Despite the deep feeling of abandonment that Matthew Perry had to endure after his father left the family to pursue an acting career in California, the "Friends" star and "Old Spice Guy" John Bennett Perry seemingly got their relationship sorted out in later life. By this time, father and son had both fulfilled their dreams and made it as Hollywood actors. The acting duo even appeared on-screen at the same time on several occasions, such as in the "My Unicorn" episode of "Scrubs," in which Perry Sr. plays Gregory Marks, the father of Perry Jr.'s character Murray Marks.
But the biggest Perry crossover took place on Matthew Perry's career-making show, "Friends." In the episode "The One with Rachel's New Dress," John Bennett Perry plays the father of one of Rachel Green's boyfriends from Season 4, Joshua Burgin, alongside Pat Crowley, who plays Joshua's mother. Memorably, Joshua's parents unexpectedly walk in on Rachel while she is attempting to seduce their son by wearing a revealing outfit. Fans have noted that in the clip above, John Bennett's mannerisms are almost identical to his son's.
The relationship between father and son seemed to have fully healed by the time of Matthew Perry's tragic death in October 2023 at the age of 54. Just days before news of his death broke, the "Friends" star posted a photo on Instagram of him and his dad happily drinking a Coke together.
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