Sam's now-deceased friend, Perry, is portrayed with youthful earnestness and likeability by Chris Dwan.

WSJ: Review: Revival of Gurney's 'Old Boy' well-staged

In February 2013 he again defended his deceased friend Joe Paterno, the former Penn State football coach, against reports that Paterno had helped cover up coach Jerry Sandusky's sex abuse crimes.

FORBES: Phil Knight

In 1986 my friend Tony Perkins, a young loan officer at Silicon Valley Bank (and no relation to the deceased actor or to Tom Perkins, the venture capitalist), got a call to pick up William F.

FORBES: How Bill Buckley Got Me Into Magazines