John Bennett Perry- Biography
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John Bennett Perry is a singer and actor from the United States who began his career as a professional model in the 1960s. He is well-known for his appearance in the legendary Old Spice advertisements in the 1960s and 1970s as a ‘clean-shaven’ sailor. Perry has appeared in numerous Broadway productions as well as popular musicals as a theatre artist. He also started a band with his brother and became well-known in his community. Perry made his film debut in the mid-1970s and went on to play a variety of supporting roles over the years. His work may be seen in films such as ‘Lipstick’, ‘The Legend of the Lone Ranger,’ and ‘Independence Day.’ In his fifty-year career, he has also appeared in various television shows such as ‘240-Robert,’ ‘Paper Dolls,’ and ‘Falcon Crest.’
John Bennett Perry- Birth, Age, Ethnicity, Siblings, Education
Bennett, John Perry was born on January 4, 1941, in Williamstown, Massachusetts, to Maria Schaefer-Bennett and Alton L. Perry. Perry grew up with his brother Tony, with whom he had a close relationship. He attended St. Lawrence University in St. Lawrence County, New York, and was a member of the fraternity Phi Sigma Kappa.
John Bennett Perry- Relationship, Married Life
He married Suzanne Langford and had a son, Matthew Perry, who went on to become an actor. The couple divorced shortly before Matthew’s first birthday. He later married Debbie Perry, with whom he had a daughter named Mia Perry.
John Bennett Perry- Professional Career
John Perry and his brother Tony Perry created a music band and used to perform at neighborhood parties, taverns, and shows. Because of their music, they became pretty well-known in the area. Perry began his professional modeling career in the mid-1960s, appearing in advertisements for a variety of well-known brands. In one of Old Spice’s ads for men’s grooming products, he played a ‘clean-shaven’ sailor. His image became so iconic and popular among both men and women that the business chose to make the ‘clean-shaven sailor’ commercial their major marketing image. In the late 1960s and early 1970s, he featured in several ads for Old Spice as this ‘avatar.’
Perry made his acting debut as ‘Jeff’ in the 1972 television film ‘Bobby Jo and the Good Time Band.’ In the anthology television series ‘Police Story,’ he played the recurrent character ‘Sergeant Chick Torpi.’ He hosted the chat show ‘Everyday’ for two episodes, earning him a Daytime Emmy nomination for Outstanding Host or Hostess in a Talk, Service, or Variety Series. Perry made his feature film debut in 1976. In the American thriller film ‘Lipstick,’ he played the character of ‘Martin McCormick.’ Over the next few years, he appeared in a number of popular films as a supporting actor. ‘The Legend of the Lone Ranger’ as ‘Ranger Captain Dan Reid,’ ‘Only When I Laugh’ as ‘Vincent Heller,’ and ‘Farewell to the King’ as ‘General MacArthur’ are some of his well-known films.
In the late 1970s, he played Deputy Theodore Roosevelt ‘Trap’ Applegate III in the drama series ‘240-Robert.’ He had another regular part as ‘Michael Caswell’ in the series ‘Paper Dolls.’ Perry played ‘Sheriff Floyd Gilmore’ in the CBS primetime soap opera ‘Falcon Crest’ from 1985 and 1986. Perry starred as a secret service agent in the 1996 sci-fi action picture ‘Independence Day,’ which was based on an extraterrestrial invasion. In one episode, ‘The One with Rachel’s New Dress,’ John Perry appeared in a guest role opposite his real-life son Matthew Perry on his successful television show ‘FRIENDS.’ His other television credits include ‘Family Law,’ ‘It’s Like, You Know…,’ ‘Providence,’ ‘7th Heaven,’ ‘Veronica Mars,’ and ‘The Closer.’
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