The King Of Sarcasm: A Glance At Matthew Perry's Journey To His $120 Million Fortune
Matthew Perry will forever be known by fans as Chandler Bing from the iconic hit sitcom, Friends. His quirky sense of humor kept fans laughing through every episode, and the journey that his character went on during the span of the show from 1994 - 2004 was nothing short of side-splitting, addictive entertainment. Perry's contributions to the world of entertainment have led him to the highest levels of fame and fortune, earning him an astounding $120 million net worth. However, his personal life was far more painful and tumultuous than fans could have ever imagined. The ever-humorous Chandler on Friends was living a life of struggle and pain when the camera's stopped rolling. He paid a high price for his rise to fame.
Matthew Langford Perry was born in Massachusetts on August 19th of 1969. His mother was a journalist and former secretary to the Prime Minister of Canada at the time, Pierre Trudeau. His father was an actor and model and was heavily immersed in the entertainment industry. His parents divorced shortly after Matthew was born, and his mother moved him to Canada, where he was raised for the majority of his life. Eventually, he found his way to the United States and pursued a career in acting, which proved to be one of the most monumental steps he took towards fame.
Perry was a natural talent, and his delivery of comedic antics and one-liners was undeniably entertaining. Many actors struggle through a series of failed pilots before landing a major gig in the industry, but Perry's rise to fame seemed to be far easier than that of his peers. At the age of 18 he was cast in A Night In The Life Of Jimmy Reardon, which starred River Phoenix, and he moonlighted on the comedy stage in his spare time. Shortly thereafter he landed a roll in Second Chance, and really started to become recognized.
Matthew Perry soon accepted a leading role on a show called LAX 2194. This was a futuristic television drama that was a few episodes into filming, and nearly cost him the biggest break of his career. After months of searching for the best actor to take on the role of Chandler Bing on Friends, Marta Kauffman, David Crane, and Kevin Bright were impressed with Perry's audition and knew they had to have him on their show. They took a chance on him, and eventually cast him on Friends, which was the biggest career move he ever made.
Matthew Perry was a permanent fixture on Friends, and starred in all 263 episodes of the wildly successful series. Fans fell in love with his quirky sense of humor and his inability to handle stress without quipping and chiming in with awkward humor. They reveled at the job his character had on the show - one that nobody could ever quite pinpoint or define. Then, fans took a journey alongside the actor as he transitioned from the awkward, funny version of Chandler Bing, to the slightly more confident Chandler that wound up in a serious relationship with Monica Gellar, played by Courteney Cox.
Friends was an instant hit with fans and David Schwimmer, Jennifer Aniston, Lisa Kudrow, Matt Leblanc, Courteney Cox, and of course, Matthew Perry immediately rose to international fame before they even had a chance to realize the impact they were truly having on their fans.
He started off earning $22,500 per episode, and by the third season of filming, he was already pocketing $100,000 per episode. During the last few seasons, Perry was earning an astounding $1 million per episode, becoming one of the highest paid actors on television, and forever earning his iconic status as being part of this legendary production. Friends was a pop culture phenomenon, and Matthew Perry was a bonified star.
Unfortunately, Matthew Perry experienced the dark side of fame and continued to struggle for many years. His fans quickly became worried about his well being, as he soon found himself drowning in addiction - something he would contend with for many years to come.
During an interview, Perry described the depths of his addiction by saying; “When [fame] happens, it’s kind of like Disneyland for a while. For me it lasted about eight months, this feeling of ‘I’ve made it, I’m thrilled, there’s no problem in the world.’ And then you realize that it doesn’t accomplish anything, it’s certainly not filling any holes in your life."
His time on set became a painful experience, as he struggled to cope with the demons he was facing, and still maintain the integrity of his privileged position on the show. He felt pressure, not wanting to let his cast mates down, but was well aware of the fact that he was spiraling out of control.
Perry drew a parallel between his life, and that of his character Chandler Bing by stating; . “It’s no accident that Chandler is a guy who is trying to deter his own human emotional feelings with laughter. That’s what I did for years. I’ve tried to palm myself off as being a jokester, kind of like hanging out with me is kind of like a vacation. But that could only take me so far.”
However, his addiction was not the type that most assumed - it had nothing to do with fame and partying with hard drugs at all. In fact, Perry suffered an injury while jet skiing in 1997, and was prescribed Vicodin. He quickly became hooked on the drug, which led to alcoholism and his complete inability to arrive to work without being hungover. He admits it was extremely difficult to be 'the funny guy' while hung over so frequently, and his so his struggles began to magnify.
Realizing that he needed help, Perry entered rehab for the very first time in 1997 and spent 28 days in a facility in Minnesota. The treatment didn't stick.
In May 2000, Perry faced a huge health scare and was hospitalized for alcohol related pancreatitis. His appearance changed dramatically between seasons 6 and 7, with significant, visible weight loss and the obvious toll of his struggles unfolding in front of the cameras.
During a 2002 interview Perry revealed; “I didn’t get sober because I felt like it. I got sober because I was worried I was going to die the next day.”
Perry would continue to struggle with addiction for several years. 2011 was a tough battle, and in 2013 he opened up the Perry House, designed to be a sober living facility for men, in Malibu, in an effort to help others overcome the very battles he was facing.
Years of abuse severely affected his health, and in 2018 Matthew Perry spent 3 months in the hospital recovering from surgery to repair a gastrointestinal perforation.
Today, Matthew Perry sits atop a massive fortune, earned by his incredible efforts and massive time investments in the world of entertainment. He starred in a number of movies on the big screen, and took on many acting roles, but will forever be cherished as Chandler Bing on one of the most impactful shows that continues to see success in syndication. He appeared on the Friends reunion, and although he didn't quite seem to be himself, his loyal fans were delighted that he could join the rest of his cast mates in celebrating the milestone moment, and bask in the glory of his success.
It's hard to say whether or not fans will see Matthew Perry appear in any new projects, but for the moment, he has most certainly earned himself the right to take a few steps back and focus on his health and life away from the pressures of the media.
Sources: Celebrity Net Worth, Narcity, Us Magazine
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