For most of today’s movie and television audiences, John Bennett Perry became popular after the death of his son, Matthew Perry. However, audiences from the 1970s will recognize John Bennett Perry from his film and television roles. As a veteran actor, Bennett Perry’s acting career spans over five decades.
Besides his versatility as an actor, John Bennett Perry has long proven he’s a man of many talents. Although a long-retired model, the octogenarian has yet to retire as an actor formally. Here’s everything to know about the late Matthew Perry’s father, John Bennett Perry.
John Bennett Perry Was Also Born In Massachusetts
Like his famous son, John Bennett Perry Was born in Williamstown, Massachusetts. Bennett Perry Was raised in Massachusetts and spent most of his life in the state. Bennett Perry was born on January 4, 1941, to Alton L. Perry, a bank director and civic leader, and Maria Perry (née Bennett). After graduating High School, he enrolled and graduated from St. Lawrence University, a private liberal New York, in 1963. While at the university, Bennett Perry was a Phi Sigma Kappa fraternity member.
He Divorced Matthew Perry’s Mother When He Was A Year Old
John Bennett Perry has been married twice. His first marriage was to Matthew Perry’s mother, Suzanne Langford. Langford later served as a former press secretary to former Canadian Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau, the father of the current Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. John Bennett Perry married Suzanne Langford on September 2, 1968. Matthew Perry was the only child from their union, born a year later on August 19, 1969.
However, Bennett Perry separated and divorced Langford in 1970. Since he was only a year old at the time, Matthew Perry had followed his mother, who returned to Canada. He was raised by his mother, mostly in Ottawa, Ontario. John Bennett Perry remarried eleven years later. He married Debbie Boyle on July 16, 1981. The couple have a daughter, Mia Perry, born five years after the marriage in 1986.
John Bennett Perry Began His Career As A Singer
John Bennett Perry was reportedly a member of the 1960s folk group Serendipity Singers. With an interest in music, it’s no surprise Bennett Perry’s earliest acting credits were a musical production. Bennett Perry starred in the 1967 Off-Broadway Now Is the Time for All Good Men. The production was performed at the Theatre De Lys and ran from September 26, 1967, to January 16, 1968. Five years later, Bennett Perry was also credited for playing an extra role in the 1972 musical period drama Cabaret. Bennett Perry appeared in the “Tomorrow Belongs to Me” segment in a crowd scene.
John Bennett Perry Starred In Several TV Commercials In His Early Career
John Bennett Perry began having recognition as an actor in the 1970s. However, his first national breakthrough on television was from Old Spice TV commercials. Bennett Perry was cast as a clean-shaven sailor portraying a perfect father and husband. The commercials aired in the 1970s and 1980s. However, younger generations revisited these commercials after Matthew Perry’s death. The late actor mentioned the Old Spice commercials in his book.
His Professional Screen Acting Debut Was In 1972
According to John Bennett Perry’s IMDb, his first credited screen role was in the 1992 TV movie Bobby Jo and the Good Time Band. In the movie, Bennett Perry was cast as Jeff. The next year, Bennett Perry landed a significant role on NBC’s anthology crime-drama Police Story. He was cast in a recurring role as Sergeant Chick Torpi from 1973 to 1974. Bennett Perry appeared in only 5 episodes of the show.
John Bennett Perry guest-starred in several TV shows for the next three years. A few of these include Mannix (1974), Kung Fu (1975), S.W.A.T. (1975), and Little House on the Prairie (1977). Bennett Perry made his film debut in 1976, starring as Martin McCormick in Lamont Johnson’s rape and revenge thriller Lipstick. For the next decade, Bennett Perry starred in minor/supporting roles in several movies. One such movie is Independence Day, in which he was cast as a Secret Serviceman.
John Bennett Perry Is A Daytime Emmy Awards Nominee
In 1978, John Bennett Perry became a co-host of a syndicated daytime talk/variety series EveryDay. Bennett Perry co-hosted the show with TV personality and actress Stephanie Edwards. They co-hosted EveryDay through the 1978 to 1979 TV season. John Bennett Perry was nominated for Outstanding Host or Hostess in a Talk, Service or Variety Series at the 1979 Daytime Emmy Awards. Bennett Perry lost his nomination to Phil Donahue of The Phil Donahue Show.
John Bennett Perry Starred With His Late Son Matthew Perry In Several Productions
Before landing his iconic role as Chandler Bing on Friends, Matthew Perry was one of the main cast on the ABC sitcom Home Free. Matthew played Matt Bailey in the short-lived series. John Bennett Perry guest-starred as Judge Quentin Cavanaugh in episode 3 (“Front Page”) of the show. Also, in Andy Tennant’s 1997 romantic comedy Fools Rush In, Bennett Perry and Matthew Perry played father and son characters. Matthew Perry starred alongside Salma Hayek as Alex Whitman, a New York City project manager.
Bennett Perry played his on-screen father, Richard Whitman. Both Bennett Perry and Matthew Perry guest-starred in a 2004 episode (“My Unicorn”) of Scrubs. John Bennett Perry and Matthew Perry also appeared in TV shows but did not share screen. They both appeared in The West Wing two years apart. Also, Bennett Perry guest-starred in Friends as the father of one of Rachel’s (Jennifer Aniston) dates but did not appear with his son, Matthew Perry. If you enjoyed reading about John Bennett Perry, here are 7 things you didn’t know about MaXXXine star Mia Goth.
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