Why Was Matthew Perry's Dad Not in the Netflix Doc? Major Absences Explained
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Netflix’s documentary about Matthew Perry featured interviews with his loved ones and former costars, but there were some notable absences, including his father, John Bennett Perry.
“Our dad has been ill for a long time,” Perry’s half-sister, Mia Perry Bowick, shared in The One About Matthew Perry, which premiered on October 27, 2026. She noted that her and Perry’s dad would have loved to participate, but he wasn’t well enough.
“It really fell to me to be able to talk about the Perry side of the family,” Bowick continued.
The late Matthew Perry is survived by his extended family. In a statement on October 29, 2023, they expressed their heartbreak over his sudden passing at age 54.
The three-part special, The One About Matthew Perry, explores Perry’s life, including his rise to fame on Friends, his struggles with addiction and mental health, and his attempts to get sober before his death.
Bowick was the only family member to participate in the documentary. She was joined by lifelong friends, including Roger Castillo and David Pressman, but key figures like his mother, Suzanne Marie Morrison, stepfather, Keith Morrison, and other half-siblings were notably absent.
“I haven’t heard [my dad] talk like himself in so long,” Bowick said in the doc. “My dad would say, ‘[Matthew] was a good kid.’”