Matthew Langford Perry was born in Williamstown, Massachusetts, to Suzanne Marie Morrison, a Canadian journalist, and John Bennett Perry, an American actor and former model. His mother later married Canadian broadcast journalist Keith Morrison, and Perry was mostly raised by her in Ottawa, Ontario.

Perry began his acting career at a young age, with his first credited role in the TV series '240-Robert' in 1979. He continued to take on small roles in various TV shows such as 'Not Necessarily the News,' 'Charles in Charge,' and 'Silver Spoons.' He attended the Buckley School in Sherman Oaks, Los Angeles, where he started studying acting and improvisational comedy.