Biography
Actor, Comedian, Speaker and Writer, Matthew Brandon Wilsey, born in 1975, later honored the Grandfather that helped raise him, by legally changing his name to Matthew B. Wilsey Grisat in 2002. His mother, Geri Wilsey, was a single mom in La Habra, CA working as a bartender; and his estranged father, Gunner Heath, was a member of a motorcycle club, who unfortunately had to flea from California to his native Maine because a rival club had issued a hit. From his meager upbringing in the unsavory parts of Orange County, yes they did exist, he has flourished in Film, Television, Comedy, Forensics and Music. In the 90's, Orange county became a hot bed of music with bands like No Doubt, The Offspring, Pennywise and others rising to stardom. Along with them, his band Anoxia often performed along side them. Due to a series of bad business, and some personal, decisions, Anoxia never reached the same level of success. Known as, "the funny one," he was often recognized for his comedic flair and passion for assigning nicknames. This led to his habit of performing stand up comedy routines as the opener and between bands, sometimes as MC of shows and festivals. Often Called Sasquatch or Pillsbury due to his 6'5" stature he was also called upon to utilize the martial arts skills he had developed since his youth, to step in to "mediate disputes." While this was happening, he was filling his time performing in local theaters and at Fullerton College where he never completed his theater degree, which he still laughs about today only needing one class that doesn't fit in his schedule, even though he's continued on to get a Master's Degree in communication from Perdue University. In 1995 he joined the US Marine Corps where he served until he was honorably discharged, again building his reputation for comedy among the troops. Shortly after discharge, Mr. Grisat used his skill set to tour with bands as a lighting tech. His break came on the show "Pensacola: Wings of Gold" where he spent two seasons, uncredited, for his Role of "Monster." Relying on his reputation as a "professional yet fun guy to work with'" he made the rounds filming, doing stand up, and raising his two sons, Gunner and Zane Grisat. He also honed his skills in forensic speech & debate where he won national championships with his team from Glendale Community College, utilizing his theater and comedy experience to excel in After Dinner Speaking and Oral Interpretation events. Today Mr. Grisat continues to work in the film industry when he gets time off from his busy schedule as Teacher and Coach of Speech and Debate, taking any opportunity he can to get back on stage and make people laugh!
