While he may not have been the picture of health in all stages of his life, Matthew Perry was once a competitive tennis player. In a 2012 interview with Men's Health, the "Fools Rush In" star shared that by the age of 13, he was nationally ranked in Ottowa, Canada. However, after moving to Los Angeles at the age of 15, he hung up aspirations of being a star on the court and instead directed his focus to becoming a star on the screen.
In true self-deprecating, Chandler Bing style, Perry told the magazine that it was not his choice. "Giving up tennis wasn't really a decision I had to make," he said, adding that the Los Angeles competition was stiff and he was outplayed by his peers. "I was pretty great in Canada. Not so much in Los Angeles. It was insane. I realized I wouldn't be playing tennis for a living, so I went for acting."
Perry, a self-described competitive player, said that he viewed both tennis and acting as "mental games." "They're both very heavy things to be a part of. I'm hoping the competitiveness that I had as a tennis player is gone now as I get older," he said. "When I was in my 20s, I wanted to do better than everybody else. Now, I just sort of want everybody to be successful." In the case of Perry and his fellow "Friends," it seems he got his wish.
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