Perry began acting in movies in 1958, and television a year later. Working steadily until the early nineties, he amassed nearly a hundred movie, series, and guest starring roles; many of the movies were made for television and B-movies. For twenty-five years, he was married to comedienne Joanne Worley, who is best known for her role in the Laugh-In comedy sketch show. Perry was a regular in ABC's crime series Arrest and Trial which ran for one season in 1963-1964, and had two episodes directed by Ralph Senensky and one by Robert Butler. Writers of the series included Max Ehrlich and Barry Trivers. In 1969, he appeared in an episode of Adam-12 as a district attorney, opposite a defense attorney played by Phillip Pine.