Biography
Could he…. beeeeeeee any more washed up? Friends star Matthew caught the acting bug from his dad, also an actor, and moved to LA at 15 to pursue his acting dream. He trained with the renowned LA Connection improv troupe, where stars like Will Ferrel and Andy Dick learned the ropes.
Matthew’s first major breakthrough was at 18, starring alongside River Phoenix in A Night in the Life of Jimmy Reardon. He was making do with bit-parts in US soaps including Empty Nest, Growing Pains, and Beverly Hills 90210 until he got his big break on Friends.
Matthew joined the Friends cast in 1994, playing the hilarious Chandler Bing for a whole decade, earning Emmy nominations along the way. Friends became the number 1 show in America, eventually netting Matthew and his co-stars a whopping $1 million per episode. Each.
Friends success led to a Hollywood comedy movie spurt, including Fools Rush In and The Whole Nine Yards alongside Bruce Willis, as well as stints on The West Wing, Scrubs and Ally McBeal. Matthew then had a pop at writing and starring in his own dark comedy sitcom, Mr Sunshine. It premiered in February 2011, and was cancelled in May 2011. Ouch.
Since 1997, Matthew’s had three known rehab holidays, the latest in May 2011, after battling alcohol, amphetamine and Vicodin addiction, his weight ballooning and dropping drastically.
He’s also dated a veritable who’s who of 90’s starlets, including Heather Graham, Julia Roberts, Yasmin Bleeth, Neve Campbell and Meg Ryan.