By Canadian Press

Beloved actor Matthew Perry grew up in Canada and is linked to big names in politics

Oct 29, 2023 | 11:07 AM

Matthew Perry’s iconic performance on “Friends” may forever link him with New York City, but the actor behind Chandler Bing described himself as half Canadian and had deep ties to some of the biggest names in Canadian politics.

The 54-year-old actor was found dead in his Los Angeles home Saturday.

Perry detailed his childhood spent growing up in Canada with his mother in his memoir, published a year before his death.

Perry lived between Ottawa, Montreal and Toronto with his Canadian mother, Suzanne Perry, who worked as press secretary for then-prime minister Pierre Trudeau and later as a national anchor for Global News.

In a 2017 interview on “Jimmy Kimmel Live,” Perry recalled beating up a young Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in the schoolyard when he was in Grade 5. 

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Trudeau responded at the time with a social media post inviting Perry to a rematch, quipping, “who hasn’t wanted to punch Chandler?”

The prime minister responded to Perry’s death in a tweet late Saturday night, calling it shocking and saddening.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 29, 2023.

The Canadian Press

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