Matthew William Goode (born 3 April 1978) is a British actor. Goode made his screen debut in 2002 with
ABC's TV film feature ''
Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister''. His breakthrough role was in the romantic comedy ''
Chasing Liberty
''Chasing Liberty'' is a 2004 romantic comedy film directed by Andy Cadiff and starring Mandy Moore and Matthew Goode. Written by Derek Guiley and David Schneiderman, the film is about the 18-year-old daughter of the President of the United Stat ...
'' (2004), for which he received a nomination at
Teen Choice Awards
The Teen Choice Awards is an annual awards show that airs on the Fox television network. The awards honor the year's biggest achievements in music, film, sports, television, fashion, social media, and more, voted by viewers living in the United ...
for Choice Breakout Movie Star – Male. He then appeared in a string of supporting roles in films like
Woody Allen
Heywood "Woody" Allen (born Allan Stewart Konigsberg; November 30, 1935) is an American film director, writer, actor, and comedian whose career spans more than six decades and multiple Academy Award-winning films. He began his career writing ...
's ''
Match Point'' (2005), the German-British romantic comedy ''
Imagine Me and You'' (2006), and the period drama ''
Copying Beethoven'' (2006). He won praise for his performance as Charles Ryder in
Julian Jarrold's adaptation of
Evelyn Waugh's ''
Brideshead Revisited'' (2008), and as
Ozymandias in the American neo-noir superhero film ''
Watchmen'' (2009), based on the
comics
a medium used to express ideas with images, often combined with text or other visual information. It typically the form of a sequence of panels of images. Textual devices such as speech balloons, captions, and onomatopoeia can indicate ...
by
Alan Moore and
Dave Gibbons
David Chester Gibbons (born 14 April 1949) is an English comics artist, writer and sometimes letterer. He is best known for his collaborations with writer Alan Moore, which include the miniseries ''Watchmen'' and the Superman story "For the Man ...
. He then starred in romantic comedy ''
Leap Year
A leap year (also known as an intercalary year or bissextile year) is a calendar year that contains an additional day (or, in the case of a lunisolar calendar, a month) added to keep the calendar year synchronized with the astronomical year or ...
'' (2010) and Australian drama ''
Burning Man
Burning Man is an event focused on community, art, self-expression, and self-reliance held annually in the western United States. The name of the event comes from its culminating ceremony: the symbolic burning of a large wooden effigy, referred ...
'' (2011), the latter earning him a nomination for Best Actor at the
Film Critics Circle of Australia Awards.
Other notable film roles include ''
The Lookout'' (2007), ''
A Single Man'' (2009), ''
Cemetery Junction'' (2010), ''
Stoker'' (2013), ''
Belle'' (2013), ''
The Imitation Game'' (2014) and ''
Self/less'' (2015). As well as appearing in films, Goode has appeared in numerous television shows. His most notable television roles include Henry Talbot in the final season of
historical drama
A historical drama (also period drama, costume drama, and period piece) is a work set in a past time period, usually used in the context of film and television. Historical drama includes historical fiction and romances, adventure films, and s ...
''
Downton Abbey,'' and Finley "Finn" Polmar in the
CBS legal drama ''
The Good Wife''. He also had a lead role in the critically acclaimed British mini-serial ''
Dancing on the Edge'', as music journalist Stanley Mitchell. In 2017, Goode portrayed
Antony Armstrong-Jones, 1st Earl of Snowdon
Antony Charles Robert Armstrong-Jones, 1st Earl of Snowdon, (7 March 1930 – 13 January 2017), was a British photographer and filmmaker. He is best known for his portraits of world notables, many of them published in '' Vogue'', '' Vanity F ...
in the
Netflix
Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a ...
biographical drama series ''
The Crown
The Crown is the state in all its aspects within the jurisprudence of the Commonwealth realms and their subdivisions (such as the Crown Dependencies, overseas territories, provinces, or states). Legally ill-defined, the term has differ ...
'', for which he received a
Primetime Emmy Award
The Primetime Emmy Awards, or Primetime Emmys, are part of the extensive range of Emmy Awards for artistic and technical merit for the American television industry. Bestowed by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS), the Primetime ...
nomination for
Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series. As of 2018, he stars in Sky One's fantasy-romance series, ''
A Discovery of Witches'', as Professor Matthew Clairmont. As of 2022, he stars in Paramount+’s drama miniseries ''The Offer'' as Robert Evans.
Early life
Goode was born on 3 April 1978 in
Exeter
Exeter () is a city in Devon, South West England. It is situated on the River Exe, approximately northeast of Plymouth and southwest of Bristol.
In Roman Britain, Exeter was established as the base of Legio II Augusta under the personal comm ...
,
Devon
Devon ( , historically known as Devonshire , ) is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in South West England. The most populous settlement in Devon is the city of Plymouth, followed by Devon's county town, the city of Exeter. Devo ...
. His father, Anthony, was a geologist and his mother, Jennifer, is a nurse and amateur theatre director. Goode is the youngest of five children with a brother, two half-brothers, and a half-sister, television presenter
Sally Meen, from his mother's previous marriage. He grew up in the village of
Clyst St. Mary, near Exeter.
Goode was educated at
Exeter School
Exeter School is an independent co-educational day school for pupils between the ages of 7 and 18 in Exeter, Devon, England. In 2019, there were around 200 pupils in the Junior School and 700 in the Senior School.
History
The School traces its ...
, an independent school in Exeter, Devon, followed by the
University of Birmingham
, mottoeng = Through efforts to heights
, established = 1825 – Birmingham School of Medicine and Surgery1836 – Birmingham Royal School of Medicine and Surgery1843 – Queen's College1875 – Mason Science College1898 – Mason Univers ...
and London's
Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art Webber may refer to:
* Webber, Kansas, a US city
*Webber Township, Jefferson County, Illinois, USA
*Webber Township, Lake County, Michigan, USA
*Webber International University, in Babson Park, Florida, USA
*Webber (surname)
Webber (/ˈwɛbər/) ...
.
Career
Goode played Peter Lynley, the brother of Inspector Lynley in the BBC production ''
Inspector Lynley Mysteries: A Suitable Vengeance'' and co-starred in the TV film ''Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister'', based on the
Gregory Maguire novel of the same name and
William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...
's play ''
The Tempest''. In 2004, Goode made his American film debut opposite
Mandy Moore
Amanda Leigh Moore (born April 10, 1984) is an American singer, songwriter and actress. She rose to fame with her debut single, "Candy", which peaked at number 41 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100. Her debut studio album, '' So Real'' (1999), recei ...
in the romantic comedy ''
Chasing Liberty
''Chasing Liberty'' is a 2004 romantic comedy film directed by Andy Cadiff and starring Mandy Moore and Matthew Goode. Written by Derek Guiley and David Schneiderman, the film is about the 18-year-old daughter of the President of the United Stat ...
''.
Goode co-starred in
Woody Allen
Heywood "Woody" Allen (born Allan Stewart Konigsberg; November 30, 1935) is an American film director, writer, actor, and comedian whose career spans more than six decades and multiple Academy Award-winning films. He began his career writing ...
's thriller ''
Match Point'', opposite
Jonathan Rhys Meyers and
Scarlett Johansson, Ol Parker's romantic comedy ''
Imagine Me & You'', opposite
Piper Perabo and
Lena Headey, the TV film ''
My Family and Other Animals'', opposite
Imelda Staunton, the biographical-musical drama ''
Copying Beethoven'', opposite
Ed Harris and
Diane Kruger and
Scott Frank's crime drama ''
The Lookout'' opposite
Joseph Gordon-Levitt
Joseph Leonard Gordon-Levitt (; born February 17, 1981) is an American actor. He has received various accolades, including nominations for the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy for his leading performances ...
. He had a whimsical take on Brooke Burgess in the BBC miniseries ''
He Knew He Was Right
''He Knew He Was Right'' is an 1869 novel written by Anthony Trollope which describes the failure of a marriage caused by the unreasonable jealousy of a husband exacerbated by the stubbornness of a wilful wife. As is common with Trollope's work ...
'' based upon
Anthony Trollope
Anthony Trollope (; 24 April 1815 – 6 December 1882) was an English novelist and civil servant of the Victorian era. Among his best-known works is a series of novels collectively known as the '' Chronicles of Barsetshire'', which revolves ar ...
's
novel of the same name.
In 2008, Goode starred as Charles Ryder in the drama film ''
Brideshead Revisited'', based on
Evelyn Waugh's
novel of the same name. In 2009, Goode co-starred in
Zack Snyder's superhero film ''
Watchmen'' as
Ozymandias/Adrian Veidt, and co-starred opposite
Colin Firth
Colin Andrew Firth (born 10 September 1960) is an English actor and producer. He was identified in the mid-1980s with the " Brit Pack" of rising young British actors, undertaking a challenging series of roles, including leading roles in '' A M ...
in the drama film ''
A Single Man'', based on
Christopher Isherwood's
novel of the same name. In 2010, he co-starred opposite
Amy Adams in the romantic comedy ''
Leap Year
A leap year (also known as an intercalary year or bissextile year) is a calendar year that contains an additional day (or, in the case of a lunisolar calendar, a month) added to keep the calendar year synchronized with the astronomical year or ...
''.
In 2013, Goode played the lead in the
BBC Two
BBC Two is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network owned and operated by the BBC. It covers a wide range of subject matter, with a remit "to broadcast programmes of depth and substance" in contrast to the more mainstream a ...
drama
''Dancing on the Edge'', as magazine columnist Stanley Mitchell. That same year, he co-starred opposite
Mia Wasikowska and
Nicole Kidman in the
psychological thriller film ''
Stoker''.
Also in 2013, Goode co-starred as
George Wickham opposite
Matthew Rhys in the three-part BBC murder mystery miniseries ''
Death Comes to Pemberley'', based on P. D. James'
novel of the same name, a sequel to
Jane Austen
Jane Austen (; 16 December 1775 – 18 July 1817) was an English novelist known primarily for her six major novels, which interpret, critique, and comment upon the British landed gentry at the end of the 18th century. Austen's plots of ...
's
Pride and Prejudice
''Pride and Prejudice'' is an 1813 novel of manners by Jane Austen. The novel follows the character development of Elizabeth Bennet, the dynamic protagonist of the book who learns about the repercussions of hasty judgments and comes to appreci ...
. In 2014, he appeared in the historical thriller ''
The Imitation Game'' as
Hugh Alexander, a British
Second World War
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposi ...
cryptanalyst and chess champion.
In March 2014, Goode joined the cast of the
CBS legal drama ''
The Good Wife'' as Finley "Finn" Polmar, a state prosecutor.
Replacing Will Gardner during the fifth season, he made his debut in the 15th episode, "Dramatics, Your Honor", in which
Josh Charles's character was killed off. In May 2015, Goode left ''
The Good Wife'' after the sixth season's finale.
In 2014, Goode co-starred in the
ITV drama ''
Downton Abbey'' during the Season 5 Christmas special "A Moorland Holiday" as Henry Talbot. He returned to ''Downton Abbey'' in October 2015 beginning in the fourth episode of the sixth season. Goode also made a brief appearance in the ''
Downton Abbey'' film which was released in 2019.
After appearing in multiple films in the mid-2010s, he appeared in 2016's ''
Allied''. He began working on WGN's production of ''
Roadside Picnic
''Roadside Picnic'' (Russian: , ''Piknik na obochine'', ) is a philosophical science fiction novel by Soviet-Russian authors Arkady and Boris Strugatsky, written in 1971 and published in 1972. It is the brothers' most popular and most widely tra ...
'' series based on the
Strugatsky novel in autumn 2016, but the pilot was cancelled. That year, he presented
ITV's ''The Wine Show'' with
Joe Fattorini and
Matthew Rhys.
In 2017, Goode began production on a television adaptation of
Deborah Harkness's bestselling All Souls trilogy for
Sky One in the
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and ...
. The show, titled ''
A Discovery of Witches'', takes its title from the series'
first book. He plays the lead role of Professor Matthew Clairmont, an Oxford
molecular biologist
Molecular biology is the branch of biology that seeks to understand the molecular basis of biological activity in and between cells, including biomolecular synthesis, modification, mechanisms, and interactions. The study of chemical and physic ...
and
vampire
A vampire is a mythical creature that subsists by feeding on the Vitalism, vital essence (generally in the form of blood) of the living. In European folklore, vampires are undead, undead creatures that often visited loved ones and caused mi ...
.
The show was first broadcast in the UK on 14 September 2018, and has been renewed for two more series based on the strength of its first airing in the United Kingdom where it was consistently the network's most-watched show each week for its 8-episode run. Goode starred in the prequel to
Matthew Vaughn's
''Kingsman'' series, entitled ''
The King's Man
''The King's Man'' is a 2021 spy action film directed by Matthew Vaughn from a screenplay by Vaughn and Karl Gajdusek and a story by Vaughn. The third installment in the British ''Kingsman'' film series, which is based on the comic book ''Th ...
'', portraying Captain Morton / The Shepherd. Set in the 20th century, prefacing
World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...
, the film was released in December 2021.
Personal life
Goode is married to Sophie Dymoke. They have three children: two daughters and a son. The family live in
Surrey
Surrey () is a ceremonial county, ceremonial and non-metropolitan county, non-metropolitan counties of England, county in South East England, bordering Greater London to the south west. Surrey has a large rural area, and several significant ur ...
, England.
Filmography
Film
Television
Awards
References
Interviews
''News Week'' interview(21 April 2006)
(1 March 2006)
''Sunday Herald'' interview(1 January 2006)
(8 January 2004)
LOVEFiLM BlogMatthew Goode at the London Film Festival screening of ''A Single Man'' (Oct 2009)
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Goode, Matthew
1978 births
20th-century English male actors
21st-century English male actors
Actors from Exeter
Alumni of the University of Birmingham
Alumni of the Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art
English male film actors
English male television actors
English male voice actors
Living people
Male actors from Devon
People educated at Exeter School