Matthew Perry’s will reveals $1M trust with a surprising Woody Allen tribute
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It turns out that Chandler Bing was a fan of “Annie Hall.”
Five months after Matthew Perry’s death in October 2023 at age 54, details have been revealed about the late “Friends” star’s will.
According to documents obtained by Page Six on Monday, Perry named Lisa Ferguson and Robin Ruzan to co-execute his $1 million estate in his Alvy Singer Living Trust, which he named after Woody Allen’s “Annie Hall” character.
The 1977 movie follows Alvy Singer (Allen), a neurotic comedian who tries to figure out why his relationship with Annie Hall (Dianne Keaton) ended, and he spends time questioning the nature of love. The movie has a bittersweet ending, as the former couple meet again after they’ve both moved on. But, despite his failures, Singer remains invested in the idea that love is “essential.”
In the declaration, which was created in 2009, Matthew listed his father, John Perry, and mother, Suzanne Morrison, as beneficiaries of his will alongside his half-sibling, Caitlin Morrison, and ex-girlfriend Rachel Dunn.
The late actor never married or had any children of his own, but he came from a large Canadian-American family. He’s survived by his siblings, parents and his famous stepfather, Canadian broadcaster Keith Morrison, 76, best known for “Dateline.”
A former journalist, Matthew’s mom Suzanne served as press secretary to Canadian Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau before pivoting to political consulting and fund-raising.
His father, 82, is also an actor. He has appeared in “George of the Jungle,” “The Sweetest Thing,” “Independence Day,” and even appeared on “Friends” in 1998 (in the Season 4 episode, “The One with Rachel’s New Dress”).
In his 2022 memoir, “Friends, Lovers and the Big Terrible Thing,” Matthew described himself as a “latchkey kid” who split his time between Montreal and Los Angeles, where each of his divorced parents lived.
“I spent a great deal of time alone,” he wrote.
His sister Caitlin, 43, is Suzanne and Keith’s first daughter, born in 1981.
In his book, Matthew wrote, “I have always loved kids. I think it’s because I was 10 years old when my sister Caitlin was born.”
“Then came Emily, then Will, and then finally Madeline. I loved playing with them all, babysitting them, playing dumb games with them. There is no greater sound on the face of the planet than a child’s laughter.”
However, although he loved his siblings, he also said, “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, referring to his lifelong struggles with addiction and sobriety.
Caitlin appeared in the star’s 2000 movie “The Whole Ten Yards,” but has not otherwise had an acting career.
Rachel Dunn dated Matthew from 2003-2005. In his book, he called her, “the ex-girlfriend of his dream.”
According to the filing, Matthew held $1,030,000 in personal property “not limited to jewelry, furniture and furnishings, works of art and automobiles.”
Ferguson will appear in Los Angeles Superior courtroom solo on April 10 for a hearing of the will. Ruzan, who was an executive producer on the TV series “Celebrity Liar,” which Matthew made a guest appearance on in 2010, opted out of co-executing the trust on March 4.
Matthew, 54, was found dead at his Los Angeles home on Oct. 28.
The actor, who was propelled to global stardom after landing the role of funnyman Chandler Bing on the hit sitcom from 1994 to 2004, was found unresponsive in his hot tub.
An autopsy determined that he died from “acute effects of ketamine,” with contributing factors listed as “drowning, coronary artery disease and buprenorphine effects.”
Following his death, friends announced they would be establishing the Matthew Perry Foundation, which will aid those battling substance abuse.
“The Matthew Perry Foundation is the realization of Matthew’s enduring commitment to helping others struggling with the disease of addiction,” the organization’s founders said in a statement to Entertainment Tonight.
His “Friends” co-stars — Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, David Schwimmer, Matt LeBlanc and Jennifer Aniston — attended the private funeral when he was laid to rest at Forest Lawn Church of the Hills in LA on Nov. 3.
All of them also paid tribute to him in social media posts.
LeBlanc, 56, who co-starred as Joey Tribbiani, had the most lighthearted tribute, starting with a sincere, “The times we had together are honestly among the favorite times of my life. It was an honor to share the stage with you and to call you my friend….” but ending with a joke, “I guess you’re keeping the 20 bucks you owe me.”
Aniston, 55, who co-starred as Rachel Green, had the longest and most heartfelt tribute, writing, “Oh boy this one has cut deep… Having to say goodbye to our Matty has been an insane wave of emotions that I’ve never experienced before.”
She added, “We loved him deeply. He was such a part of our DNA….I know you are now completely at peace and out of any pain. I talk to you every day… sometimes I can almost hear you saying ‘could you BE any crazier?’ Rest little brother. You always made my day.”
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