Matt Frewer
Matthew George Frewer (born January 4, 1958) is an American-Canadian actor, singer and comedian.[1] He portrayed the 1980s icon Max Headroom[2] in the 1985 TV movie and 1987 television series of the same names.
Matt Frewer | |
|---|---|
.jpg.webp) Frewer at the 2013 FedCon | |
| Born | Matthew George Frewer January 4, 1958 Washington, D.C., U.S. |
| Nationality | |
| Citizenship | Canada USA |
| Alma mater | Bristol Old Vic Theatre School 1980 |
| Occupation |
|
| Years active | 1983–present |
| Spouse | Amanda Hillwood (m. 1984) |
He became prominent when playing roles in films, like Russell Thompson, Sr. in Honey, I Shrunk the Kids (1989), Jobe Smith in Lawnmower Man 2: Beyond Cyberspace (1996), Frank in Dawn of the Dead (2004), Moloch in Watchmen (2009), Mitch in 50/50 (2011) and Archibald Stanley in Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb (2014).
His television credits include Dr. Mike Stratford in Doctor Doctor (1989–1991), Bob in Shaky Ground (1992–1993), Matt Prager in Psi Factor: Chronicles of the Paranormal (1997–1999), Dr. Jim Taggart in Eureka (2006–2012) and Doctor Leekie in the Canadian science fiction drama Orphan Black (2013–2017).
Frewer's more recent performances include a portrayal of "General #2" in the Steven Spielberg picture The BFG (2016), the character Carnage in the Netflix series Altered Carbon in 2018 and Logan in Fear the Walking Dead (2019). Also, he portrayed The Binder in 3 episodes of The Magicians and Peter Morton in 8 episodes of The Order (2019−2020).
His voice roles include Panic in Hercules and its 1998 television series, Inspector 47 in The Magic School Bus, the Pink Panther in the 1993 television series of the same name, Lloyd Christmas in the Dumb and Dumber animated series, Jackal in Gargoyles and Dedgar Deadman in Toonsylvania.
Early life
Frewer was born in Washington, D.C., the son of Gillian Anne (née German) and Captain (Ret'd) Frederick Charlesley Frewer, a Royal Canadian Navy officer.[3] He was raised in Peterborough, Ontario, where he graduated from Lakefield College School.[4] He went on to train at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School,[5] graduating from its three-year acting course in 1980. His brother Frederick Barry Frewer also served in the Canadian Navy.
Career
Frewer portrayed the artificial intelligence character Max Headroom in the 1980s, starring in the 1985 eponymous science fiction television movie; Frewer also played award-winning Network 23 journalist Edison Carter in the film. This led to a series on the UK Channel 4 network with the Max Headroom character as a video jockey and interviewer. This ran for two seasons, the second of which featured a studio audience with whom Max interacted. In 1987, an American series based upon the 1985 movie aired, titled Max Headroom (1987–1988).[5] He also portrayed the character in other media, including a series of television commercials for "New Coke" and "Radio Rentals", as well as the single and music video for "Paranoimia" by Art of Noise. He reprised this role in the science fiction comedy film Pixels (2015).[6]
Frewer starred as Mike Stratford in Doctor Doctor (1989–1991).[6] He also appeared as Trashcan Man in the television miniseries The Stand.[6] Frewer has also appeared in such films as The Fourth Protocol (1987), Honey, I Shrunk the Kids (1989),[6][5] National Lampoon's Senior Trip (1995), and the 2004 remake of Dawn of the Dead.[6]
Frewer was nominated for two Gemini Awards in 2000, one for a guest appearance on Da Vinci's Inquest[7] and another for his work on the series Mentors. He was a regular on Eureka during the series' first two seasons, playing Jim Taggart.[6][8] He has done voice-over work on several animated projects, including Batman: The Animated Series (1993) and The Incredible Hulk (1996–1997). Frewer portrayed Matt Praeger in Psi Factor: Chronicles of the Paranormal from 1997–2000.[6]
In 2009, Frewer portrayed the retired villain Moloch the Mystic in Watchmen[6] and appeared as the White Knight in the December 2009 Syfy two-part miniseries Alice, based upon Alice's Adventures in Wonderland.[6][5] He starred as Pestilence in two episodes of Season 5 of Supernatural.[9] He has appeared in several adaptations of Stephen King stories, such as The Stand,[6] Quicksilver Highway, Riding the Bullet, Desperation and Bag of Bones.[10]
He played Dr. Aldous Leekie on the first two seasons of Orphan Black.[6][5]
In 2018, Frewer portrayed Carnage in the Netflix series Altered Carbon.[11] In the same year, Frewer was cast in the Netflix horror-drama series, The Order.[12]
Personal life
Frewer has been married to Amanda Hillwood since 1984. In 1989, they bought a house in Marina del Rey, California.[13]
Filmography
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1983 | The Lords of Discipline | Senior | |
| 1983 | The Crimson Permanent Assurance | Very Big Corporation of America Yuppie | Short film Segment: Monty Python's The Meaning of Life |
| 1984 | Supergirl | Eddie the Truck Driver | |
| 1985 | Spies Like Us | Soldier #2 | |
| 1987 | The Fourth Protocol | Tom McWhirter | |
| 1987 | Ishtar | CIA Agent #3 | |
| 1989 | Speed Zone | Alec Stewart | |
| 1989 | Honey, I Shrunk the Kids | Russell 'Russ' Thompson, Sr. | |
| 1989 | Far from Home | Charlie Cox | |
| 1990 | Short Time | Ernie Dills | |
| 1991 | The Taking of Beverly Hills | Ed Kelvin | |
| 1993 | Twenty Bucks | Receding Bingo Winner | |
| 1995 | Return to Two Moon Junction | Cleo / Leo | Uncredited |
| 1995 | Driving Mr. Pink | The Pink Panther (voice) | Short film |
| 1995 | National Lampoon's Senior Trip | Principal Todd Moss | |
| 1995 | BugHunt | Edward Schulze (voice) | |
| 1996 | Lawnmower Man 2: Beyond Cyberspace | Jobe Smith | |
| 1997 | Hercules | Panic (voice) | |
| 1998 | Heartwood | Frank Burris (voice) | Uncredited |
| 1999 | 6ix | Satan / Nathan / Lucy / Mother / Father | Short film |
| 1999 | Hercules: Zero to Hero | Panic (voice) | Direct-to-video |
| 2000 | Cyberworld | Frazzled (voice) | Short film |
| 2004 | Dawn of the Dead | Frank | |
| 2004 | A Home at the End of the World | Ned Glover | |
| 2004 | Going the Distance | Farmer Joseph | |
| 2004 | Intern Academy (AKA Whitecoats) | Dr. Anton Keller | |
| 2004 | Geraldine's Fortune | Cameron Geary | |
| 2004 | Riding the Bullet | Mr. Clarkson | |
| 2007 | Weirdsville | Jason Taylor | |
| 2009 | Watchmen | Moloch | |
| 2009 | Rampage | Mr. Williamson | |
| 2009 | Darfur | Ted Duncan | |
| 2010 | Frankie and Alice | Dr. Strassfield | |
| 2011 | Wushu Warrior | Lord Edward Lindsey | |
| 2011 | 50/50 | Mitch | |
| 2011 | Foreverland | Mr. Steadman | |
| 2014 | Rampage: Capital Punishment | Mr. Williamson (voice) | Uncredited |
| 2014 | Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb | Archibald Stanley | Cameo |
| 2015 | Pixels | Max Headroom (voice) | |
| 2016 | The BFG | General #2 | |
| 2017 | Residue | Mr. Fairweather | |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1984 | The First Olympics: Athens 1896 | Francis Lane | Television miniseries |
| 1986 | Robin of Sherwood | Roger de Carnac | Episode "The Betrayal" |
| 1987 | St. Elsewhere | Pee-Wee / Walter Sandler | Episode: "No Chemo, Sabe?" |
| 1987–1988 | Max Headroom | Max Headroom / Edison Carter | 14 episodes |
| 1988 | Miami Vice | Cliff King | Episodes: "Hostile Takeover" and "Redemption in Blood" |
| 1988 | Sesame Street | Max Headroom | 2 episodes |
| 1989–1991 | Doctor Doctor | Dr. Mike Stratford | Lead role 40 episodes |
| 1991 | Star Trek: The Next Generation | Berlinghoff Rasmussen | Episode: "A Matter of Time" |
| 1992 | Tiny Toon Adventures | Mac Duff (voice) | Episodes: "Take Elmyra Please" and "Grandma's Dead" |
| 1992–1993 | Shaky Ground | Bob Moody | 17 episodes |
| 1992 | Eerie, Indiana | Howard Paymer | Episode: "Tornado Days" |
| 1993 | Batman: The Animated Series | Sid the Squid / Sidney Debris (voice) | Episode: "The Man Who Killed Batman" |
| 1993 | Bonkers | Peter Blaine (voice) | Episode: "Trains, Toons, and Toon Trains" |
| 1993–1996 | The Pink Panther | The Pink Panther (voice) | 60 episodes |
| 1993 | The Day My Parents Ran Away | Bob Miller | Television movie |
| 1994 | In Search of Dr. Seuss | The Cat in the Hat | Television movie |
| 1994 | American Playhouse | Ambassador Edwin Reischauer | Episode: "Long Shadows |
| 1994–1996 | Gargoyles | Jackal (voice) | 6 episodes |
| 1994–1996 | Itsy Bitsy Spider | The Exterminator (voice) | 26 episodes |
| 1994 | The Stand | Trashcan Man | 4 episodes Television miniseries |
| 1994 | Aladdin | Chaos (voice) | Episode: "When Chaos Comes Calling" |
| 1995–1996 | Dumb and Dumber | Lloyd Christmas / Nepher / Ogg (voices) | 13 episodes |
| 1996 | Generation X | Russel Tresh | Television movie |
| 1996–1997 | The Incredible Hulk | The Leader (voice) | 10 episodes |
| 1996 | Iron Man | Episode: "Hulk Buster" | |
| 1996 | Bruno the Kid | Bobby Vicious (voice) | Episode: "Searching for Bobby Vicious" |
| 1996 | Quack Pack | Additional Voice (voice) | Episode: "Tasty Paste" |
| 1996 | Mighty Ducks | Dr. Wally Pretorius (voice) | Episode: "The Human Factor" |
| 1996 | Gargoyles: The Goliath Chronicles | Jackal (voice) | Episode: "Broadway Goes to Hollywood" |
| 1996 | The Outer Limits | Norman Glass | Episode: "First Anniversary" |
| 1996 | Apollo 11 | Gene Kranz | Television movie |
| 1996 | The Magic School Bus | Inspector 47 (voice) | Episode: "In the Rainforest" |
| 1996 | Late Night with Conan O'Brien | Himself | 1 Episode |
| 1997 | Quicksilver Highway | Dr. Charles "Charlie" George | Television movie |
| 1997 | Dead Man's Gun | Norbert Datry | Episode: "Fool's Gold - Pilot #2" |
| 1997 | Tracey Takes On... | Bob | Episode: "Supernatural" |
| 1997 | Desert's Edge | Greg | Television movie |
| 1997–1999 | Psi Factor: Chronicles of the Paranormal | Matt Praeger | 49 episodes |
| 1997 | Dead Fire | Max Durbin | Television movie |
| 1997 | Breast Men | Gerald Krzemien | Television movie |
| 1998 | Toonsylvania | Dedgar Deadman (voice) | 14 episodes |
| 1998–1999 | Hercules | Panic (voice) | 24 episodes |
| 1999 | Mentors | Frederick Banting | Episode: "A Transient, Shining Trouble" |
| 1999 | Mickey Mouse Works | Toymaker (voice) | Episode: "#1.4" |
| 2000 | Da Vinci's Inquest | Larry Williams | Episodes: "Fantasy" and "Reality" |
| 2000 | Jailbait | Al Fisher | Television movie |
| 2000 | The Hound of the Baskervilles | Sherlock Holmes | Television movie |
| 2001–2002 | House of Mouse | Panic / Toymaker (voices) | 6 episodes |
| 2001 | The Sign of Four | Sherlock Holmes | Television movie |
| 2001 | The Royal Scandal | ||
| 2002 | The Case of the Whitechapel Vampire | ||
| 2002 | Taken | Dr. Chet Wakeman | 6 episodes Television miniseries |
| 2004 | The Eleventh Hour | Dr. Lansing | Episode: "Wonderland" |
| 2005 | Masters of Horror | Wally | Episode: "Chocolate" |
| 2006 | Desperation | Ralph Carver | Television movie |
| 2006–2007 | Intelligence | Ted Altman | 26 episodes |
| 2006–2012 | Eureka | Dr. Jim Taggart | 18 episodes |
| 2009 | Alice | The White Knight | Television miniseries |
| 2010 | Battle of the Bulbs | Stu Jones | Television movie |
| 2010 | How I Met Your Mother | Carriage Driver | Uncredited Episode: "Of Course" |
| 2010 | Supernatural | Pestilence / Dr. Green | Episodes: "Hammer of the Gods" and "Two Minutes to Midnight" |
| 2011 | Bag of Bones | Sid Noonan | Television miniseries |
| 2012–2013 | Falling Skies | General Bressler | 7 episodes |
| 2012 | Delete | Arthur Bowden | Television miniseries |
| 2013–2017 | Orphan Black | Dr. Aldous Leekie | 11 episodes |
| 2013 | Witches of East End | Vidar | Episodes: "Today I Am a Witch" and "A Few Good Talismen" |
| 2014 | The Knick | Dr. J.M. Christiansen | 5 episodes |
| 2014–2015 | The Librarians | Dulaque / Lancelot | 5 episodes |
| 2015 | Olympus | Daedalus / Prometheus | 12 episodes |
| 2016 | The Art of More | Paul Rice | 6 episodes |
| 2016 | 12 Monkeys | Dr. Kirschner | Episode: "Fatherland" |
| 2016–2017 | Timeless | Anthony Bruhl | 5 episodes |
| 2016 | Love in Paradise | Dr. Frank | Television movie |
| 2017–2018 | Castlevania | The Bishop (voice) | 12 episodes |
| 2018 | Altered Carbon | Carnage | 3 episodes |
| 2018 | The Truth About the Harry Quebert Affair | Reverend Kellergan | 10 episodes Television miniseries |
| 2019 | The Order | Peter Morton | 7 episodes |
| 2019–2020 | The Magicians | The Binder | 3 episodes |
| 2019 | Fear the Walking Dead | Logan | 6 episodes |
| 2020 | Perry Mason | Judge Fred Wright | 3 episodes |
Video games
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | Disney's Animated Storybook: Hercules | Panic (voice) | |
| 1998 | Disney's Hades Challenge | Panic (voice) | |
| 2012 | Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom | Panic (voice) | |
Radio
- Tales from the Mausoleum Club: Episode 2, "Heart of Skegness"
Awards and nominations
| Year | Award | Category | Film/TV Show | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1987 | CableACE Award | Best Music Host | The Max Headroom Show | Won |
| 2000 | Gemini Award | Best Performance in a Children's or Youth Program or Series | Mentors | Won |
| 2000 | Gemini Award | Best Performance in a Children's or Youth Program or Series | Da Vinci's Inquest | Nominated |
| 2010 | Leo Award | Best Lead Performance by a Male in a Feature Length Drama | Alice | Nominated |
| 2011 | Leo Award | Best Guest Performance by a Male in a Dramatic Series | Supernatural | Nominated |
References
- Nemecek, Larry (2003). The Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion: Revised Edition. Simon and Schuster. pp. 186–. ISBN 978-0-7434-5798-9.
- Lanigan, Richard L. (April 1992). The human science of communicology: a phenomenology of discourse in Foucault and Merleau-Ponty. Duquesne University Press. p. 44. ISBN 978-0-8207-0242-1. Retrieved 9 June 2011.
- "Matt Frewer Biography (1958–)". filmreference.com.
- "Well Known Figures Who Are Boarding School Alumni of Lakefield College School | LCS Blog". Blog.lcs.on.ca. 21 July 2016. Retrieved 26 March 2017.
- "Matt Frewer on Olympus, Max Headroom, Orphan Black, and working with giant ants". SyfyWire. 2 April 2015. Retrieved 26 March 2017.
- "Matt Frewer on The Knick, Max Headroom, and his Australian accent on Eureka". avclub.com. 3 October 2014. Retrieved 26 March 2017.
- "DVD Review: Da Vinci's Inquest – Season Two". Blogcritics. Retrieved 26 March 2017.
- "Matt Frewer Talks About His Return to Eureka". movieweb.com. 11 September 2009. Retrieved 26 March 2017.
- "Matt Frewer Cast as Pestilence on Supernatural / Season 5 Episode 15 Preview". Dread Central.
- Stuever, Hank (2 December 2011). "'Bag of Bones': Must be recycling day". The Washington Post. Retrieved 26 March 2017.
- "'Altered Carbon': 15 Shocking Moments From Netflix's Violent Sci-Fi Drama". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2018-02-25.
- Nellie Andreeva (April 16, 2018). "Netflix Picks Up 'The Order' Horror Drama Series Starring Jake Manley & Sarah Grey". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved February 27, 2019.
- "With Max Headroom Behind Him, Matt Frewer Mad-Libs Through Doctor, Doctor and a Smash Film – Vol. 32 No. 3". PEOPLE.com. 17 July 1989. Retrieved 26 March 2017.
External links
