Matthew Perry's Stepdad Might Be Just as Recognizable as the Late 'Friends' Star
“Never tried to replace his dad, ’cause dads are dads, but I was there for him and he knew it," said Keith about his relationship with Matthew.
Published May 22 2024, 2:16 p.m. ET
You probably know Matthew Perry's stepdad. Not know-know, but you probably recognize him and think you know him the same way you thought you knew Matthew. The two guys are even on the same television network. One of them has been on the same network since 1995.
While Matthew’s dad John Bennett Perry was a fellow actor guest star on Friends and shared the screen with his son in 1997's Fools Rush In, Matthew's stepdad didn’t need to use that show to get some air time on NBC. In fact, Matthew’s stepdad may be one of the few people who has been on air more than his stepson. He's one of the longest personalities on Dateline.
Matthew Perry’s stepdad is Dateline’s Keith Morrison.
Dateline's Keith Morrison married Suzanne Perry in 1981 when Matthew was 12 years old. Suzanne and John Bennett Perry got divorced when Matthew was one.
Keith and Suzanne are still married and he played a large role in Matthew’s life. But Keith didn’t ever try to take the place of Matthew’s dad. In an episode of Hoda Kotb’s Making Space podcast, the Dateline anchor said he, “Never tried to replace his dad, ’cause dads are dads, but I was there for him and he knew it. And we were close.”
In the same episode, Keith also spoke about Matthew’s untimely passing. "There’s some new aspect of it that assaults your brain, and, you know, it’s not easy, especially for his mom. I don’t think I’m giving away too much by saying that toward the end of his life, they were closer than I had seen them for decades, and texting each other constantly and him sharing things with her that most middle-aged men don’t share with their mothers."
Speaking on the mindset Matthew was in before his death, Keith opened up about the comedic actor being in a good place. "It’s a source of comfort, but also, he didn’t get to have his third act, and that’s not fair. And as he said himself, ‘If I suddenly died, people would be shocked, but not too many people would be surprised.’ And he was right."
In an Oct 1, 2020, interview with People, Keith spoke about watching Matthew grow. "He's one of those people who always is the center of the room for a reason and it was so as a kid. On the hockey team, I used to take him off to his hockey games on Saturday mornings. It was like Matthew and the hockey team. He was the one who scored all the goals. He was the guy. The same on the tennis court. He was extremely, extremely good on the tennis court and very intense. He's an intense, talented, focused character. He's very bright."
Keith and Suzanne had four children together since they got married.
In addition to Matthew, Keith had a child from a previous marriage. His son Michael was born in 1974. Since Keith and Suzanne got married 43 years ago, they had four additional children — Caitlin, born in 1981; Emily, born in 1985; Willy, born in 1987; and Madeleine, born in 1989. Keith and Suzanne are also proud grandparents to four grandchildren.
