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Matthew George Frewer (born January 4, 1958) is an American-Canadian actor, singer and comedian. He portrayed the 1980s icon
Max Headroom Max Headroom is a fictional artificial intelligence (AI) character portrayed by actor Matt Frewer. Advertised as "the first computer-generated TV presenter", Max was known for his biting commentary on a variety of topical issues, arrogant wit, ...
in the 1985 TV movie and 1987 television series of the same names. He became prominent when playing roles in films, like Russell Thompson, Sr. in ''
Honey, I Shrunk the Kids ''Honey, I Shrunk the Kids'' is a 1989 American comic science fiction film. It is the first installment of a film franchise and served as the directorial debut of Joe Johnston. The film stars Rick Moranis, Matt Frewer, Marcia Strassman, and Kri ...
'' (1989), Jobe Smith in '' Lawnmower Man 2: Beyond Cyberspace'' (1996), Frank in '' Dawn of the Dead'' (2004), Moloch in ''
Watchmen ''Watchmen'' is an American comic book maxiseries by the British creative team of writer Alan Moore, artist Dave Gibbons and colorist John Higgins. It was published monthly by DC Comics in 1986 and 1987 before being collected in a single-vo ...
'' (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 Shaky Ground is an American sitcom, created by Bob Keyes, Chip Keyes, and Doug Keyes, which starred Matt Frewer as Bob Moody, a hapless but supportive and caring father. Robin Riker played his wife and Matthew Brooks, Jennifer Love Hewitt, and ...
'' (1992–1993), Matt Prager in '' Psi Factor: Chronicles of the Paranormal'' (1997–1999), Dr. Jim Taggart in ''
Eureka Eureka (often abbreviated as E!, or Σ!) is an intergovernmental organisation for research and development funding and coordination. Eureka is an open platform for international cooperation in innovation. Organisations and companies applying th ...
'' (2006–2012) and Doctor Leekie in the Canadian
science fiction Science fiction (sometimes shortened to Sci-Fi or SF) is a genre of speculative fiction which typically deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts such as advanced science and technology, space exploration, time travel, parallel uni ...
drama ''
Orphan Black ''Orphan Black'' is a Canadian science-fiction thriller television series created by screenwriter Graeme Manson and director John Fawcett and starring Tatiana Maslany. The series focuses on Sarah Manning, one of several genetically identical ...
'' (2013–2017). Frewer's more recent performances include a portrayal of "General #2" in the Steven Spielberg picture ''
The BFG ''The BFG'' (short for ''The Big Friendly Giant'') is a 1982 children's book written by British novelist Roald Dahl and illustrated by Quentin Blake. It is an expansion of a short story from Dahl's 1975 book '' Danny, the Champion of the World ...
'' (2016), the character Carnage 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 fi ...
series ''
Altered Carbon ''Altered Carbon'' is a 2002 cyberpunk novel by the English writer Richard K. Morgan. Set in a future in which interstellar travel and relative immortality is facilitated by transferring consciousnesses between bodies ("sleeves"), it follows t ...
'' 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 Hercules (, ) is the Roman equivalent of the Greek divine hero Heracles, son of Jupiter and the mortal Alcmena. In classical mythology, Hercules is famous for his strength and for his numerous far-ranging adventures. The Romans adapted the ...
'' and its 1998 television series, Inspector 47 in ''
The Magic School Bus ''The Magic School Bus'' is an American edutainment media franchise that includes a book series, a TV series, a streaming series, and video games. Each of the stories within the franchise centers on the antics of a fictional elementary sch ...
'',
the Pink Panther ''The Pink Panther'' is an American media franchise primarily focusing on a series of comedy-mystery films featuring an inept French police detective, Inspector Jacques Clouseau. The franchise began with the release of the classic film '' The Pi ...
in the 1993 television series of the same name, Lloyd Christmas in the ''
Dumb and Dumber ''Dumb and Dumber'' is a 1994 American buddy comedy film directed by Peter Farrelly, who cowrote the screenplay with Bobby Farrelly and Bennett Yellin. It is the first installment in the ''Dumb and Dumber'' franchise. Starring Jim Carrey a ...
'' animated series, Jackal in '' Gargoyles'' and Dedgar Deadman in ''
Toonsylvania ''Toonsylvania'' is an American animated television series, which ran for two seasons in 1998 on the Fox Kids Network block (usually placed in a block called "The No Yell Motel" that contained other scary kids' shows such as ''Goosebumps'' and ''Ee ...
''.


Early life

Frewer was born in
Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...
, one of five children born to ( née German) and Captain Frederick Charlesley Frewer, a
Royal Canadian Navy The Royal Canadian Navy (RCN; french: Marine royale canadienne, ''MRC'') is the naval force of Canada. The RCN is one of three environmental commands within the Canadian Armed Forces. As of 2021, the RCN operates 12 frigates, four attack submar ...
officer. He was raised in
Peterborough, Ontario Peterborough ( ) is a city on the Otonabee River in Ontario, Canada, about 125 kilometres (78 miles) northeast of Toronto. According to the 2021 Census, the population of the City of Peterborough was 83,651. The population of the Peterborough ...
, where he graduated from
Lakefield College School Lakefield College School (sometimes called LCS, The Grove or simply Lakefield) is a private day and boarding school located north of the village of Lakefield, Ontario. It was the first Canadian member of Round Square, an international affiliati ...
. He went on to train at the
Bristol Old Vic Theatre School The Bristol Old Vic Theatre School is a drama school in Bristol, England. The institution provides training in acting and production for careers in film, television and theatre. BOVTS is an affiliate of the Conservatoire for Dance and Drama. ...
, 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 Artificial intelligence (AI) is intelligence—perceiving, synthesizing, and inferring information—demonstrated by machines, as opposed to intelligence displayed by animals and humans. Example tasks in which this is done include speech r ...
character
Max Headroom Max Headroom is a fictional artificial intelligence (AI) character portrayed by actor Matt Frewer. Advertised as "the first computer-generated TV presenter", Max was known for his biting commentary on a variety of topical issues, arrogant wit, ...
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 Max Headroom is a fictional artificial intelligence (AI) character portrayed by actor Matt Frewer. Advertised as "the first computer-generated TV presenter", Max was known for his biting commentary on a variety of topical issues, arrogant wit, ...
'' (1987–1988). From 1993-1995, Frewer voiced the
Pink Panther ''The Pink Panther'' is an American media franchise primarily focusing on a series of comedy-mystery films featuring an inept French police detective, Inspector Jacques Clouseau. The franchise began with the release of the classic film ''The Pin ...
for the television series. Frewer guest-starred in the fifth-season ''Star Trek: The Next Generation'' episode “A Matter of Time”. He also portrayed the character in other media, including a series of television commercials for " New Coke" and "
Radio Rentals Radio Rentals was formed in 1930Radio Rentals Staff Handbook in Brighton, Sussex, UK to rent out radio sets by Percy Perring-Thoms with a turnover in the first year of £780 (). It later offered televisions and ultimately video recorders for re ...
", as well as the single and music video for " Paranoimia" by
Art of Noise Art of Noise (also The Art of Noise) were an English avant-garde synth-pop group formed in early 1983 by engineer/producer Gary Langan and programmer J. J. Jeczalik, along with keyboardist/arranger Anne Dudley, producer Trevor Horn, and mus ...
. He reprised this role in the science fiction comedy film ''
Pixels In digital imaging, a pixel (abbreviated px), pel, or picture element is the smallest addressable element in a raster image, or the smallest point in an all points addressable display device. In most digital display devices, pixels are the sm ...
'' (2015). Frewer starred as Mike Stratford in '' Doctor Doctor'' (1989–1991). He also appeared as Trashcan Man in the television miniseries ''
The Stand ''The Stand'' is a post-apocalyptic dark fantasy novel written by American author Stephen King and first published in 1978 by Doubleday. The plot centers on a deadly pandemic of weaponized influenza and its aftermath, in which the few survivin ...
''. Frewer has also appeared in such films as '' The Fourth Protocol'' (1987), ''
Honey, I Shrunk the Kids ''Honey, I Shrunk the Kids'' is a 1989 American comic science fiction film. It is the first installment of a film franchise and served as the directorial debut of Joe Johnston. The film stars Rick Moranis, Matt Frewer, Marcia Strassman, and Kri ...
'' (1989), ''
National Lampoon's Senior Trip ''National Lampoon's Senior Trip'' is a 1995 American comedy film for the National Lampoon magazine franchise, directed by Kelly Makin. It marked Jeremy Renner's film debut. Plot At Fairmount High School, Ohio in the suburbs of Dayton, a gro ...
'' (1995), and the 2004 remake of ''Dawn of the Dead''. Frewer was nominated for two Gemini Awards in 2000, one for a guest appearance on ''
Da Vinci's Inquest ''Da Vinci's Inquest'' is a Canadian dramatic television series which originally aired on CBC Television from 1998 to 2005. While never a ratings blockbuster, the critically acclaimed show did attract a loyal following, and ultimately seven seaso ...
'' and another for his work on the series ''Mentors''. He was a regular on ''
Eureka Eureka (often abbreviated as E!, or Σ!) is an intergovernmental organisation for research and development funding and coordination. Eureka is an open platform for international cooperation in innovation. Organisations and companies applying th ...
'' during the series' first two seasons, playing Jim Taggart. 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. In 2009, Frewer portrayed the retired villain Moloch the Mystic in ''
Watchmen ''Watchmen'' is an American comic book maxiseries by the British creative team of writer Alan Moore, artist Dave Gibbons and colorist John Higgins. It was published monthly by DC Comics in 1986 and 1987 before being collected in a single-vo ...
'' and appeared as the White Knight in the December 2009 Syfy two-part miniseries '' Alice'', based upon ''
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland ''Alice's Adventures in Wonderland'' (commonly ''Alice in Wonderland'') is an 1865 English novel by Lewis Carroll. It details the story of a young girl named Alice who falls through a rabbit hole into a fantasy world of anthropomorphic creature ...
''. He starred as Pestilence in two episodes of Season 5 of '' Supernatural''. He has appeared in several adaptations of Stephen King stories, such as ''The Stand'', ''
Quicksilver Highway ''Quicksilver Highway'' is a 1997 television comedy horror film directed by Mick Garris. It is based on Clive Barker's short story "The Body Politic" and Stephen King's 1992 short story "Chattery Teeth". The film was originally shown on televisio ...
'', ''
Riding the Bullet ''Riding the Bullet'' is a Horror fiction, horror novella by American writer Stephen King. It marked King's debut on the Internet. Simon & Schuster, with technology by SoftLock, first published ''Riding the Bullet'' in 2000 as the world's first m ...
'', '' Desperation'' and '' Bag of Bones''. He played Dr. Aldous Leekie on the first two seasons of ''
Orphan Black ''Orphan Black'' is a Canadian science-fiction thriller television series created by screenwriter Graeme Manson and director John Fawcett and starring Tatiana Maslany. The series focuses on Sarah Manning, one of several genetically identical ...
''. In 2018, Frewer portrayed Carnage in the Netflix series ''
Altered Carbon ''Altered Carbon'' is a 2002 cyberpunk novel by the English writer Richard K. Morgan. Set in a future in which interstellar travel and relative immortality is facilitated by transferring consciousnesses between bodies ("sleeves"), it follows t ...
''. In the same year, Frewer was cast in the Netflix horror-
drama Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance: a play, opera, mime, ballet, etc., performed in a theatre, or on radio or television.Elam (1980, 98). Considered as a genre of poetry in general, the dramatic mode has b ...
series, '' The Order''.


Personal life

Frewer has been married to Amanda Hillwood since 1984. In 1989, they bought a house in
Marina del Rey Marina del Rey (Spanish language, Spanish for "Marina of the King") is an unincorporated area, unincorporated seaside community in Los Angeles County, California, with an eponymous harbor that is a major boating and water recreation destination ...
, California.


Filmography


Film


Television


Video games


Radio

* ''Tales from the Mausoleum Club'': Episode 2, "Heart of Skegness"


Awards and nominations


References


External links

*
Mattblank.com interview
{{DEFAULTSORT:Frewer, Matt 1958 births Living people 20th-century American male actors 20th-century Canadian male actors 21st-century American male actors 21st-century Canadian male actors American emigrants to Canada American male film actors American male stage actors American male television actors American male voice actors Alumni of Bristol Old Vic Theatre School CableACE Award winners Canadian male film actors Canadian male stage actors Canadian male television actors Canadian male voice actors Canadian Screen Award winners Lakefield College School alumni Male actors from Ontario People from Peterborough, Ontario Male actors from Washington, D.C. Audiobook narrators