Biography

2016. Matt has always been a performer, from hamming it up in his family's 8mm movies to being voted class clown in both high school and college (where he graduated with honors). He won a best actor award for his portrayal of a king in his schools 4th grade play. In 7th grade he performed with a local adult improvisation group.

In college Matt worked on several short films as an actor. Matt moved to NYC in 1985 where he began pursuing a career in law. In 1989 while Matt was in graduate school and law school a doctors discovered a non-malignant growth on his spine. Matt finished his graduate degree and put law school on hold. It was during his year of recuperation that he met the actors running Teresa Saldana's Victims for Victims group. They recruited Matt to be a board member. Matt participated in the groups training process, which involved role-playing and improvisation. Members of the group encouraged Matt pursue it and he enrolled in classes with acting coach Rob McCaskill at Chicago City Limits Improv. In 1992 Matt became a board member of The Mint Theater. While at the Mint he performed in several scene nights. In 1994 Matt was diagnosed with skin cancer and given a month to live if it was not removed. It was then that Matt fully immersed himself into acting and creative pursuits. From 1994 through 2000 Matt studied with various acting schools and performed in many off, off-off and way off Broadway productions to hone his craft. He began his studies at the Atlantic Theater with David Mamet, and with Seth Barrish of the Barrow Group. In 1995 Matt started his own not for profit theater and film production company, Sleeping Dog Entertainment, which he still owns and runs today (www.sleepingdoginc.com). In 1996 while singing in an opera at the DiCapo Opera house he met a commercial producer who encouraged Matt to audition for TV commercials. In 1998 Matt met his first commercial agent and booked a national commercial on his very first audition. In 1999 Matt began the 2 year program at the Lee Strasberg Institute where his first scene partner was Michael Raymond James (True Blood & Terriers). His screenplay on racism, "The More Things Change" won honorable mention in Filmmakers Magazines short screenplay contest. The script became a multi award winning short film that has been distributed among education institutions as a teaching tool. His book on digital filmmaking being sold on Amazon.com and he has lectured and taught classes in film at NYU, LIU and various film festivals, continuing education programs and seminars. Matt is also a member of the Producers Guild of America. He lives in CT with his wife son.
- IMDb mini biography by: Sleeping Dog Entertainment, LLC