Matthew Walker (American actor)

Matthew D. Walker (born October 12, 1968)[1] is an American film and television actor and television director.

This article is about the American actor. For the English-Canadian film and television actor, see Matthew Walker (Canadian actor).
Matthew Walker
Born (1968-10-12) October 12, 1968
Santa Monica, California, U.S.
Other namesMatt Walker
T. Walker
Matthew "Matt" Walker
OccupationActor, director
Years active1986–present

Life and career

Walker was born in Santa Monica, California. He has been acting professionally since the age of 17, when he appeared in a Disney Movie of the Week in 1986. Since then he has made his living appearing in numerous television shows, feature films, commercials and live venues across the country. At age 19 he was cast as a series regular on the ABC drama Supercarrier, starring Wendie Malick, Paul Gleason and Richard Jaeckel. Co-starring roles soon followed in the feature films Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers and Child's Play 3, which established Walker in the famed slasher movie sequel genre.

In Hollywood as a young actor, Walker worked with such notable actors as Kate Hudson, Melanie Griffith, John Goodman, Lea Thompson, Andy Dick, Tony Danza, Martin Mull, Haysha Deitsch, Donald Pleasence, Willford Brimley, John Ritter, and George C. Scott, and such directors as Tobe Hooper, James Burrows, and Garry Marshall. In 1995, Walker was cast as a series regular in the Fox sitcom The Preston Episodes with David Alan Grier, and as the star of a CBS pilot called Shock Treatment. The publicity from these two shows landed Walker with the William Morris Talent Agency, but acting roles began to dry up. That same year, Walker accepted a job as the director of a TBS cable television show, Dinner and a Movie. That job turned into more directing for TBS including the shows Movies For Guys Who Like Movies, The Man Made Movie, Movie & A Makeover and Big PlayStation Saturday. Six years and over 200 episodes later, Walker had worked with more of Hollywood's top shelf talent, including Kelsey Grammer, Joan Cusack, Jon Cryer, Beverly D'Angelo, John C. McGinley, John Travolta, Bridget Fonda, Danny DeVito, Morgan Freeman, Ray Liotta and Arnold Schwarzenegger.

During his stint as a director and while he was still represented by WMA, Walker decided to run away and join the circus. In 1997 he left Los Angeles and was accepted into Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey's Clown College on a full scholarship. For three months, seven days a week, 14 hours a day, Walker was trained in the circus arts including clowning, acrobatics, stilt walking, make-up, mime, dance, prop building and juggling. This led to a contract as a clown with the Greatest Show on Earth. Traveling across the country on the circus train, Walker performed in venues including The Cotton Bowl at the Texas State Fair, The United Center in Chicago and The L.A. Sports Arena.

After the circus, Walker was more committed than ever to bringing a purely physical, musical and improvisational style of theater to Los Angeles. Having studied previously with Second City Improvisation, the San Francisco Mime Troupe, and renowned clown Bill Irwin, Walker assembled a multi-talented group of actors, musicians, writers and acrobats, and the Troubadour Theater Company was born. Having recently celebrated its 10th year, Troubadour has evolved into one of Los Angeles' most critically acclaimed comic troupes. Original productions include Fleetwood Macbeth, It's A Stevie Wonderful Life, Twelfth Dog Night and Christmas Carole King.

Walker's theater career includes performing in over 100 stage plays and musicals at venues such as La Mirada Theater, Grove Shakespeare, International City Theater, Pasadena Playhouse, the John Anson Ford Amphitheater, the Sarasota Opera House, the Lobero Theater, San Diego Repertory Theater, and the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion with the Los Angeles Opera.

Walker is currently an adjutant professor of Clowning and Commedia dell'arte at the University of California at San Diego for their graduate acting program, and continues as a director of television for Norsemen Productions in Valley Village, California, directing such shows as Saturday Night Solution for Court TV, and The Dude Room for the Discovery Channel.

Most recently, Walker collaborated with Universal Studios Creative on a theme park show for their Islands of Adventure Park; directed a world premiere musical, Million Dollar Quartet, at Daytona’s Seaside Music Theater; and is currently serving as Associate Director for Garry Marshall's world premiere musical, Happy Days.

Awards

His awards include:

Filmography

Film
Year Title Role Notes
2016 Mother's Day Randy
2009 Grande Drip Keith Glassco
2008 Disaster!: A Major Motion Picture Ride...Starring You! Mikey Universal Studios Florida attraction. Also Director.
2005 Absolute Zero Hershel TV
2004 The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement Captain Kip Kelly
Raising Helen Fashion Show Security
1997 Strategic Command Brier
1995 Shock Treatment The Shock TV
A Dangerous Affair Unknown TV
1994 Guardian Angel Lippy
Moment of Truth: A Mother's Deception Doctor Jaffe TV
In the Army Now Stoner #2
1991 Deception: A Mother's Secret Salesman TV
Child's Play 3 Major Ellis
1990 I'm Dangerous Tonight Punk #2 TV
1989 Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers Spitz
A Deadly Silence Boy in Classroom TV
1988 Casual Sex? Ronny
Supercarrier Unknown TV

Television
Year Title Role No. of episodes
2004 Judging Amy Doctor 1 episode
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation The Mime 1 episode
1995 The Preston Episodes Adam Green 2 episodes
1992 Life Goes On Kingfish 1 episode
1990 Ferris Bueller Shred 1 episode
1988–1990 Wiseguy Devlin 2 episodes
1988 Supercarrier Seaman Apprentice Raymond LaFitte Unknown

Television director
Year Title
2003 Big PlayStation Saturday
Man Made Movie
2000 The Man Made Movie

References
  1. According to the State of California. California Birth Index, 1905–1995. Center for Health Statistics, California Department of Health Services, Sacramento, California. Searchable at http://www.familytreelegends.com/records/39461
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