Matt grew up on a farm outside of the Portland area, where he developed a profound affection for the outdoors. He spent his early years snowboarding Mount Hood, wakeboarding the Columbia River, and riding dirt bikes in the countryside. At the age of 17, an opportunity to train in stunt work for film presented itself, and Matt seized the challenge, literally jumping from buildings, moving cars, down stairs, and through windows. This training allowed him to become plugged into the local commercial and film market.
At 19, Matt landed his first large gig as a stunt player for an international Levi's commercial campaign, "Tackle," where he was also chosen as the lead actor. Following a tour of Germany with the campaign, Matt moved to Hollywood and primarily worked in the commercial arena, landing numerous national commercials. During this time, he trained in the art of acting with Joe Palese, whose approach was influenced by Lee Strasberg, Milton Katselas, and Martin Landau. Through Joe's guidance, Matt discovered his love for acting.
Matt soon won the lead role of Lyle Huck in the comedic Disney Pilot "Family Values" alongside Susan Ruttan and Jenna von Oÿ. He then cut his dramatic teeth as the socially inept Otis in the indie feature "Neon Signs." Since then, Matt has continued to work in both film and television as an actor and stunt player, collaborating with numerous notable individuals, including Robert De Niro, Cuba Gooding Jr., Mary Tyler Moore, Edward Asner, William Smith, Carol Lynley, Barbara McNair, Timothy Hutton, and Jaime Ray Newman.
Throughout his career, Matt has taken advantage of opportunities to share his experience in the entertainment industry with others by teaching classes and workshops in acting, stunts, and speech. Recently, Matt has ventured into writing, directing, and producing, with the ultimate goal of creating stories that evoke emotion and stir the heart. To this day, Matt still enjoys performing his own stunts and taking on intense, gritty characters that challenge him as an actor.
