Biografia
Matthew was born in West Hills, CA, in 2002 to an Asian mother of Indonesian and Chinese descent from Palembang, Indonesia, and an American father of Scotch, Irish, and German ancestry. He was raised primarily in the western San Fernando Valley suburbs of Los Angeles. At six years old, Matthew auditioned for and was accepted into the prestigious Young Actors Conservatory at Gary Spatz's The Playground in Beverly Hills. With no prior acting experience, he pursued his dream of becoming an actor and entertainer. Shortly after beginning his training, in the summer of 2009 at age seven, Matthew was recognized for his natural talent and comedic ability during a Performance Showcase at The Playground and was signed by a talent management company.
Soon after, he secured representation with Abrams Artists for commercial work and began building his résumé with numerous student films, independent films, and background roles on TV shows such as Ghost Whisperer and Eastwick. His first lead role came in a commercial for Trek Livestrong Bicycles in winter 2010, followed by a smaller part in a Walmart commercial. Between June 2010 and March 2011, Matthew worked on seven short films and landed roles in two independent feature films: The Guest House (shot in December 2010) and Two De Force (completed in June 2011 and released in early 2012). His dedication led to his first theatrical agent in early 2010. Matthew graduated from the two-year Kids Professional Program at The Playground in May 2011 and secured commercial and theatrical representation with Coast to Coast Talent Group. He is deeply grateful to everyone who has supported him and to Coast to Coast Talent Group for representing him both theatrically and commercially, along with William Morris Endeavor (WME) Los Angeles, which represented him for voice-over work until 2015.
In early 2015, at age 13, Matthew parted ways with his manager of two years and hired Mia Cho of Vincent Cirrincione Associates Ltd., the same firm that represents Halle Berry. Mia helped him find new agent representation, and shortly thereafter, Matthew signed with IDEAL Talent Agency, with theatrical agents Ryan Haden and Lara Feinstein, and commercial agent Andrew Vosper.
Highlights of Matthew's career include presenting at the 2010 and 2011 OMNI Awards for Young Actors & Musicians and earning a Best Actor nomination at the 32nd Annual Young Artist Awards for his role in WURM. In September 2011, he voiced the lead character in a kids' cartoon produced by Home Plate Entertainment and Bill Schultz (known for The Simpsons), which aired on Disney Junior. Matthew completed 52 episodes of the show while continuing other projects.
Between 2012 and 2015, Matthew guest-starred on popular TV series such as iCarly, The Middle, New Girl, The New Normal, and About a Boy. He also starred as Redford in the feature film Camp (2013), released in select theaters and available on Netflix and Amazon streaming. His performance in this fact-based film, inspired by true events, received positive reviews.
Matthew actively participates in various charitable events supporting children, which he finds deeply rewarding. Notably, he contributed to the CHOC event benefiting Children's Hospital of Orange County in November 2010. In 2011, he continued his charity work across the Los Angeles and Orange County areas, serving as a celebrity ambassador and volunteer for the Ronald McDonald House Pasadena Walk for Kids and The Shoe Crew Organization, which provides shoes to underprivileged youth.
Outside of acting, Matthew enjoys swimming, playing with his cousin’s dogs, basketball, football, and singing. He often goes to karaoke with his family when time allows. He also loves visiting his grandfather and extended family in the Midwest. Matthew attends public school and intends to continue as long as his schedule permits. A strong student, he maintains straight A’s. Matthew has two older brothers: one lives in Singapore with his wife and young son, and the other lives in Los Angeles with his daughter, making Matthew an uncle to both a nephew and niece. His brother in Los Angeles is a recording and sound engineer and holds a BA in Music Production from the Los Angeles Film School.
