Matthew Perry Biography

Matthew Perry, actor

Birthdate: August 19, 1969

Birthplace: Williamstown, Massachusetts

Sign: Leo

Born in Williamstown, Massachusetts to mother Suzanne Jane Louise Langford, a Canadian journalist and former press secretary to Canadian Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau, and father John Bennett Perry, an actor and former model, Matthew holds duel U.S./Canadian citizenship. His parents divorced before he turned 1. He was raised by his mother in Ottawa.

Perry became interested in tennis while growing up in Ontario. He subsequently became a top-ranked junior player. He studied in Rockcliffe Park Public School, Lisgar Collegiate Institute, and Ashbury College.

He moved to Los Angeles to start his acting career. While studying at The Buckley School in Sherman Oaks, he played as George Gibbs in "Our Town" and worked as a junior in a production of "The Miracle Worker." He also played as a junior in "The Sound of Music."

His acting break came at the age of 18 when he was cast in "A Night in the Life of Jimmy Reardon" with River Phoenix.

After guest appearances in TV shows, he was offered the lead role in "Second Chance" in the late 1980s. It was originally planned that he starred alongside Kiel Martin but after 13 episodes, the series' format changed and became "Boys Will Be Boys" and Perry garnered the top billing status. However, the series lasted only for one season.

In 1993, he auditioned for a part in "Friends," which later made him a household name. The successful sitcom ran from 1994 to 2004. While he was working on with the sitcom, he had also appeared in film such as "Fools Rush In" opposite Salma Hayek, "The Whole Nine Yards" and sequel "The Whole Ten Yards" with Bruce Willis.

He made his directorial debut in an episode of "Scrubs" after "Friends" ended. His guest appearance in the dramatic series "The West Wing" earned him two Emmy nominations for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series in 2003 and 2004.

He most recently starred in the drama series "Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip," where he played a writer/director brought in to help save a sketch show from dwindling ratings from 2006 to 2007.

Perry became addicted to alcohol and later on to Vicodin. He started taking prescription drugs in 1997 after a jet ski accident. He checked himself into rehab.

As a result of his addictions, he was hospitalized with pancreatitis in 2000. He had been to numerous rehab facilities during the course of his addiction period.