DATE OF BIRTH : 1966
HEIGHT: 5ft9
WIFE : Married his long term partner in June 2005.
CHILDREN : Two sons, George and Jack.
TRAINED : Rose Bruford College
ON HIS CHARACTER LUKE : ‘He’s a difficult one to get on with. He’s not a pushover. He’s feisty, opinionated and happy to argue if it’s called for.’
ON WHY HE JOINED CASUALTY : ‘I needed to shake things up a bit. I wanted to change my profile and I needed something that would set me up for a little while. This came up and I liked it because the characters are three-dimensional and it looks like it will be loads of fun.’
ON JOINING SHOW : ‘It was one of the easiest jobs I’ve ever stepped in to. The cast constantly took me out and got me drunk (which doesn’t take much). It’s not just the cast of course, there are about 30 other people on each episode without whom the show wouldn’t get made. I think I would call many of them my mates as well. They might disagree!’
IF HE COULD PLAY ANYONE IN CASUALTY BESIDES LUKE : ‘I think I would be Harry Harper – all that power is very sexy.’
ON RESEARCH FOR ROLE : ‘I spent time with the Eastbourne Ambulance Service before I started Casualty. On set, you have a professional paramedic to advise you all the time. I love the paramedics scenes and I tend to make things up as I go along, conscientiously. I am a great source of amusement for the real paramedics advisor. At the end of a rehearsal, he will say ‘Matt, don’t do that again, you look a right fool! What you should be doing is this..’
ON BEING SQUEAMISH : ‘In one episode, there was a boy who had fallen from his bike, his leg had gone through the spokes and his bone had pierced his skin. Marcus from prosthetics had done such an incredible job I couldn’t look at it. (I still have bad dreams!)’
ON WATCHING CASUALTY BEFORE JOINING : ‘Yes, like many people, I grew up watching Casualty. I’m still amazed I’m working with these guys I used to watch. I’m far too critical when it comes to watching myself on TV. My thoughts when I do are ‘I don’t look like that’ and ‘Is that really my voice? Oh no!’
FAVE COLOUR : Turquoise
HOLBY CITY APPEARANCE : Matthew played Lee Simons in S4 E46 ‘Pawns in the Game’. [More Info]
PREVIOUS CASUALTY APPEARANCE : Matthew played a character called David Burton in a previous episode of CASUALTY.
TV CREDITS : The Bill; Clarissa; Sam Saturday; Young Indiana Jones Chronicles; Pie in the Sky; Peak Practice; 99:1; Out of the Blue; Where the Heart Is; Wing & A Prayer; Submerged; Inspector Lynley Mysteries; Afternoon Plays – Heroes & Villains; Holby City; Casualty; The Tudors; Silent Witness; Coronation Street; Heartbeat; Doctors; Vera
THEATRE CREDITS : Rita Sue & Bob Too; A State Affair; Some Explicit Poloroids; Cool Water Murders; Certain Young Men; Down Red Lane; Tartuffe; Orpheus; Birdy; Rough; Pitchfork Disney; The Marowitz Disney; Weldon Rising; Bad Company; Much Ado About Nothing; Julius Caeser; Half in Love; Piranha Heights; Mixed Up North; Inheritance; The New World Order
SKILLS : Speaking accents (Northern), a strong singing voice (tenor), and is a trained dancer. He also does acrobatics, juggling, tennis, table tennis, rock climbing and is an excellent swordsman.
AGENT : David Daly Associates, 16 King Street, Knutsford, WA16 6DL.
WHERE ARE THEY NOW?
As well as acting, Matt directs, teaches and runs community-based theatre projects and is a Senior Associate Trainer of Dramatic Resources.
