ITVX has a new documentary that explores Matthew Perry’s rise to fame and subsequent downfall, as well as his struggle with addictions throughout his life.
The late Matthew Perry was famous in his own right for his acting career – with his most famous role being that of joker Chandler Bing in Friends. But fans might not know his parents are famous too…
Tragically the much-loved star passed away on October 28, 2023 at the age of just 54 following a long battle with alcohol and drug addiction. A coroner’s report revealed he’d taken ketamine and drowned in the hot tub at his Los Angeles home.
Now a new documentary about Matthew’s life and the events leading up to his accidental overdose is set to air on ITV tonight called Matthew Perry: A Hollywood Tragedy.
It depicts his early years in Ottawa, Canada, from where he first gained fame and where addictions kept him hooked up until he died. What are his parents’ famous careers, as revealed by this information.
Before Matthew was born, Matthew’s parents split up.
Matthew was a baby girl, Suzanne Morrison, who was just 20 years old when she was delivered, on August 19, 1969, in the home of John Bennett Perry and Suzanne Morrison.
Before Matthew even turned one, they had been married a year earlier but had split. Later, he claimed that they were “just too young” and “not meant to be together.”
He traveled from Montreal, Canada, where he lived with his mother, to Los Angeles, California, where he would visit his father, starting at age five.
Matthew initially assumed this would be a thrilling adventure, but he soon realized he was “too young to be alone.” He said he felt “the best I ever had in my entire life,” and that this feeling remained with him when he first started drinking alcohol at the age of 14.
His father, who made a comeo in Friends, was an actor.
Matthew’s father was a stage actor who had previously appeared in television programs like Little House on the Prairie and Murder, She Wrote, as well as the Old Spice commercials from the 1970s and 1980s.
The 84-year-old man even made an appearance on-screen with his son in a Friends in the Nineties scene. He appeared in the fourth episode of The One With Rachel’s New Dress, which fans may not have known at the time.
In the famous scene, Rachel wears some seductive underwear and waits for her boyfriend Joshua before Mr. Burgin, Joshua’s real-life pops, enter.
However, Matthew states in his biography, Friends, Lovers and The Big, Terrible Thing, that “I saw his face more frequently on TV and in magazines than I did in reality.” That’s probably the reason I chose to become an actor.
The mother of Matthew Perry worked for a well-known politician.
Suzanne, Matthew’s mother, was a journalist, TV host, and former press secretary for Pierre and Justin Trudeau, both of whom were former Canadian prime ministers.
Matthew referred to himself as a “latchkey kid” in his memoir and expressed his disappointment with his parents not being around more. He remarked, “That is when the bad behavior began.” I got s*** grades. I began to smoke. He revealed that Pierre’s son, Justin, was actually “beat up” by him!
Sharing what transpired on Jimmy Kimmel Live! He claimed in 2017 that his jealousy was out of the ordinary because he was excelling in a sport we weren’t. And we beat him up, you’re aware of it.
When Justin joked that he would be back in court as the country’s prime minister, Matthew politely declined and wrote, “I think I will pass at your request for a rematch, kind sir (given that you currently have an army at your disposal),” in response.
After his death, Justin paid tribute to his childhood friend and wrote: “I’ll never forget the schoolyard games we used to play, and I know people around the world are never going to forget the joy be brought them. Thanks for all the laughs, Matthew. You were loved – and will be missed.”
Matthew has four younger siblings and both of his parents wed. Caitlin and Emily, both of whom were mothers, were born. While his father, John, was expecting a son, Will, and a daughter, Maria.
*Matthew Perry: A Hollywood Tragedy premieres on ITV on August 18 at 9 p.m., or you can watch it on ITVX.
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