Justin Trudeau
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau dodges a punch as he spars in the ring at Gleason's Boxing Gym in New York REUTERS/Carlo Allegri

Friends actor Matthew Perry is not taking up Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's April Fools offer of a rematch of a schoolyard scuffle. The Ottawa-raised actor revealed in March that he once fought Trudeau when they were schoolmates.

Perry responded to Trudeau's fight offer on Sunday (2 April) on his Twitter account after the prime minister jokingly requested a rematch on April Fool's Day.

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"I've been giving it some thought, and you know what, who hasn't wanted to punch Chandler? How about a rematch @MatthewPerry?" Trudeau tweeted.

The US-born actor, known for his role as Chandler Bing in the long-running sitcom, respectfully declined.

"I think I will pass at your request for a rematch kind sir (given that you currently have an army at your disposal)," Perry wrote.

According to CBC, Trudeau and Perry attended Rockcliffe Park Public School in Ottawa.

Perry described the childhood fight during an appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live! in March.

"I think he was excelling at a sport that we weren't so it was pure jealousy.

"And, you know, we beat him up," the actor said.

He later conceded: "I think he was the only kid in school that we could beat up."

At least one magazine took the prime minister's tweet seriously, CBC reported. Gerald Butts, Trudeau's principal press secretary, confirmed the prime minister was joking after People magazine took him at his word.

"Gotcha, @people. #poissondavril," Butts tweeted on Saturday, along with a link to People's article. Poisson d'avril is the French version of April Fools' Day.