Keith Morrison at ‘Watch What Happens Live With Andy Cohen. ; Matthew Perry and his mother Suzanne at the Governor’s Ball for the 54th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards in 2002.Photo:Charles Sykes/Bravo/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal/Getty ; Vince Bucci/Getty
Charles Sykes/Bravo/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal/Getty ; Vince Bucci/Getty
Keith Morrisonmarried wifeSuzanne Perrywhen her sonMatthew Perry, who famously played Chandler Bing onFriends, was 12 years old.
“He’s one of those people who always is the center of the room for a reason and it was so as a kid,” Morrison told PEOPLE of his stepson in 2020. “He’s an intense, talented, focused character. He’s very bright. That was always the case as he was growing up.”
After Matthew’s death, his family shared an exclusive statement with PEOPLE thanking fans for their outpouring of love for Matthew andexpressing their pain over his “tragic” death.
From her career in Canada to raising several children with Keith, here’s everything to know about Suzanne Perry and her relationship with theDatelinecorrespondent.
She is Canadian
Suzanne spent the majority of her life and career in Canada, moving around between Montreal and Toronto. In his 2022 memoirFriends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing, Matthew wrote that his mom was Miss Canadian University Snow Queen while attending the University of Toronto in 1966.
She worked as a press secretary for then-Canadian Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau
Pierre Trudeau at Government House with his press secretary, Suzanne Perry.Bettmann Archive/Getty
Bettmann Archive/Getty
"My mom’s job therefore meant that she was away at work a lot — and I was left to compete with the ongoing concerns of a major Western democracy and its charismatic swordsman leader if I wanted a little attention," Matthew wrote in his memoir.
During that time, Matthew elaborated, he felt like a “latchkey kid” and started having “bad behavior.” “I got s—– grades, I started smoking, I beat up Pierre’s son,” he wrote, referring to current Canadian Prime MinisterJustin Trudeau.
She and Keith both had one child when they met
Keith Morrison attends Audible Theater and the Today show present: Murder in Studio One on April 27, 2022 in New York City.Bryan Bedder/Getty
Bryan Bedder/Getty
When Suzanne met Keith, she already had then-10-year-old Matthew. Keith also had his own son, Michael, from a previous relationship.
They married in 1981
Keith Morrison and Suzanne Perry on September 25, 2017 in Los Angeles, California.SMXRF/Star Max/GC Images
SMXRF/Star Max/GC Images
Keith and Suzanne tied the knot two years after meeting when Keith was bouncing between jobs in Vancouver and Toronto. The family eventually moved to Ottawa, per Matthew’s memoir.
As he settled into life in a family of four, theFriendsactor was just a normal teenage boy experimenting with relationships and growing his comedic bone.
“When he was 13, he developed quite a crush on a girl,” Suzanne told PEOPLE in 1995. “They had a very intense relationship.”
Then, one day, Matthew changed his mind about her. He left the girl in his room and went to his mother and confessed, “One minute I looked over at her and I liked her. The next minute I looked over at her and I didn’t.”
“Matthew,” Suzanne responded, “this is the beginning of a long career.”
They welcomed four children together
Matthew Perry with mom Suzanne and sister Emily during LA Kings & the Canadian Community Pay Tribute to Garnet “Ace” Bailey.Gregg DeGuire/WireImage
Gregg DeGuire/WireImage
The couple welcomed four more children: Caitlin, Emily, Will and Madeline.
Caitlin was born in 1981, just after Keith and Suzanne got married. Matthew wrote in his memoir how he “instantly” loved Caitlin but felt on the outs with his family and struggled to belong.
“There was a family growing up around me, a family I didn’t really feel part of … That’s when the bad behavior started,” he wrote.
Suzanne and Keith supported Matthew during his addiction struggles
Keith Morrison and Matthew Perry.Courtesy Keith Morrison
In 1997, Matthew developed a dependency on Vicodin after he was prescribed the pain medication following a jet ski accident. Four years later, during a low point in his decades-long struggle with addiction, Matthew called his parents from a Dallas hotel room, asking for their help to get him sober.
“I was in fear of losing my life,” he told PEOPLE in 2002. “There’s a moment of clarity where you have to prioritize your life. I listened to it.”
“It was scary. I didn’t want to die,” he said. “But I’m grateful for how bad it got. It only made me more adamant about trying to get better.”
If you or someone you know is struggling with substance abuse, please contact the SAMHSA helpline at 1-800-662-HELP.
source: people.com
