Matthew Perry’s Tragic True Life Story – Looper

Raised in Ottawa, Canada, Matthew Perry’s parents were significant figures. His father, John Bennett Perry, was an American actor best recognized for minor roles in “Independence Day” and “The Legend of the Lone Ranger.” Meanwhile, Matthew Perry’s mother, Suzanne Marie Morrison, was a former beauty queen who served as press secretary to the country’s Prime Minister before transitioning to journalism. Unfortunately, the pair separated before their son reached his first birthday.

Perry’s mother would find a new partner in celebrated “Dateline” correspondent Keith Morrison, but the young performer admitted that he did not see much at all of any of his celebrity parents. “I spent a great deal of time alone,” Perry wrote in his memoirs “Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing” (per BBC). Thankfully, the actor credits much of his humor and talents to his independent childhood. “I learned to be funny — Pratfalls, quick one liners, you know the drill — Because I had to be.” Even more tragically, when it came to seeing his father he said, “I saw his face more often on TV or in magazines than I did in reality.” Perry also admitted that he started misbehaving at an early age, smoking, and stealing money by the age of 10, and having his first taste of alcohol at 14.