Early life

Matthew Langford Perry was born in Williamstown, Massachusetts on August 19, 1969. His mother, Suzanne Marie Morrison (née Langford), is a Canadian journalist and former press secretary to Canadian Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau. His father, John Bennett Perry (born 1941), is an American actor and former model. His parents divorced before his first birthday and his mother subsequently married broadcast journalist Keith Morrison. He was raised by his mother in Ottawa, Ontario, and was enrolled at Rockcliffe Park Public School and Ashbury College. While growing up, he took a keen interest in tennis and became a top-ranked junior player.

Career

When he was 15, Perry moved from Ottawa to Los Angeles to pursue acting and attended The Buckley School in Sherman Oaks, graduating in 1987. He pursued improv comedy at the LA Connection in Sherman Oaks while still in high school.

He went on to play Chazz Russell in the TV series Second Chance. After 13 episodes, Second Chance became Boys Will Be Boys, with the plots refocused on the adventures of Chazz and his teenage friends. After the show's single season, Perry stayed in Los Angeles and made his screen debut in the 1988 film A Night in the Life of Jimmy Reardon. He made a 1989 guest appearance on the series Growing Pains, in which he portrayed Carol Seaver's boyfriend who dies from injuries sustained in a drunk-driving accident.

In the midst of his many continuing guest roles on TV, Perry was cast as a regular on the 1990 CBS sitcom Sydney, playing the younger brother of Valerie Bertinelli's title character. In 1991, he made a guest appearance on Beverly Hills, 90210 as Roger Azarian. Perry landed his next TV starring role on the ABC sitcom Home Free, which aired only 11 episodes in the spring of 1993. By then, Perry was making his mark, and was instantly cast in a sitcom pilot titled LAX 2194.

The project was slow to take off, so as a back-up 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 of Chandler Bing.

Friends was hugely successful, and Perry, along with his co-stars, gained wide renown among television viewers. The program earned him an Emmy nomination in 2002 for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series, along with Matt LeBlanc, but the two lost to Ray Romano. Perry 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.

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 five-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 August 13, 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 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.

In 2006, he began filming Numb, a film based on a man suffering from depersonalization disorder. 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. In 2009, he starred in the film 17 Again playing the older Mike O'Donnell.

In 2008, Perry starred in the offbeat film Birds of America as Morrie Tanager, an uptight man who has to deal with his siblings. Showtime passed on a pilot called The End of Steve, a dark comedy starring, written and produced by Perry and Peter Tolan.

Perry's new comedy pilot, Mr. Sunshine, based on Perry's original idea, was bought by ABC. Perry was set to portray a middle-aged man with an identity crisis. ABC canceled the series after nine episodes.

On March 1, 2012, it was reported that Perry had signed on to star on the NBC comedy pilot Go On, written and produced by former Friends writer/producer Scott Silveri. The project was picked up to series in May 2012. Perry portrayed Ryan King, a sportscaster who tries to move on after the death of his wife through the help of mandatory therapy sessions. The pilot aired on August 8, 2012 as a "sneak preview" after the 2012 Summer Olympics. The series premiered on September 11, 2012. On October 2, 2012, NBC ordered a full season of 22 episodes. Go On was canceled by NBC in May 2013, shortly after the conclusion of its first season.

In 2012, Perry guest-starred on the critically acclaimed CBS drama The Good Wife, as attorney Mike Kresteva. In 2013, he reprised his role in the fourth season.

In 2014, Perry made his British TV debut in the one-off comedy program The Dog Thrower, which aired on May 1 as part of Sky Arts' Playhouse Presents. Perry portrayed "a charismatic man" who enchanted onlookers by throwing his dog in the air. From 2015 to 2017, Perry starred in, co-wrote, and served as executive producer of a revival of the sitcom The Odd Couple on CBS. Perry played Oscar Madison opposite Thomas Lennon as Felix Unger.

Perry played the lead role in a new production of his play The End of Longing, which premiered on February 11, 2016, at the Playhouse Theatre in London. The play transferred Off-Broadway to MCC Theater, which opened on June 5, 2017, with Jennifer Morrison.

In March 2017 Perry again reprised his role as attorney Mike Kresteva, in The Good Fight, a sequel show to the CBS drama The Good Wife.

Personal life

Perry holds both Canadian and American citizenship.

Perry dated Julia Roberts from 1995 to 1996 and Lizzy Caplan from 2006 to 2012.

Perry completed a 28-day program in 1997 for a Vicodin addiction. His weight fluctuated drastically over the next few years and once dropped down to 145 pounds (66 kg). He lost 20 pounds (9.1 kg) in 2000 due to pancreatitis. He again entered rehab in February 2001 for addiction to Vicodin, methadone, amphetamines, and alcohol. He was filming Serving Sara in Texas when he suffered severe stomach pains, and flew to Los Angeles to check into Marina del Rey's Daniel Freeman Hospital. Perry's publicist, Lisa Kasteler, confirmed his rehab stay.

Perry is a fan of the Fallout video game series. On a 2009 episode of The Ellen DeGeneres Show, he gave DeGeneres a copy of Fallout 3. This prompted game studio Bethesda to cast him in the next installment of the series, Fallout: New Vegas.

In 2011, as a celebrity spokesperson for the National Association of Drug Court Professionals, Perry went to Capitol Hill to lobby members of Congress in support of funding for drug courts.

Perry received a Champion of Recovery award in May 2013 from the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy for opening Perry House, a sober living home situated in his former mansion in Malibu, California.

Filmography

Film

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1988	Night in the Life of Jimmy Reardon, AA Night in the Life of Jimmy Reardon	Fred Roberts	film debut
1989	She's Out of Control	Timothy
1994	Getting In	Randall Burns
1997	Fools Rush In	Alex Whitman
1998	Almost Heroes	Leslie Edwards
1999	Three to Tango	Oscar Novak
1999	Imagining Emily		Short Film; Writer
2000	Whole Nine Yards, TheThe Whole Nine Yards	Nicholas "Oz" Oseransky
2000	Disney's The Kid	Mr. Vivian	Uncredited cameo
2002	Serving Sara	Joe Tyler
2004	Whole Ten Yards, TheThe Whole Ten Yards	Nicholas "Oz" Oseransky
2005	Hoosiers II: Senior Year	Coach Norman Dale Jr.	Short film
2006	Ron Clark Story, TheThe Ron Clark Story	Ron Clark
2007	Numb	Hudson Milbank	Also executive producer
2008	Birds of America	Morrie Tanager
2009	17 Again	Adult Mike O'Donnell

Television

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1979	240-Robert	Arthur	television debut Episode: "Bank Job"
1983	Not Necessarily the News	Bob	Episode: "Audrie in Love"
1985	Charles in Charge	Ed Stanley	Episode: "The Wrong Guy"
1986	Silver Spoons	Davey	Episode: "Rick Moves Out"
1987	Morning Maggie	Bradley MAllister	Television Movie
1987-1988	Second Chance	Chazz Russell	series regular; 21 episodes also known as "Boys Will Be Boys"
1988	Just the Ten of Us	Ed	Episode: "The Dinner Test"
1988	Highway to Heaven	David Hastings	2 episodes
1988	Dance 'til Dawn	Roger	Television Movie
1989	Growing Pains	Sandy	3 episodes
1989	Empty Nest	Bill aged 18	Episode: "A Life in the Day"
1990	Sydney	Billy Kells	series regular; 13 episodes
1990	Who's the Boss?	Benjamin Dawson	Episode: "Roomies"
1991	Call Me Anna	Desi Arnaz Jr.	Television Movie
1991	Beverly Hills, 90210	Roger Azarian	Episode: "April Is the Cruelest Month"
1992	Sibs	Chas	Episode: "What Makes Lily Run?"
1992	Dream On	Alex Farmer	Episode: "To the Moon, Alex!"
1993	Deadly Relations	George Westerfield	Television Movie
1993	Home Free	Matt Bailey	series regular; 13 episodes
1994	L.A.X. 2194	Blaine	Television Movie
1994	Parallel Lives	Willie Morrison	Television Movie
1994-2004	Friends	Chandler Bing	236 episodes
1995	John Larroquette Show, TheThe John Larroquette Show	Steven	Episode: "Rachel Redux"
1995	Caroline in the City	Chandler Bing	Episode: "Caroline and the Folks"
1997	Saturday Night Live	Himself	Host Episode: "Matthew Perry/Oasis"
2001	Simpsons, TheThe Simpsons	Ultrahouse 3000's voice	Episode: "Treehouse of Horror XII" voice role
2002	Ally McBeal	Attorney Todd Merrick	2 episodes
2003	West Wing, TheThe West Wing	Joe Quincy	3 episodes
2004	Scrubs	Murray Marks	Episode: "My Unicorn"; also Director
2006	Ron Clark Story, TheThe Ron Clark Story	Ron Clark	Television Movie
2006-2007	Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip	Matt Albie	series regular; 22 episodes
2008	The End of Steve	Steve Legend	Television Movie also Writer
2011-2011	Mr. Sunshine	Ben Donovan	series regular; 13 episodes also Co-Creator/Writer and Executive Producer
2011	Childrens Hospital	Himself	Episode: "The Black Doctor"
2012-2013	Good Wife, TheThe Good Wife	Mike Kresteva	4 episodes
2012-2013	Go On	Ryan King	series regular; 22 episodes also Co-Executive Producer
2013	Hollywood Game Night	Himself	Panelist Episode: "The One with the Friends"
2014	Cougar Town	Sam	Episode: "Like a Diamond"
2014	Playhouse Presents	The Charismatic Man	Episode: "The Dog Thrower"
2015	Web Therapy	Tyler Bishop	2 episodes
2015-2017	The Odd Couple	Oscar Madison	series regular;38 episodes also Developer/Writer and Executive Producer
2017	The Good Fight	Mike Kresteva	3 episodes
2017	The Kennedys: After Camelot	Ted Kennedy	Television Miniseries 2 episodes; also Executive Producer

Video games

Year	Title	Voice role
2010	Fallout: New Vegas	Benny

Awards and Nominations

Perry has received multiple awards and nominations for his work in film and television. His most awarded role is as Chandler Bing on the sitcom Friends (1994-2004), which earned him one Primetime Emmy award nomination for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series in 2002, and 7 Screen Actors Guild award nominations for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series one of which he won in 1996. He earned his first Golden Globe award nomination for Best Lead Actor in a Miniseries or Motion Picture Made for Television for his role in The Ron Clark Story in 2007.

Year	Accolade	Title	Results
1996		Friends	Nominated
1996		Friends	Won
1997		Friends	Nominated
1997		Friends	Nominated
1997		Friends	Nominated
1997		Friends	Won
1998		Friends	Nominated
1998		Friends	Nominated
1998		Friends	Nominated
1999		Friends	Nominated
1999		Friends	Nominated
2000		Friends	Nominated
2000		Friends	Nominated
2000		Friends	Won
2001		Friends	Nominated
2001		Friends	Nominated
2002		Friends	Nominated
2002		Friends	Nominated
2002		Friends	Nominated
2003		The West Wing	Nominated
2003		The West Wing	Nominated
2003		Friends	Nominated
2004		Friends	Nominated
2004		The West Wing	Nominated
2004		Friends	Nominated
2004		Friends	Nominated
2005		Scrubs	Nominated
2006		Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip	Nominated
2006		Friends	Nominated
2007		The Ron Clark Story	Won
2007		The Ron Clark Story	Nominated
2007		The Ron Clark Story	Nominated
2007		The Ron Clark Story	Nominated
2007		The Ron Clark Story	Nominated
2009		The Ron Clark Story	Nominated
2012		The Good Wife	Nominated
2012		The Good Wife	Nominated
2013		The Good Wife	Nominated
2013		Go On	Won
2017		The Odd Couple	Nominated

Charities

Matthew Perry supports the following charitable causes: Children, Down Syndrome, Pediatric AIDS, AIDS, Autism.

[ Source: Wikipedia ]