Matthew Perry Leaves Sitcoms Behind, Taking On The Role Of Ted Kennedy, Retreats To His ‘Bat-Cave’


Matthew Perry is set to leave the world of sitcoms and romcoms behind and is embarking on his first major dramatic role, according to Fox News.

Perry is set to play the role of Ted Kennedy in the upcoming series The Kennedys: After Camelot, and the actor, who admits that he doesn’t even know how many sitcom episodes he’s acted in, says that he accepted the role because it scared him.

“I took this job because it scared me. I read the first four scripts and the portrayal scared me.”

Noting that the role involves a heavy amount of “emotion and tragedy,” Matthew Perry revealed that he thinks this role could end up being “the most challenging role [he’s] ever played.”

Katie Holmes will reprise her role as Jackie Kennedy and says that she feels “so honored to play Jackie for the second time.”

Fans of the former Friends superstar can catch his portrayal of Ted Kennedy in the series premiere of The Kennedys: After Camelot on April 2.

In other news, Matthew Perry has been a huge Barbra Streisand and Barry Manilow fan since early childhood. It seems that when Perry appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live, he revealed his school colleagues used to make fun of him for listening to Tori Amos and Barry Manilow, so instead of supporting his favorite musicians, he succumbed to peer pressure and pretended to follow popular rock groups.

However, there were times when his love for Barbra Streisand’s songs became evident to his friends. On one occasion, Perry’s mother unknowingly betrayed her son’s secret love for Barbra’s music when she questioned him in front of his friends, asking if he had borrowed her Barbara Streisand records. It appears that Perry’s childhood friends preferred rock music to beautiful romantic ballads. According to the Daily Mail, Matthew revealed that in order to fit in, he chose to hide his love for Streisand’s music.

“I hide it. As a kid I liked Barry Manilow and Barbra Streisand, but I would wear T-shirts to school that would say The Who, and The Kinks.”

Not surprisingly, Matthew Perry couldn’t even name a single Kinks rock song despite showing off his (supposed) devotion to the band.

Today, Matthew Perry is a well-known and respected Hollywood actor because of his role as Chandler Bing on NBC’s Friends, and he’s certainly not shy about expressing his opinions and beliefs. Interestingly, a number of aspects of the actor’s life became known to the audience when Perry was interviewed by Jimmy Kimmel. During the show, he revealed that he’s an insomniac and there are occasions when he spends long nights shopping for Batman merchandise on eBay.

He’s a big Batman fan and plans to build a Bat-Cave similar to the one shown in Batman movies. According to Us Magazine, Matthew Perry revealed that late-night shopping on eBay has enabled him to pursue his passion.

“I just go on eBay and buy all this Batman stuff and just throw it in a room. But, I want to point out, it’s not dorky. It’s actually a cool Batman room.”

However, Perry’s Bat-Cave does not resemble the superhero’s crime-fighting headquarters or a high-tech laboratory. Instead, his so-called Bat-Cave is a separate room where the actor has stocked collectibles and memorabilia associated with the popular DC Comics superhero.

In addition, the Fools Rush In actor has also indulged in some Batman art, buying pens, crayons, and portraits to help sketch Batman-inspired artwork. It’s been close to four years now that Perry has maintained his Batman-inspired room. Now, older and wiser, Matthew Perry doesn’t worry about being teased about his hobby, and he continues to pursue his passion for Batman.

Matthew Perry revealed that he’s especially fond of the Christopher Nolan-directed Batman trilogy, and he considers Christian Bale’s Batman to be the perfect on-screen version of the caped crusader. Hollywood actors like Michael Keaton, Val Kilmer, and George Clooney have all played the role of the superhero in previous movies. Time magazine reported that Perry hopes he won’t be perceived as a nerd simply because of his passion for his Bat-Cave. However, hopefully by now he has realized that it doesn’t really matter what anyone thinks!

According to the Daily Mail, Matthew Perry amused everyone on Jimmy Kimmel Live when he remarked that he was Batman and that he may take off if he was continuously pressed to reveal further details about his Batman-inspired hobby.

“Maybe it’s time to tell you – and don’t tell anyone else – I’m Batman. If I have to dash off during the interview, I have to fight crime.”

[Featured Image by Jason Kempin/Getty Images]

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