Matthew Perry's Jaw-Dropping Net Worth Will Leave a Lasting Legacy
Matthew Perry circa 1995
Laughter pays, folks. Friends star Matthew Perry, who died Saturday Oct. 28 at 54, made a business—and bank—from humor having starred as Chandler Bing on 10 seasons of the hit '90s sitcom. He'll always be best remembered for Friends but Perry had amassed an impressive resume of roles and a jaw-dropping net worth.
Acting since his late teens, Perry's previous credits include Who's the Boss?, Growing Pains and Just the Ten of Us and movies Fools Rush In opposite Salma Hayek and The Whole Nine Yards opposite Bruce Willis.
Find out Matthew Perry's net worth and exactly how much his role on Friends paid (and still pays).
Related: Everything We Know About Matthew Perry's Cause of Death
How did Matthew Perry become famous?
Matthew Perry got his acting breaking at the age of 18 when he was cast in A Night in the Life of Jimmy Reardon opposite River Phoenix. That role opened doors for other guest-starring roles of popular shows like Silver Spoons, Growing Pains and Empty Nest.
Surprisingly, when Friends premiered in 1994, Perry was probably the most well-known among the cast that would become the most famous friends in TV history. None were household names at the time.
He was also a series regular on Sydney, a sitcom starring Perry, Craig Bierko and Valerie Bertinelli in the title role.
Perry comes from a well-connected family. His mother, Suzanne Marie Morrison (nee Langford) served as press secretary to then-Canadian Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau. Perry oftentimes found himself on the playground with Trudeau's son, Justin Trudeau, Canada's current Prime Minister. Trudeau posted on X (formerly Twitter) about Perry's passing.
Matthew Perry’s passing is shocking and saddening. I’ll never forget the schoolyard games we used to play, and I know people around the world are never going to forget the joy he brought them. Thanks for all the laughs, Matthew. You were loved – and you will be missed.
— Justin Trudeau (@JustinTrudeau) October 29, 2023
His father is John Bennett Perry, an actor, singer and former model who is probably most recognized as the clean shaven sailor in the Old Spice commercials in the late '70s and early '80s. His stepfather is Keith Morrison, a Canadian journalist who is a popular correspondent on Dateline NBC.
What was Matthew Perry's net worth?
Perry's net worth was estimated at a cool $120 million at the time of his death. Although he acted in small roles throughout his career, we can assume the bulk of his wealth came from Friends and the hefty residuals he and the cast continue to earn.
How much did Matthew Perry make from Friends?
When Friends premiered in 1995, none of the stars were household names. As such, Matthew Perry and the rest of the cast earned $22,500 per episode or $540,000 each for Season 1. Not too shabby for 1995 but nothing compared to the massive sum they would rake in in later seasons.
At the height of the show's popularity, Matthew Perry along with Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc and David Schwimmer were each bringing in $1 million per episode. When you combine the 10 seasons and the incremental raises they received over the seasons, Matthew Perry and Friends earned an estimated of $90 million each over the course of the series.
Friends is among the most popular streaming series and as such the stars reportedly still make $10 million-$20 million a year in residuals and syndication royalties to this day.
Each of the cast members reportedly earned a $2.5 million payday for the Friends reunion special on Max (formerly HBO Max).
Related: How Much Did Each Cast Member of Friends Make?
Who is the richest star from Friends?
Jennifer Aniston holds the top prize for being the richest star from Friends with a net worth of $320 million. Courtney Cox comes in second at $150 million.
Related: We Dig Deep Into Jennifer Aniston's Massive Net Worth
How much did Matthew Perry make selling his LA condo?
Matthew Perry's real estate deals have made almost as many headlines as his post-Friends roles. In 2017, Perry dropped $20 million for a luxurious penthouse condo in Century City. The glamorous apartment is on the 40th floor of a celebrity-approved building is the size of a mansion at nearly 9,300 square feet.
Just two years later, he listed the updated condo for $35 million. Unfortunately, he didn't get the expected return on his investment.
In 2021, he sold the sky-high digs for $21.6 million. Considering the cost of ownership, renovations and sales fees, Perry likely lost at least some money on the condo deal.
How much did Matthew Perry make for The Odd Couple?
As a fan of the original 1968 movie that starred Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau as well as the subsequent 1970 series starring Tony Randall and Jack Klugman, Perry was a driving force behind the 2015 reboot. He served as an executive producer and helped develop the series in which he starred as Oscar Madison with Thomas Lennon as Felix Unger. Perry also co-wrote the pilot episode with Joe Keenan. The series ran for three seasons. Cast salaries weren't publicly addressed, but we imagine Perry's star power and EP role earned him one of the show's higher salaries.
How much did Matthew Perry get paid for Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip?
Riding the success of Friends, Matthew Perry joined the short-lived Aaron Sorkin series about the production of a live comedy series like Saturday Night Live.
In his 2022 memoir, he revealed that he was initially offered $50,000 per episode for Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip. He and his rep were able to up his rate to $175,000 per episode.
Fun fact: Matthew actually pitched a series to NBC called Maxwell's House about a tight-knit group of friends, but the network was already developing Friends as a series.
How much did Matthew Perry make for Fools Rush In?
Also in his 2022 memoir, Friends, Lovers and the Big Terrible Thing, he dishes on his earnings for the movie Fools Rush In, the 1997 rom-com co-starring Salma Hayek. He was paid $1 million for the role, which he squeezed in filming between Seasons 2 and 3 of Friends.
