How much is Matthew Perry worth?
| Net Worth: | $125 Million |
|---|---|
| Profession: | Professional actor |
| Date of Birth: | 19 August 1969 |
| Country: | United States of America (American-Canadian) |
| Height: | 6 ft (1.83 m) |
About Matthew Perry
In the annals of television history, few shows have managed to reach the height and popularity as that of the NBC smash hit “Friends.” The show originally aired from 1994-2004, and during it’s lifespan, it made an impact on American society and culture. As a result, each cast member reached a level of stardom well beyond celebrity. The stars of the show- Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt Leblanc, David Schwimmer, and Matthew Perry- were bestowed with a level of fame and fortune only enjoyed by a select few. It also meant that they were exposed to a level of notoriety and scrutiny the likes of which very few had been forced to navigate. This is nowhere more true than in the case of Matthew Perry.
Perry was born in August of 1969, in Williamstown, Massachusetts. Each of his parents held demanding jobs. Mom was a Canadian journalist, and dad was an actor and model. They divorced in the year of Perry’s first birthday, and his mother would go on to marry another high profile Canadian news journalist named Keith Morrison. The newly married couple chose to reside and raise Matthew in Canada.
As a youngster, Perry gained a passion for the sport of tennis, and would go on to become a top ranked player in his age class. At just 15 years of age, Perry, who had dual citizen status, left Ottawa and enrolled at a prestigious prep school in Sherman Oaks, California, called the Buckley School. At this point, Perry took an interest in both acting and improvisational comedy.
In the years prior to graduating high school, Matthew had just a handful of acting credits to his name, the most notable being an appearance on the hit series “Silver Spoons” starring a young Rick(y) Schroeder. But upon graduation, Perry took his first step toward a more substantive and lucrative career when he was cast in a sitcom on Fox called “Second Chance”, also alternately titled “Boys Will Be Boys.” Perry appeared in all 21 episodes, and followed that with a handful of small roles on other shows such as “Highway to Heaven, Empty Nest and Who’s the Boss?”
In 1988 he won a role for his first movie, “The Life and Times of Jimmy Reardon”, starring River Phoenix. The early 1990s were spent slowly adding credits to his resume in both tv and film. He was getting jobs, but other than “Second Chance”, none had provided much stability or permanence. But that would all change just one month after his 25th birthday.
In the lead up to the new television season in the fall of 1994, auditions were taken for a pilot series that would end up being called “Friends.” The initial treatment for the show described the premise: “It’s about sex, love, relationships, careers, a time in your life when everything’s possible. And it’s about friendship because when you’re single and in the city, your friends are your family.”
The plot was very much in Perry’s wheelhouse as a situation improv comic, and the cast of twenty-somethings each settled into character while developing a unique chemistry with one another. The show aimed for the young adult demographic, and while it could be argued that it was the right time and right place, its popularity was due to far more than luck. The writing was good, the depiction of single life was quasi-accurate, and each character brought their own unique qualities to the group, which made for great comedy.
One strong indicator of a tv show’s value is the salary of the cast members over time. In year one, each of the six actors on “Friends” were paid the standard of $22,000 per episode. At the midpoint of the series, that number had increased to $100,000 per show. By the series’ final season, each cast member had graduated to a staggering $1 million/episode! In addition, more than twenty years of syndication since the show ended has generated over $900 million! The bulk of Perry’s net worth of $120 million has come largely from that salary and high figure royalties from syndication of the show.
So, now we come to the point of the previously mentioned downside of fame. In 1997, while Perry and “Friends” were at the pinnacle of success, Matthew was involved in a jet ski accident. His recovery process involved prescription drugs, and he became dependent. That same year he entered a 28 day drug and alcohol rehab. He managed to continue working, but over time he found himself relapsing frequently and in suffering health due to his consumption. Perry has estimated that in all the years and attempts to become clean and sober, he has spent the frightening amount of $9 million toward that effort.
In the years since the hit show ended, Perry’s struggle with substance abuse has been well chronicled, and in his healthy periods he has invested both his time and his money toward combating the insidious disease of addiction to help others while helping himself. Perry has been very candid about his demons and honest in his self-assessment.
Since 2004, Matthew has made 15 guest appearances on tv shows, as well as four films on the big screen. Between 2011 and present day, he’s found recurring roles on “Mr. Sunshine” and “The Odd Couple.” He continues to make recovery his primary focus while continuing to ply his craft.
Summing-Up
During his career, Perry has been nominated for nearly 30 awards for his work. Included in the awards he has won are a Screen Actors Guild and Tv Guide award. A great deal of Perry’s success can be attributed to his ability on camera to convey a personable and down home aesthetic. His sense of comedic timing has endeared him to millions. But Perry has also fostered a great deal of support by relating his struggles in such an honest and contrite manner. It’s rare that the world is witness to a superstar that can be equally admired for their honesty and humility in their personal lives. Matthew Perry is that kind of superstar!
