Matthew Perry
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Matthew Langford Perry (August 19, 1969 – October 28, 2023) was an American-Canadian actor. He gained international fame for starring as Chandler Bing on the NBC television sitcom Friends (1994–2004). Perry also appeared on Ally McBeal (2002) and received Primetime Emmy Award nominations for his performances in The West Wing (2003) and The Ron Clark Story (2006). He played a leading role in the NBC series Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip (2006–2007), and also became known for his leading film roles in Fools Rush In (1997), Almost Heroes (1998), Three to Tango (1999), The Whole Nine Yards (2000), Serving Sara (2002), The Whole Ten Yards (2004), and 17 Again (2009).
Perry was the co-creator, co-writer, executive producer, and star of the ABC sitcom Mr. Sunshine, which ran from February to April 2011.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In August 2012, he starred as sportscaster Ryan King on the NBC sitcom Go On. He co-developed and starred in a revival of the CBS sitcom The Odd Couple portraying Oscar Madison from 2015 to 2017. He had recurring roles in the legal dramas The Good Wife (2012–2013), and The Good Fight (2017). Perry portrayed Ted Kennedy in The Kennedys: After Camelot (2017) and appeared as himself in his final television appearance, Friends: The Reunion (2021).<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> He voiced Benny in the video game Fallout: New Vegas (2010).
For most of his life, Perry suffered from severe addictions to drugs and alcohol. Through his recovery, he became an advocate for rehabilitation and a spokesperson for the National Association of Drug Court Professionals. In 2013, Perry received the Champion of Recovery Award from the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy. In 2022, he released his memoir, Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing.
He died on October 28, 2023, at age 54, from accidental drowning caused by the acute effects of ketamine use. Five people were charged in connection with helping him acquire lethal doses of the drug.<ref name="death-cause">Template:Cite magazine</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> All five pleaded guilty.<ref name=jasveenofficialguiltyplea>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name=guiltypleas>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name=fiveguiltypleas>Template:Cite news</ref>
Early life and education
Matthew Langford Perry was born in Williamstown, Massachusetts, on August 19, 1969.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> His mother, Suzanne Marie Morrison (Template:Née, born 1948),<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> is a Canadian journalist who was press secretary to Canadian prime minister Pierre Trudeau. His father, John Bennett Perry (born 1941), is an American actor and former model.<ref name=nytfame>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Perry's parents separated when he was a year old and his mother married Canadian broadcast journalist Keith Morrison. Perry was mostly raised by his mother in Ottawa, Ontario, but he also lived briefly in Toronto and Montreal.<ref name="latobit">Template:Cite news</ref> He attended Rockcliffe Park Public School and Ashbury College, a boarding school in Ottawa.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="rematch">Template:Cite news</ref> He had four younger maternal half-siblings—Caitlin, Emily, Will, and Madeline—as well as a younger paternal half-sister named Maria. His siblings "would stand and applaud" him for early performances.<ref name=Siblings>Template:Cite web</ref>
By the age of 10, Perry started misbehaving. He stole money, smoked, let his grades slip and beat up fellow student and future Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau.<ref name=rematch/><ref name="bbcobit">Template:Cite news</ref> Perry later attributed his behavior to his feeling like a family outsider who no longer belonged once his mother began having children with Morrison. He wrote, "I was so often on the outside looking in, still that kid up in the clouds on a flight to somewhere else, unaccompanied."<ref name=Siblings/> At age 14, Perry began consuming alcohol, and was drinking every day by his 18th birthday.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> He practiced tennis, often for 10 hours per day,<ref name=nytfame/> and became a top-ranked junior player in Canada with the possibility of a tennis career. However, his prospects diminished when he moved from Ottawa, at age 15, to live with his father in Los Angeles, where competition was much tougher.<ref name=nytfame/><ref name=bbcobit/><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
At 15, Perry began studying acting at the Buckley School, a college-preparatory school in Sherman Oaks, Los Angeles, from which he graduated in 1987.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> While in high school, he took improvisational comedy classes at L.A. Connection in Sherman Oaks.<ref name=Snarky>Template:Cite magazine</ref>
Career
1979–1993: Early roles
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Perry's first credited role was a small part in 240-Robert in 1979 as a child actor.<ref name=deadlineobit/><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Shortly after moving to Los Angeles, Perry started auditioning for roles.<ref name=nytfame/> Perry made guest appearances on Not Necessarily the News in 1983, Charles in Charge in 1985, and Silver Spoons in 1986.<ref name=deadlineobit/><ref name=Snarky/> In 1987 and 1988, he played Chazz Russell in the television series Second Chance (later called Boys Will Be Boys). Perry made his film debut in 1988 with A Night in the Life of Jimmy Reardon.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In 1989, he had a three-episode arc on Growing Pains, portraying Carol Seaver's boyfriend Sandy, who dies in a drunk driving incident.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Perry was cast as a regular on the 1990 CBS sitcom Sydney, playing the younger brother of Valerie Bertinelli's character.<ref name="Snarky" /> In 1991, he made a guest appearance on Beverly Hills, 90210 as Roger Azarian.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Perry played the starring role in the ABC sitcom Home Free, which aired in 1993.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>
1994–2004: Breakthrough with Friends
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Perry's commitment to a pilot for a sitcom called LAX 2194, set in the baggage handling department of Los Angeles Airport 200 years in the future,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> initially made him unavailable for a role in another pilot, Six of One, later called Friends. After the LAX 2194 pilot fell through, he had the opportunity to read for a part in Six of One and was cast as Chandler Bing. At age 24, he was the youngest member of the main cast.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> After making the pilot and while waiting for the show to air, Perry spent the summer of 1993 performing at the Williamstown Theater Festival alongside Gwyneth Paltrow.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Friends was hugely successful, and it made Perry an international celebrity.<ref name=nytfame /> By 2002, he and his co-stars Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc, and David Schwimmer were making $1 million per episode.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The program earned him an Emmy nomination in 2002 for the Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series award.<ref name="emmys">Template:Cite web</ref> Perry appeared in films such as Fools Rush In, Almost Heroes, Three to Tango, The Whole Nine Yards and its sequel The Whole Ten Yards, and Serving Sara.Template:Citation needed In 1995, he and Jennifer Aniston appeared in a 60-minute-long promotional video for Microsoft's Windows 95, released on VHS on August 1.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
For his performance as Joe Quincy in The West Wing, Perry received two Emmy nominations for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series in 2003 and 2004.<ref name=emmys/> He appeared as attorney Todd Merrick in two episodes of Ally McBeal.<ref name=saveally/> In 2004, he made his directorial debut and acted in an episode of the fourth season of the comedy-drama Scrubs, an episode which included his father.<ref name=starscrubs/>
2005–2022: Later work
Perry starred in the TNT movie The Ron Clark Story, which premiered August 13, 2006,<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> and received a Golden Globe and Emmy nomination for his performance.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=emmys/> From 2006 to 2007, he 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.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>
In 2006, Perry began filming Numb, a film based on a man suffering from depersonalization disorder. The release was postponed several times, but it was finally released on DVD on May 13, 2008.<ref name=Numb>Template:Cite magazine</ref> Perry also appeared on stage in London in David Mamet's Sexual Perversity in Chicago.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In 2008, Perry starred in the independent film Birds of America.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> Showtime passed on a pilot called The End of Steve, a dark comedy starring, written, and produced by Perry and Peter Tolan.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>
In 2009, Perry starred in the film 17 Again playing a 37-year-old man who transforms into his 17-year-old self (Zac Efron) after an accident.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The film received mixed reviews and was a box-office success.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> A review on WRC-TV found Perry miscast in his role, emphasizing the disbelief in Efron growing up to resemble Perry, both physically and behaviorally — a sentiment echoed by other critics.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
In 2009, Perry was a guest on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, when he presented Ellen DeGeneres with an Xbox 360 video game console and a copy of the game Fallout 3. The gesture led to game studio Obsidian Entertainment casting him in Fallout: New Vegas as the voice of Benny.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Perry's new comedy pilot, Mr. Sunshine, based on his original idea for the show, was bought by ABC.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref><ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> He played the lead role as a middle-aged man with an identity crisis.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> ABC canceled the series after nine episodes in 2011.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>
In 2012, Perry starred in the NBC comedy series Go On, written and produced by former Friends writer/producer Scott Silveri. Perry portrayed Ryan King, a sportscaster who tries to move on after the death of his wife through the help of mandatory therapy sessions.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> In the same year, he guest-starred on the CBS drama The Good Wife as attorney Mike Kresteva. He reprised his role in the fourth season in 2013.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
In 2014, Perry made his British television debut in the one-off comedy program The Dog Thrower, which aired on May 1 as part of Sky Arts' Playhouse Presents. He portrayed "a charismatic man" who enchanted onlookers by throwing his dog in the air.<ref name="BBC 20140304">Template:Cite news</ref> From 2015 to 2017, Perry starred in, co-wrote, and served as executive producer of a reboot of the sitcom The Odd Couple on CBS. He played Oscar Madison opposite Thomas Lennon as Felix Unger.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Perry played the lead role in the world premiere production of his play The End of Longing, which opened on February 11, 2016, at the Playhouse Theatre in London.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Its limited run proved successful despite mixed reviews.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> Perry restructured the play and appeared alongside Jennifer Morrison in its second off-Broadway production, which opened at the Lucille Lortel Theatre on June 5, 2017. It closed on July 1 after receiving poor reviews.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Years later Perry described the play as "a personal message to the world, an exaggerated form of me as a drunk. I had something important to say to people like me, and to people who love people like me."<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
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.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> Later that year, he starred as Ted Kennedy in the mini-series The Kennedys: After Camelot.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
In May 2021, he participated in the special episode Friends: The Reunion.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> He was meant to have a role in Don't Look Up, but withdrew in 2020 because of CPR-induced broken ribs.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Perry published a memoir, Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing, in October 2022. It became a bestseller on both Amazon and The New York Times charts.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Personal life
Perry held American citizenship by birth and Canadian citizenship through his Canadian-born mother. He dated Yasmine Bleeth in 1995, Julia Roberts from 1995 to 1996, and Lizzy Caplan from 2006 to 2012.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In November 2020, Perry became engaged to literary manager Molly Hurwitz. Their engagement ended in 2021.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>
Residences owned at some point by Perry included a condo in Sierra Towers purchased from Elton John, a house in Hollywood Hills, a house in Malibu, and a cottage in Pacific Palisades.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In 2017, Perry purchased a condo occupying the top floor of The Century in Los Angeles for $20 million,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> selling it to Nick Molnar for $21.6 million in 2021.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In June 2023, Perry purchased a mid-century modern house in Hollywood Hills.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Perry had a perfectionist and obsessive personality, spending many hours perfecting his answering machine message.<ref name=nytfame/> He also believed in God, with whom he had "a very close relationship",<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> calling himself "a seeker".<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Health and addiction
In his memoirs, Perry wrote that by age 14, he had become an alcoholic.<ref name="guardian" /> He became addicted to Vicodin after a jet ski accident in 1997 and completed a 28-day rehab program at the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation that year.<ref name="struggle">Template:Cite web</ref> His weight dropped to Template:Convert as he took as many as 55 Vicodin pills per day.<ref name="colon" /><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In May 2000, he was admitted to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center with alcohol-induced pancreatitis.<ref name="struggle" /><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Perry said in 2002 that he made an effort not to drink on the set of Friends but did arrive with extreme hangovers and sometimes would shake or sweat excessively.<ref name="nytfame" /><ref name="guardian">Template:Cite news</ref> During the later seasons of the series, he was frequently drunk or high on set. His castmates made efforts to help him, and staged an intervention,<ref name="guardian" /> but were unsuccessful.<ref name="nytfame" />
In February 2001, Perry paused productions of Friends and Serving Sara for two months<ref name="nytfame" /> so that he could enter in-patient rehabilitation for his addictions to Vicodin, methadone, amphetamines, and alcohol.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> He said later that, due to his substance use disorder, he had no memory of three years of his work on Friends.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
In 2018, Perry spent five months in a hospital for a gastrointestinal perforation. During the hospital stay, Perry nearly died after his colon burst from opioid abuse. He spent two weeks in a coma and used a colostomy bag for nine months. Upon being admitted to the hospital, doctors told his family that Perry had a 2% chance of survival. He was connected to an extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) machine.<ref name=colon>Template:Cite magazine</ref>
Perry faked pain to get a prescription for 1,800 milligrams of hydrocodone per day and was having daily ketamine infusions. He was given propofol in conjunction with a surgery, which stopped his heart for five minutes. The resulting cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) resulted in eight broken ribs. He paid $175,000 for a private jet to take him to Los Angeles to get more drugs. When doctors there refused, he booked another $175,000 private flight to fly back to Switzerland that night.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> In 2022, he estimated that he had spent $9 million on his addiction, including 14 stomach surgeries, 15 stays in rehab and therapy twice a week for 30 years and had attended approximately 6,000 Alcoholics Anonymous meetings.<ref name=bbcobit/><ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>
Philanthropy and advocacy
In July 2011, Perry lobbied the United States Congress as a celebrity spokesperson for the National Association of Drug Court Professionals in support of funding for drug courts.<ref>Template:Cite press release</ref> He received a Champion of Recovery award in May 2013 from the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy for opening Perry House, a rehab center in his former mansion in Malibu.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In 2015, Perry sold the mansion and relocated its services.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> During the COVID-19 pandemic, he launched an apparel line inspired by Friends, with proceeds donated to the World Health Organization's COVID-19 relief fund.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>
Death and funeral
On October 28, 2023, Perry was found unresponsive in a hot tub at his home in Pacific Palisades, Los Angeles. He was pronounced dead at 4:17Template:Nbsppm the same day. He was 54 years old.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
On November 3, 2023, Perry's funeral was held at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Los Angeles where he was buried.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> His father, mother and stepfather attended, as did his five Friends co-stars.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> The Peter Gabriel and Kate Bush song "Don't Give Up" was played; Perry was enamored with the song and referenced it in signed copies of his autobiography, released in part to help people suffering from depression or addiction issues.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Following Perry's death, the National Philanthropic Trust established the Matthew Perry Foundation to support people suffering from addiction.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
On December 15, 2023, Perry's death was revealed to have occurred due to acute effects of ketamine.<ref name="death-cause"/><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Other circumstances that contributed to his death included the effects of buprenorphine, drowning, and coronary artery disease.<ref name="death-cause"/> The Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner said in a statement that
...at the high levels of ketamine found in his post-mortem blood specimens, the main lethal effects would be from both cardiovascular overstimulation and respiratory depression... ...drowning contributes due to the likelihood of submersion into the pool as he lapsed into unconsciousness; coronary artery disease contributes due to exacerbation of ketamine induced myocardial effects on the heart.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The ketamine in his system at death could not be from that infusion therapy, since ketamine's half-life is 3 to 4 hours, or less.
Perry had been receiving ketamine-assisted psychotherapy sessions to treat anxiety at the time of his death. His last known session occurred the week before his death. However, the report stated that the therapy could not have resulted in his death.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Investigation and guilty pleas
In May 2024, an investigation was opened by the Los Angeles Police Department to determine how Perry obtained the high dose of ketamine that caused his death.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> On August 15, 2024, indictments and charges were filed against five people: Perry's personal assistant, two doctors, and two drug dealers (including TV director Erik Fleming),<ref name=flemingguiltyplea>Template:Cite web</ref> alleging involvement in the distribution of ketamine that caused the death of Perry and one other person.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=":0">Template:Cite news</ref>
Three of the accused agreed to plead guilty,<ref name=":0" /> with two, Fleming and Perry's former assistant Kenneth Iwamasa, having their guilty pleas entered into court soon after being charged;<ref name="pleasigned">Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="chavezplea">Template:Cite news</ref> Iwamasa pleaded guilty on August 7, 2024, as did Fleming the following day.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> During a court hearing on August 30, 2024, it was agreed that former doctor Mark Chavez, who had signed a plea agreement but had not yet officially entered it into court, would have his guilty plea accepted, though he would still not officially plead guilty until a later court appearance.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="chavezplea" /><ref name="pleasigned" /> Chavez would have his medical license suspended the next month and would officially plead guilty at a court hearing held on October 2, 2024.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The second doctor, Salvador Plasencia, agreed to plead guilty on June 17, 2025.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Plasencia, who was initially scheduled to be tried in August 2025, would then officially plead guilty in court to four counts of ketamine distribution on July 23, 2025.<ref name=plasecniaguiltyplea>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name=pleadeal /><ref name=plasenciapleabondandsentence>Template:Cite news</ref>
According to U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada, Perry paid the two doctors $55,000 in cash for ketamine in the two months before his death.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Iwamasa admitted to obtaining ketamine for Perry and injecting him with the drug, while Fleming admitted to obtaining the ketamine from the supplier and giving it to Iwamasa for Perry to use.<ref name="pleasigned" /> Text messages also revealed that Plasencia would purchase the ketamine he supplied Perry with from Chavez.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> However, the main supplier of the ketamine Perry used at the time of his death was believed to be Jasveen Sangha, who served a major drug dealer to "high end and celebs" and whose North Hollywood home, which was raided by U.S. DEA authorities in March 2024, was described a "drug-selling emporium."<ref name=sanghachargedandjailed>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name=fiveguiltypleas /><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In his guilty plea, Erik Fleming admitted that he obtained 71 vials ketamine from Sangha which would be sold to Perry.<ref name="pleasigned" /><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Plasencia, who was initially Perry's main ketamine supplier, and Sangha, who became Perry's main ketamine supplier after Plasencia limited his ketamine supply, were regarded as the primary targets in the case regarding Perry's death.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
On August 18, 2025, Sangha, the final defendant in the case involving Perry's death, had her guilty plea, which was signed on August 14, 2025, officially filed in court.<ref name=guiltypleas /> Sangha, also known as the "Ketamine Queen," pled guilty to one count of maintaining a drug-involved premises, three counts of distribution of ketamine and one count of distribution of ketamine resulting in death or serious bodily injury.<ref name=guiltypleas /> Sangha would agree to a plead guilty to these charges shortly before her trial was set to begin in September 2025.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> At the time of her plea deal, Sangha, who also admitted to selling ketamine which at least one other person overdosed on before their death, had been jailed in federal custody since her arrest in August 2024.<ref name=fiveguiltypleas /><ref name=sanghachargedandjailed /><ref name=pleadeal>Template:Cite web</ref> Sangha would officially plead guilty to all five counts she was charged with while appearing before the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California on September 3, 2025.<ref name=jasveenofficialguiltyplea />
Sangha faces up to 45 years in prison.<ref name=fiveguiltypleas /> Of the other defendants, Plasencia, who remains free on bond until sentencing,<ref name=plasenciapleabondandsentence /> faces up to 10 years for each of the four charges he pled guilty to, totaling a possible 40 years.<ref name=plasecniaguiltyplea /><ref name=pleadeal /> Fleming, who pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine and one count of distribution of ketamine, resulting in death faces up to 25 years in prison.<ref name=pleadeal /><ref name=flemingguiltyplea /> However, Iwamasa, who pled guilty to only one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine causing death, faces a maximum of 15 years, while Chavez, who pled guilty to only one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine, faces up to 10 years.<ref name=pleadeal />
Legacy
Perry’s portrayal of Chandler Bing on Friends (1994–2004) became one of television’s most recognizable comic performances. Critics noted his precision timing and a distinctive “could I be any more…?” cadence that was widely imitated and quoted, and that he brought a rare strain of vulnerability to the sitcom archetype.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Beyond acting, Perry advocated for addiction recovery. In 2013 he met with the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy to support drug courts, and that year opened Perry House, a men’s sober-living facility in his former Malibu home, which operated from 2013 to 2015.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> He said he hoped to be remembered more for helping people achieve sobriety than for his acting career, a mission continued by the Matthew Perry Foundation, launched days after his death.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Tributes reflected that impact: the main Friends cast issued a joint statement, and Max added an on-screen memorial card to the series; on August 19, 2025, Perry’s Fools Rush In co-star Salma Hayek marked what would have been his 56th birthday with an Instagram tribute.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Acting credits
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Template:Abbr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1988 | A Night in the Life of Jimmy Reardon | Fred Roberts | Credited as Matthew L. Perry | <ref name=aficatalog>Template:Cite web</ref> |
| 1989 | She's Out of Control | Timothy | <ref name=aficatalog/> | |
| Fat Man and Little Boy | Bomb Technician | Uncredited | <ref name="deadlineobit">Template:Cite web</ref> | |
| 1994 | Getting In | Randal Burns | Direct-to-video | <ref name=rtbio>Template:Cite web</ref> |
| 1997 | Fools Rush In | Alex Whitman | <ref name=aficatalog/> | |
| 1998 | Almost Heroes | Leslie Edwards | <ref name=aficatalog/> | |
| 1999 | Three to Tango | Oscar Novak | <ref name=aficatalog/> | |
| 2000 | The Whole Nine Yards | Nicholas "Oz" Oseransky | <ref name=aficatalog/> | |
| The Kid | Mr. Vivian | Uncredited cameo | <ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> | |
| 2002 | Serving Sara | Joe Tyler | <ref name=aficatalog/> | |
| 2004 | The Whole Ten Yards | Nicholas "Oz" Oseransky | <ref name=aficatalog/> | |
| 2007 | Numb | Hudson Milbank | Also executive producer | <ref name=rtbio/><ref name=Numb/> |
| 2008 | Birds of America | Morrie | <ref name=rtbio/> | |
| 2009 | 17 Again | Older Mike O'Donnell | <ref name=aficatalog/> | |
| 2015 | Misery Loves Comedy | Himself | <ref>Template:Cite web</ref> |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Template:Abbr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1979 | 240-Robert | Arthur | Episode: "Bank Job" | <ref name="Insider">Template:Cite web</ref> |
| 1983 | Not Necessarily the News | Bob | Episode: "Audrie in Love" | <ref name=deadlineobit/> |
| 1985 | Charles in Charge | Ed | Credited as Matthew L. Perry; episode: "The Wrong Guy" | <ref name="Insider" /> |
| 1986 | Silver Spoons | Davey | Episode: "Rick Moves Out" | <ref name="Insider" /> |
| 1987–1988 | Second Chance/Boys Will Be Boys | Chazz Russell | Main role | <ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> |
| 1988 | Dance 'til Dawn | Roger | Television film | <ref>Template:Cite web</ref> |
| Just the Ten of Us | Ed | Credited as Matthew L. Perry; episode: "The Dinner Test" | <ref name=deadlineobit/> | |
| Highway to Heaven | David Hastings | 2 episodes | <ref name=deadlineobit/> | |
| 1989 | Empty Nest | Bill at 18 | Episode: "A Life in the Day" | <ref>Template:Cite web</ref> |
| Growing Pains | Sandy | Recurring role | <ref name=rtbio/> | |
| 1990 | Sydney | Billy Kells | Main role | <ref name=rtbio/> |
| Who's the Boss? | Benjamin Dawson | Episode: "Roomies" | <ref name=rtbio/> | |
| Call Me Anna | Desi Arnaz Jr. | Television film; credited as Matthew L. Perry | <ref>Template:Cite news</ref> | |
| 1991 | Beverly Hills, 90210 | Roger Azarian | Episode: "April Is the Cruelest Month" | <ref name=rtbio/> |
| 1992 | Dream On | Alex Farmer | Episode: "To the Moon, Alex!" | <ref>Template:Cite news</ref> |
| Sibs | Chas | Episode: "What Makes Lily Run?" | <ref>Template:Cite web</ref> | |
| 1993 | Deadly Relations | George Westerfield | Television film | <ref>Template:Cite web</ref> |
| Home Free | Matt Bailey | Main role | <ref name=rtbio/> | |
| 1994 | Parallel Lives | Willi Morrison | Television film | <ref>Template:Cite web</ref> |
| LAX 2194 | Blaine | Unaired pilot | <ref>Template:Cite web</ref> | |
| Girl's Best Friend | Kenny | <ref>Template:Cite web</ref> | ||
| 1994–2004 | Friends | Chandler Bing | Main role | <ref>Template:Cite news</ref> |
| 1995 | Caroline in the City | Episode: "Caroline and the Folks" | <ref>Template:Cite book</ref> | |
| The John Larroquette Show | Steven | Episode: "Rachel Redux" | <ref name=rtbio/> | |
| 1997 | Saturday Night Live | Host | Episode: "Matthew Perry/Oasis" | <ref name=rtbio/> |
| 2001 | The Simpsons | Himself | Voice; episode: "Treehouse of Horror XII" | <ref name=rtbio/> |
| 2002 | Ally McBeal | Todd Merrick | 2 episodes | <ref name="saveally">Template:Cite magazine</ref> |
| 2003 | The West Wing | Joe Quincy | Recurring role; 3 episodes | <ref name=rtbio/> |
| 2004 | Scrubs | Murray | Also director; episode: "My Unicorn" | <ref name="starscrubs">Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> |
| 2006 | The Ron Clark Story | Ron Clark | Television film | <ref name=Snarky/> |
| 2006–2007 | Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip | Matt Albie | Main role | <ref name=rtbio/> |
| 2011 | Childrens Hospital | Himself | Episode: "The Black Doctor" | <ref>Template:Cite news</ref> |
| Mr. Sunshine | Ben Donovan | Main role; also creator, executive producer and writer | <ref name=rtbio/> | |
| 2012–2013 | The Good Wife | Mike Kresteva | Recurring role | <ref name=rtbio/> |
| Go On | Ryan King | Main role; also executive producer | <ref name=rtbio/> | |
| 2014 | Cougar Town | Sam Johnston | Episode: "Like a Diamond" | <ref name=rtbio/> |
| Playhouse Presents | The Charismatic Man | Episode: "The Dog Thrower" | <ref name="BBC 20140304" /> | |
| 2015 | Web Therapy | Tyler Bishop | 2 episodes | <ref>Template:Cite news</ref> |
| 2015–2017 | The Odd Couple | Oscar Madison | Main role; also creator, executive producer and writer | <ref name=rtbio/> |
| 2017 | The Good Fight | Mike Kresteva | Recurring role | <ref name=rtbio/> |
| The Kennedys: After Camelot | Ted Kennedy | Miniseries; also executive producer | <ref>Template:Cite web</ref> | |
| 2021 | Friends: The Reunion | Himself | Also executive producer | <ref name="reunion">Template:Cite magazine</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> |
Theater
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Template:Abbr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | Sexual Perversity in Chicago | Danny | Comedy Theatre, London | <ref>Template:Cite web</ref> |
| 2016 | The End of Longing | Jack | Also playwright; Playhouse Theatre, London | <ref name="Playbill2">Template:Cite web</ref> |
| 2017 | Also playwright; Lucille Lortel Theater, Off-Broadway | <ref name="Playbill2" /> |
Video games
| Year | Title | Voice role | Template:Abbr |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Fallout: New Vegas | Benny | <ref name="USA Today Interview">Template:Cite web</ref> |
Specials
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Template:Abbr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | TSN: The Hangover | Angry Matthew Perry | Cameo | <ref>Template:Cite web</ref> |
Awards and nominations
Publications
Notes
References
External links
Template:Wikiquote Template:Commons category
- Template:IMDb name
- Template:Rotten Tomatoes person
- Template:Discogs artist
- Interviewed on "Q with Tom Power", CBC, November 22, 2022, audio
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