12 unknown facts about the 'Friends' actor Matthew Perry
Fans of 'Miss Chanandler Bong' might not know these facts about Matthew Perry
Matthew Perry passed away on October 28 at the age of 54. The beloved actor, who rose to fame for his portrayal of Chandler Bing in the sitcom 'Friends', captured the hearts of generations across the globe with his quick wit, sarcasm, and impeccable comedic timing. However, the life of the Canadian-American actor extended far beyond the superficial glitz of show biz. In his autobiography, 'Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing', he laid bare his personal struggles and transformative journey. Here are a dozen facts from the star's life that may surprise fans.
Matthew Perry was missing part of his middle finger
Perry lost part of his right middle finger because his grandfather accidentally shut his car door on his hand when he was in preschool. The writer of 'Friends' made his character Chandler lose one of his toes in an episode as a cheeky nod to this fact.
Matthew Perry was a top-ranked junior tennis player in Canada
The actor began playing tennis at age 4, and by 13 he was ranked the No. 2 junior tennis player in his hometown of Ottawa, Canada. He loved the sport, and dedicated nearly 10 hours a day to his training, he told NYT in 2002. After moving to the United States, Perry tried to continue playing tennis professionally but eventually decided to focus on acting instead. Matthew Perry spent his last public appearance watching tennis at the French Open at the Stade Roland Garros in Paris, France, on June 9.
Matthew Perry's acting debut
Perry made his television debut with '240-Robert' in 1979 as a child actor. His film debut came almost a decade later in 1988 with the coming-of-age drama 'A Night in the Life of Jimmy Reardon', which was written and directed by William Richert. Not many remember that in 1991, he also made a guest appearance on Season 1 of Beverly Hills, 90210 as Roger Azarian. He also had a three-episode arc on 'Growing Pains' in 1989, portraying Carol Seaver's boyfriend Sandy who dies after a drunk-driving crash.
Matthew Perry's battle with addiction
Perry began drinking alcohol at age 14 and was drinking alcohol every day by age 18, he told ABC's Diane Sawyer while promoting his memoir. The addiction issues that Perry faced first came to light when he finished a one-month Vicodin addiction program in 1997. He had to revisit rehab in 2001 for addictions related to Vicodin, methadone, amphetamines, and alcohol. He told Sawyer in his interview, "The weirdest thing I did was on Sundays I would go to open houses and go to the bathrooms...in the open house and see what pills they had in there and steal them." Perry added, "And I think they thought, 'Well, there's no way that Chandler came in and stole from us.'"
Matthew Perry became a champion for those fighting addiction
As a result of his personal experiences, Perry became a spokesperson for the National Association of Drug Court Professionals. He repurposed his Malibu mansion into a rehab for addicts, called Perry House. His advocacy and contributions led to him being honored with the Champion of Recovery award in May 2013 from the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy.
Matthew Perry didn't need a script when he auditioned for Chandler
Perry had been helping his friend audition for the same part before going in for the audition himself. As a result, he knew the pilot by heart and did not need a script.
Matthew Perry was the only 'Friends' actor to sit with the writers
Like his character Chandler, Perry's sharp wit was so legendary that the directors often used his gags as well as suggestions on the show. As a result, Perry had to sit with the writers quite regularly.
Matthew Perry bullied a young Justin Trudeau
In an interview with Jimmy Kimmel, Perry recalled pummelling a kid who went on to become the Prime Minister of Canada. "I’m not bragging about this, this is terrible. I was a stupid kid," he said, adding that it was an old friend of his who reminded him of it. "We both beat him up. I think he was excelling in a sport that we weren't, so it was pure jealousy."
Matthew Perry sent his first magazine cover to his old teacher
When Perry was featured on the cover of People magazine for the first time, he sent a copy to one of his old teachers, named Dr Web. The teacher had once told Perry that he would never achieve anything if he kept joking around all the time.
Matthew Perry was a die-hard hockey fan
The actor's favorite club, Ottawa Senators, honored the late actor with a post on social media, stating, "Saddened to learn about the passing of Matthew Perry, one of Ottawa's proudest sons and the biggest hockey fan." Perry had managed to sport their logo in his successful 2000 comedy, 'The Whole Nine Yards'.
Matthew Perry had a passion for acting in theater plays
Perry was actively involved with stage theatre. He starred in critically acclaimed productions, including 'The End of Longing' and 'The Odd Couple'. Perry also took on the role of producer for 'The End of Longing' and 'The Play What I Wrote'.
Matthew Perry was brutally honest about his life in his memoir
In 2022, Perry released his book, 'Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing'. He laid bare his life and his struggles on the pages, hoping that it would help others who were going through similar situations. The book is full of painful revelations, from having alcohol-induced erectile dysfunction to having to visit the dentist when all his top teeth fell out when he bit into a peanut butter toast.