Matthew Perry Showed His Batman Obsession In The Most Epic Way

If you ask 100 people to name Batman's true identity, perhaps 99 would resolutely answer that it's Bruce Wayne. But the late actor Matthew Perry probably would have responded quite differently. As Perry declared in a 2022 GQ interview, "I am Batman." He might have sounded like a real joker at that point, but the actor explained, "[Batman's] a rich loner. We both drive black, cool cars." His cool car of choice at the time, an Aston Martin Vantage V8 Roadster, reminded him of the Batmobile.

Perry's appreciation for Batman went beyond mere fandom. When he told GQ what 10 items he absolutely couldn't do without, the list was dominated by Batman memorabilia. A Batman watch claimed the top spot. But he also owned bat-hat, themed pants, and an office chair that bore the bat symbol. It's unclear if he had a Batsuit stashed away for nightly outings. But what he may have lacked in capes and crimefighting, he more than made up for with a Batcave. A room dedicated to the Dark Knight, the cave was full of statues and other themed items. That lair lived in an approximately 9,300-square-foot penthouse he purchased for $20 million in 2017. (He later sold his bat-themed abode for $21.6 million.) His efforts to become one with the bat were nothing if not epic.

The story of Matthew Perry's love of Batman begins in earnest with the Christopher Nolan films (making it rather fitting that his "Friends" character, Chandler Bing, shares the same first and last initials with Batman actor Christian Bale). He also gave a shout-out to the latest take on the caped crusader, "The Batman," starring Robert Pattinson. Moreover, Perry shared with GQ that Michael Keaton was likely his favorite actor, no doubt cementing the Batman association even more.

Perry never seemed eager to keep his superhero alter-ego a secret. He sometimes wore his Batman pants to bed and said he could look at them to remind himself of who he was. Of course, he might have been too busy searching for Batman to dream about being him. Much like the Dark Knight, the actor was a night owl. During an appearance on "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" (via Time), he said he had insomnia and would fill those late, waking hours with eBay searches for Batman-related offers. While Perry could not be Batman forever, his appreciation reached heights that only the Batplane could rival.