Born in Williamstown, Mass., and raised in Ottawa, Ontario, Matthew Perry had his first taste of acting when he was in the seventh grade. He recalls, “After I got my first laugh on stage, I was hooked.
At age 15 he moved to Los Angeles to live with his father, actor John Bennett Perry. Matthew’s interest in acting increased after he performed in several high-school stage productions. In addition to acting, he excelled at tennis — he was rated No. 17 nationally in the junior singles category, and he and his partner were ranked No. 3 in doubles competition.
After his graduation, Perry had intended to enroll at the University of Southern California, but when he was offered a leading role on the television series Boys Will Be Boys, he seized the opportunity to begin his chosen career. His other TV-series credits include regular roles on Home Free and Sydney as well as a recurring part on Growing Pains. He guest-starred on such series as Beverly Hills, 90210, Who’s the Boss?, The Tracey Ullman Show, Empty Nest, and The John Larroquette Show.
His TV movies include Deadly Relations, Call Me Anna, and Dance ’til Dawn. Among his feature films are A Night in the Life of Jimmy Reardon, She’s Out of Control, Parallel Lives, and the movies Fools Rush In and Edwards and Hunt: The First American Road Trip.
In addition to acting, Perry enjoys writing. He sold his first pilot, Maxwell’s House to Universal Television. He is most famous as Chandler Bing on the hit show Friends.