Word. Even though other actors played the character before him. I consider him to be Perry Mason. That said, I was starting to get ok with RDJ possibly playing an earlier version. Not sure about Matthew Rhys. He's a good actor, sure... but he doesn't seem the Perry Mason type.
I'm pretty much the opposite of you on that one. Now I'm not all that interested. Maybe my mind will change as it goes along though.
OMG lol. Now that would make for a very different Perry Mason.