The End of Steve | Steve | Episode 1.1: "Pilot" Co-creator and writer |
| 2010 | Mr. Sunshine | Ben | Co-creator |
Awards
- Nominated - Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or Movie for The Ron Clark Story (2007)
- Nominated - Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series for The West Wing (2003, 2004) - Nominated
- Nominated - Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series for Friends (2002)
- Nominated - Best Performance by an Actor in a Mini-Series or a Motion Picture Made for Television for The Ron Clark Story (2007)
- Nominated - Funniest Supporting Male Performer in a TV Series for Friends (1996) - with David Schwimmer
- Nominated - Favorite Television Actor for Friends (2002)
- Nominated - Best Actor in a Series, Drama for Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip (2006)
- Nominated - Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries for The Ron Clark Story (2007)
- Nominated - Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series for Friends (1999-2004) - with rest of main cast
- Won - Editor's Choice for Friends (2000) - with whole cast along with Jane Sibbett and John Christopher Allen
- Nominated - Most Wonderful Wedding for Friends (2006) - with Courteney Cox
- Won - Choice TV Actor - Comedy for Friends (2004)
References
- ^ Matthew Perry Biography (1969-)
- ^ rick perry Ancestries of Miscellaneous "Celebrities
- ^ FILM; The Fame He Craved Came, but It Wasn't Enough New York Times
- ^ Variety announces Matthew Perry in Studio 60
- ^ "Perry debuts in tame Perversity". BBC News. 2003-05-15. Retrieved 2007-09-10.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|year=/|date=mismatch (help) - ^ Showtime picks up 'End of Steve' Oct. 13, 2008 By DANIEL FRANKEL, Variety
- ^ Adam Bryant. "Matthew Perry Comedy Lands at ABC". TVGuide.com.
- ^ http://twitter.com/langfordperry/status/7698925627
- ^ http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/ustv/news/a196012/abc-picks-up-matthew-perry-comedy-pilot.html
- ^ "Matthew Perry: How do you feel about being single?" 2009-05-18 Retrieved 2010-03-01
- ^ "Matthew Perry" Retrieved 2010-03-01
- ^ http://www.people.com/people/archive/article/0,,20133850,00.html
- ^ http://www.opiates.com/media/vicodin-addiction-usatoday.html
External links
- Please use a more specific IMDb template. See the documentation for available templates.
- 1969 births
- Actors from Massachusetts
- American film actors
- American television actors
- American people of Canadian descent
- Canadian film actors
- Canadian television actors
- Living people
- People from Berkshire County, Massachusetts
- People from Ottawa
- Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series Screen Actors Guild Award winners