Tragic Facts About Matthew Perry, The Charming Friend
If Matthew Perry’s Chandler was the one on Friends who made you laugh the hardest, his real-life story will make you need a box of tissues. RIP.
1. His Life Wasn't Friendly
As perfect as Matthew Perry's life seemed in the 1990s, the laughs seemed to stop as soon as he left the set of Friends. In reality, off-camera Perry was facing multiple addictions, multiple heartaches, and the kind of loneliness that only a superstar can experience. His tragic, sudden ending only emphasized that, but his heartbreaking story started when he was very young.
2. He Barely Knew His Dad
Matthew Perry was born in Williamstown, Massachusetts to actor and singer John Bennet Perry and Suzanne Langford. Young Matthew Perry was looking for stability in his life. Sadly, it wouldn’t come from his parents. While his father was a familiar face to the public, starring in Old Spice commercials, he wasn't a familiar face to Perry.
You see, before Perry had his first birthday, his parents ended their marriage. This meant that Perry had to move up to Canada with his mother, where she worked for the Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau, so she could continue her career there.
But for Perry, it meant immediate trouble.
3. He Fought A Golden Boy
Up in Canada, Perry attended a rather prestigious public school called Rockcliffe Park. Two Dutch princesses had once attended there, and while Perry was a student there he met with Justin Trudeau, current Canadian Prime Minister and at the time, the son of his mother's own boss Pierre Trudeau.
It went horrible. As the story goes, Perry actually got into a fight with Justin, beating him up. Sadly, this was nothing compared to what he'd get up to when he got a taste of fame.
4. He Was On A Quest
Perry knew he wanted to be in show business, so at the tender age of 15 he moved to Los Angeles. While there, he did manage to finish high school, but at the same time he was pursuing his dream of being on TV.
After trying his hand at improv comedy, Perry landed his first big role. But he was about to learn a hard lesson. The show was a sitcom called Second Chance...and there's a reason you've never heard of it.
