Acting
Jan 2, 1970
Greenwich, Connecticut, USA
Matt Ross
Acting
Biography
**Matthew Brandon Ross** (born January 3, 1970) is an American actor, director, and screenwriter. Recognized for his sharp character portrayals and command of dark, morally ambiguous, or pretentious personalities, he achieved widespread acclaim for his role as megalomaniacal tech CEO Gavin Belson on the HBO comedy series *Silicon Valley* (2014 to 2019) and for writing and directing the critically celebrated comedy drama *Captain Fantastic* (2016). Born in Greenwich, Connecticut, Ross spent part of his childhood living in alternative and communal lifestyle communities in Oregon and California, experiences that later influenced his creative output as a filmmaker. He attended the Juilliard School's Drama Division as a member of Group 22 and also studied filmmaking at New York University's Tisch School of the Arts, developing parallel proficiencies in stage craft and visual direction. Ross built an extensive portfolio as a versatile character actor throughout the 1990s and 2000s across notable independent and studio features. His memorable early roles include playing Terry Valentine's enforcer in Steven Soderbergh's neo-noir *The Limey* (1999), detective investigator Luis Carruthers in the cult classic *American Psycho* (2000), real life aviation engineer Glenn Odekirk in Martin Scorsese's Howard Hughes biopic *The Aviator* (2004), and appearances in films such as *Face/Off* (1997) and *Good Night, and Good Luck* (2005), the latter earning him a Screen Actors Guild Award nomination as part of the ensemble. On television, he portrayed polygamist businessman Alby Grant in the acclaimed HBO drama series *Big Love* (2006 to 2011) and appeared in *American Horror Story: Murder House* (2011) as Dr. Charles Montgomery. His most defining television role came in 2014 with Mike Judge's *Silicon Valley*, where he starred as Gavin Belson, the ruthless, spiritual guru obsessed CEO of tech conglomerate Hooli. His deadpan depiction of corporate hubris and tech industry absurdity was widely hailed by critics and tech insiders alike as one of the standout comedic performances of the decade. Parallel to acting, Ross has established himself as an accomplished auteur filmmaker. He made his feature film directorial debut with the indie relationship drama *28 Hotel Rooms* (2012), which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival. He followed this with the acclaimed drama *Captain Fantastic* (2016), starring Viggo Mortensen as an anarchic father raising his children off the grid in the Pacific Northwest wilderness. The film received universal critical praise, earning Ross the Best Director prize in the *Un Certain Regard* section at the Cannes Film Festival, alongside Academy Award and BAFTA nominations for Mortensen. On television, he also directed the Starz political thriller miniseries *Gaslit* (2022), starring Julia Roberts and Sean Penn. Balancing compelling character acting with thoughtful, award winning directing, he remains a distinctive and versatile creative force in American cinema and television.
Feature Films (20)
A wealthy New York investment banking executive hides his alternate psychopathic ego from his co-workers and friends as he escalates deeper into his illogical, gratuitous fantasies.
American Psycho
In order to foil a terrorist plot, an FBI agent undergoes facial transplant surgery and assumes the identity of a criminal mastermind. The plan turns sour when the criminal wakes up prematurely and seeks revenge.
Face/Off
The story of journalist Edward R. Murrow's stand against Senator Joseph McCarthy's anti-communist witch-hunts in the early 1950s.
Good Night, and Good Luck.
In 1962 New York City, love blossoms between a playboy journalist and a feminist advice author.
Down with Love
A pool shark takes the ultimate gamble when she kidnaps her own son and flees her ex-husband.
Turn the River
In the 1960's, a school teacher pretends to be a CIA spy to get his nagging wife off his back. He helps a Russian ballet dancer defect and is then sent to Cuba to locate "Agent X" for the CIA.
Company Man
A knight and his valet are plagued by a witch, and to repair the damage they make use of the services of a wizard. However, something goes wrong and they are transported from the 12th century to the year 2000. There the knight meets some of his family and slowly learns what this new century is like. However, he still needs to get back to the 12th century to deal with the witch, so he starts looking for a wizard. Remake of 1993 French film Les Visiteurs (The Visitors).
Just Visiting
Television & Series (18)
When death is your business, what is your life? For the Fisher family, the world outside of their family-owned funeral home continues to be at least as challenging as—and far less predictable than—the one inside.
Six Feet Under
The exploits of a group of men and women who serve the City of New York as police officers, firemen, and paramedics, all working the same fictional 55th precinct during the 3pm to 11pm shift - the 'Third Watch'.
Third Watch
An anthology horror drama series centering on different characters and locations, including a house with a murderous past, an asylum, a witch coven, a freak show, a hotel, a farmhouse in Roanoke, a cult, the apocalypse and a summer camp.
American Horror Story
Inspired by actual cases and experiences, Numb3rs depicts the confluence of police work and mathematics in solving crime as an FBI agent recruits his mathematical genius brother to help solve a wide range of challenging crimes in Los Angeles from a very different perspective.
Numb3rs
A Las Vegas team of forensic investigators are trained to solve criminal cases by scouring the crime scene, collecting irrefutable evidence and finding the missing pieces that solve the mystery.
