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Matthew Perry‘s death at the age of 54 left many of his loved ones shocked and saddened, including his parents, John Bennett Perry, Suzanne Langford, stepmother Debbie Boyle, and stepfather Keith Morrison. The actor died after an apparent drowning and was found in his Los Angeles, CA area home’s jacuzzi, according to TMZ. At the time of his death, the talented Friends star didn’t have any children and is survived by his closest loved ones, which are his mother, father, and stepfather.
Matthew’s father, John, has worked with him in the movie industry in the past. His stepfather, Keith, has also been in the spotlight as a popular journalist. John, Suzanne, and Keith were all photographed and filmed looking somber while arriving at Matthew’s home shortly after his death went public. Find out more about his parents below.
John Bennett Perry
Matthew with his dad, John, sister, Mia, and stepmother Debbie in 1997. (Bei/Shutterstock)
Matthew’s father, John, 82, was also a successful actor. His career started in the 1970s and one of his most popular roles was as Sheriff Floyd Gilmore on Falcon Crest from 1985 until 1986. He also appeared in several other television shows and films, including 240-Robert, Little House on the Prairie, Paper Dolls, Jag, Family Law, and Providence. John also teamed up with Matthew when he played his character’s dad in the 1997 movie, Fools Rush In, and appeared in an episode of Matthew’s popular sitcom, Friends in 1998.
In addition to acting, John worked as a singer and model, and appeared in many ads for Old Spice throughout the 1970s and 1980s. John married Matthew’s mother, Suzanne, in 1968 and their marriage lasted two years. Matthew was born one year after they said “I do,” in 1969. After divorcing Suzanne, John went on to marry Debbie, who became Matthew’s stepmother, in 1981. They welcomed Matthew’s half sister, Mia Perry, in 1986.
Suzanne Langford
Matthew’s mother, Suzanne, has had a career in both modeling and journalism. She also once served as Pierre Trudeau‘s press secretary. After marrying and divorcing John, Suzanne went on to marry Keith in 1981. They welcomed four children together, including Caitlin Morrison in 1981, Emily Morrison in 1985, Willy Morrison in 1986, and Madeleine Morrison in 1989.
Debbie Boyle
Debbie became Matthew’s stepmother in 1981, when she married his dad, John. Although not much is publicly known about her, she seems to have had a career as a television writer, per IMDB. She is listed as a writer on several Barney specials in the 2000s, including Barney: A Very Merry Christmas: The Movie in 2011 and Barney: Let’s Go to the Moon in 2013.
Keith Morrison
Keith became Matthew’s stepfather in 1981. (Patrick Lewis/Starpix for The Pa/Shutterstock)
Keith, 76, became Matthew’s stepfather when he married his mother, Suzanne, in 1981. He is best known for his journalism work, including true crime reporting on Dateline NBC. He started working on the show in 1995 and has continued to have a successful job there. Originally from Canada, he has also reported for other popular news shows, including the Today Show, and NBC Nightly News.
Keith was married and divorced before he married Suzanne and welcomed a son Michael Morrison, who was born in 1974, with his former wife. After marrying Suzanne, he welcomed four more children and accepted Matthew as his stepson. Over the years, Keith has opened up about being the stepdad of Friends cast member, and has praised him several times.
“He’s one of those people who always is the center of the room for a reason and it was so as a kid. On the hockey team, I used to take him off to his hockey games on Saturday mornings. It was like Matthew and the hockey team. He was the one who scored all the goals. He was the guy,” he once reportedly told PEOPLE about the talented star. “The same on the tennis court. He was extremely, extremely good on the tennis court and very intense. He’s an intense, talented, focused character. He’s very bright. That was always the case as he was growing up.”
