Matthew Brandon Ross (born January 3, 1970) is an American actor, director, and

screenwriter A screenplay writer (also called screenwriter, scriptwriter, scribe or scenarist) is a writer who practices the craft of screenwriting, writing screenplays on which mass media, such as films, television programs and video games, are based. ...

. He is best known for his roles as Gavin Belson in the HBO series ''

Silicon Valley Silicon Valley is a region in Northern California that serves as a global center for high technology and innovation. Located in the southern part of the San Francisco Bay Area, it corresponds roughly to the geographical areas San Mateo Cou ...

'',

Glenn Odekirk Glenn Odekirk (born Waseca, Minnesota May 9, 1905 – died Las Vegas, Nevada January 12, 1987) was an American aerospace engineer who made significant contributions to the work of Hughes Aircraft. Biography The son of Edward John and Louise (Lew ...

in '' The Aviator'', and Luis Carruthers in ''

American Psycho ''American Psycho'' is a novel by Bret Easton Ellis, published in 1991. The story is told in the first person by Patrick Bateman, a serial killer and Manhattan investment banker. Alison Kelly of ''The Observer'' notes that while "some countr ...

''.

Early life and education

Ross was born in

Greenwich, Connecticut Greenwich (, ) is a town in southwestern Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. At the 2020 census, the town had a total population of 63,518. The largest town on Connecticut's Gold Coast, Greenwich is home to many hedge funds and othe ...

, and raised in

Eagle Point, Oregon Eagle Point is a city in Jackson County, Oregon, United States. The population was 8,469 at the 2010 census, up from 4,798 at the 2000 census. As of 2018, the estimated population was 9,408. History In the mid-19th century, a rocky cliff near t ...

. His parents divorced when he was young, and Ross was raised in what he described as "alternative living situations". His mother became interested in the

Waldorf education Waldorf education, also known as Steiner education, is based on the educational philosophy of Rudolf Steiner, the founder of anthroposophy. Its educational style is holistic, intended to develop pupils' intellectual, artistic, and practical ...

philosophy and Ross spent time in

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe ...

while his mother worked towards a teaching credential in Waldorf education. He earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the

Juilliard School The Juilliard School ( ) is a Private university, private performing arts music school, conservatory in New York City. Established in 1905, the school trains about 850 undergraduate and graduate students in dance, drama, and music. It is widely ...

Career

Ross garnered critical acclaim for his role as

Alby Grant Albert "Alby" Grant, played by Matt Ross, is a fictional character from the HBO series ''Big Love''. The character is loosely based on the real life polygamist leader Warren Jeffs. Overview The character of Alby Grant was first introduced in t ...

in the HBO series ''

Big Love ''Big Love'' is an American drama television series that aired on HBO from March 12, 2006 to March 20, 2011. It stars Bill Paxton as the patriarch of a fundamentalist Mormon family in contemporary Utah that practices polygamy, with Jeanne Tri ...

'' for five seasons. He also played Eddie Scott in the 2005 film '' Good Night, and Good Luck'', for which he was nominated for a

Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture The Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast (or Ensemble) in a Motion Picture is an award given by the Screen Actors Guild to honor the finest acting achievements in film. Winners and nominees : 1990s 2000s 2010s 2 ...

. In 2011 and 2015, he played Charles Montgomery in the first and fifth seasons of FX's

anthology In book publishing, an anthology is a collection of literary works chosen by the compiler; it may be a collection of plays, poems, short stories, songs or excerpts by different authors. In genre fiction, the term ''anthology'' typically cate ...

series ''

American Horror Story ''American Horror Story'' is an American anthology horror television series created by Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk for the cable network FX. The first installment in the '' American Story'' media franchise, each season is conceived as a ...

''. He wrote and directed the feature film '' Captain Fantastic'', starring

Viggo Mortensen Viggo Peter Mortensen Jr. R (; born October 20, 1958) is an American actor, writer, director, producer, musician, and multimedia artist. Born and raised in the State of New York to a Danish father and American mother, he also lived in Argenti ...

, for which he won the

Un Certain Regard (, meaning 'a certain glance') is a section of the Cannes Film Festival's official selection. It is run at the Debussy, parallel to the competition for the . This section was introduced in 1978 by Gilles Jacob. The section presents 20 films w ...

Prize for Best Director at the

2016 Cannes Film Festival The 69th Cannes Film Festival was held from 11 to 22 May 2016. Australian director George Miller was the President of the Jury for the main competition. French actor Laurent Lafitte was the host for the opening and closing ceremonies. On 15 Marc ...

. Before that, Ross made seven short films, including ''The Language of Love'', which premiered at the

Sundance Film Festival The Sundance Film Festival (formerly Utah/US Film Festival, then US Film and Video Festival) is an annual film festival organized by the Sundance Institute. It is the largest independent film festival in the United States, with more than 46,6 ...

. His feature film directorial debut, ''

28 Hotel Rooms ''28 Hotel Rooms'' is an American film written and directed by Matt Ross and starring Chris Messina and Marin Ireland. It is Matt Ross' first feature film. Premise A novelist and a corporate accountant conduct an affair over a period of several ...

'', premiered at the

in 2012.

Personal life

He is married to the writer Phyllis Grant, with whom he has two children: Isabel "Bella" and Dashiell "Dash" Ross.

Filmography

Filmmaker

Films

Television

Actor

Film

Television

Awards and honors

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Ross, Matt 1970 births 20th-century American male actors 21st-century American male actors American male film actors American male television actors Film directors from Connecticut Living people Male actors from Connecticut People from Greenwich, Connecticut Screenwriters from Connecticut Juilliard School alumni People from Eagle Point, Oregon Male actors from Oregon Actors from Oregon