Matt Letscher

Matt Letscher
Born Matthew Letscher
(1970-06-26) June 26, 1970
Grosse Pointe, Michigan, U.S.
Alma mater University of Michigan
Occupation Actor, playwright
Years active 1993–present
Spouse(s) Jennifer Letscher
Children 2

Matthew "Matt" Letscher (born June 26, 1970) is an American actor and playwright, known for his roles as Captain Harrison Love in the 1998 American swashbuckler film The Mask of Zorro and as Colonel Adelbert Ames in the 2003 American film Gods and Generals. He co-starred in the 2016 Michael Bay film 13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi, playing Ambassador J. Christopher Stevens. He currently portrays Professor Eobard Thawne/Reverse-Flash in The Flash and Legends of Tomorrow.

Personal life

Letscher was born in Grosse Pointe, Michigan, the older brother to actor Brian Letscher. He attended college at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan, where he was a member of the Sigma Nu fraternity and a drama major.[1] He is married[2] with two children.[3]

Acting

Letscher got his first professional acting job with a role in Jeff Daniels' The Tropic Pickle, during the second season of Jeff Daniels' Purple Rose Theatre Company in Chelsea, Michigan. Letscher impressed Daniels enough that the veteran arranged a meeting for Letscher with Ron Maxwell, the director of Gettysburg. After appearing in a small role, Letscher took advice from Jeff Daniels and moved to Los Angeles. He quickly found work in guest roles on television.[3]

In 1995, Letscher was cast as the naive television writer in the Nancy Travis sitcom Almost Perfect, which lasted for a season and a half. He went on to appear as series regular in Living in Captivity in 1998. The same year, he appeared in the film The Mask of Zorro as Captain Harrison Love. He appeared in the miniseries Jackie, Ethel, Joan: Women of Camelot and in the television films King of Texas, The Beach Boys: An American Family, When Billie Beat Bobby, and Stolen Innocence. He also reunited with Daniels in Gods and Generals (the prequel of Gettysburg) and Daniels' directorial effort Super Sucker. Letscher also returned to The Purple Rose Theater in the world premiere of Landford Wilson's play Rain Dance.

In 2002, the comedy pilot Good Morning, Miami was picked up by NBC as part of Must See TV Thursday comedy block, but Burke Moses was replaced by Letscher and a second pilot had to be filmed. The romantic comedy sitcom featured Letscher as a smarmy former network anchor who was the primary romantic rival to main character Jake Silver (Mark Feuerstein) for the affection of Dylan (Ashley Williams).[4] Despite the series receiving negative reviews, Letscher and Constance Zimmer were standouts in the series and eventually paired up as a combative couple in the second season. The show was canceled midway though its second season due to low ratings.

His performance in Good Morning, Miami led to him being cast in the lead in the film Straight-Jacket, opposite Carrie Preston, about a gay Hollywood actor forced to marry a beard in the 1950s.[5] His flair for classical farce also led to him being cast in the leading role of Capt. Jack Absolute in the Lincoln Center theater production of Richard Brinsley Sheridan's The Rivals. Letscher was praised for his spirited performance and his costar Robert Easton referred to Letscher as "a perfect classical actor."[3]

Letscher was in the cast of Joey, and had a recurring role on The New Adventures of Old Christine and numerous guest starring roles. After appearing as a kind neighbor in Alan Ball's Towelhead, Letscher was cast in Eli Stone, as prophet Nathan Stone's kind-hearted older brother. Despite low ratings, the dramedy series had loyal fans and critical acclaim, earning it a second season which included a larger role for Letscher. His work on Greg Berlanti's Eli Stone lead to his arc on Berlanti's Brothers & Sisters as a love interest for the married Kitty Walker.

In 2012, Letscher starred in the series Bent and Scandal, and was cast in the series The Carrie Diaries as Tom Bradshaw, Carrie Bradshaw's widowed father, which premiered in 2013.[6][7] He appeared in the 2013 films, Atom Egoyan's Devil's Knot (about The West Memphis Three) and Spike Jonze's comedy Her, opposite Amy Adams.[8] Since 2015, Letscher has been portraying Professor Eobard Thawne/Reverse-Flash, initially in a recurring role during seasons one, two and three of The Flash and reprised his role as a series regular in season two of Legends of Tomorrow.[9]

Writing

In June 2007, Jeff Daniels' Purple Rose Theatre Company in Chelsea, Michigan, staged the world premiere of Letscher's original play Sea of Fools, a farce set in Joseph McCarthy-era Hollywood. Film director (and infamous HUAC name-giver) Elia Kazan is a character in the play. Daniels initially planned to direct the play but pulled out, allowing Letscher to also direct the play.

In 2009, his play Gaps in the Fossil Record was staged at the Pacific Resident Theater.

In 2010, he co-wrote (with Nipper Knapp and Andrew Newberg) and starred in the comedy pilot Gentrification, which won best writing at the Comedy Central New York Television Festival.

Filmography

Film
Year Film Role Notes
1993 Gettysburg Young 2nd Maine man
1994 Long Shadows Nathan Television film
1994 Not This Part of the World N/A
1995 Prehysteria! 3 Needlemeyer Direct-to-video
1995 Stolen Innocence Eddie Television film
1996 Power 98 Eddie Voice
1997 Lovelife Danny
1998 Mask of Zorro, TheThe Mask of Zorro Captain Harrison Love Nominated—Blockbuster Entertainment Award for Best Villain
2000 Beach Boys: An American Family, TheThe Beach Boys: An American Family Mike Love Television film
2000 John John in the Sky John Clairborne
2001 When Billie Beat Bobby Larry King Television film
2002 Super Sucker Howard Butterworth
2002 King of Texas Emmett Westover Television film
2003 Gods and Generals Colonel Adelbert Ames
2003 Identity Greg
2004 Straight-Jacket Guy Stone
2005 Madison Owen
2005 Heart of the Beholder Mike Howard
2007 Towelhead Gil Hines
2010 Radio Free Albemuth Mr. Brady
2010 Amish Grace Gideon Graber Television film
2013 Devil's Knot Paul Ford
2013 Her Charles
2014 Teacher of the Year Mitch Carter
2015 Day Out of Days Jason
2016 13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi Ambassador Chris Stevens
Television
Year Title Role Notes
1993 Saved by the Bell: The College Years Rick Episode: "Rush Week"
1994 Silk Stalkings Harley Eastlake Episode: "Head 'N' Tail"
1994 Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman Tom Jennings Episode: "Life and Death"
1994 Larry Sanders Show, TheThe Larry Sanders Show Daniel Palmer Episode: "The Fourteenth Floor"
1994 Ellen Steve Morgan Episode: "The Toast"
1995 Vanishing Son N/A Episode: "Holy Ghosts"
1995 Watcher, TheThe Watcher N/A Episode: "Heartburned"
1995 Silk Stalkings Jeff Chadwick Episode: "I Know What Scares You"
1995–1997 Almost Perfect Rob Paley Main cast; 34 episodes
1998 Living in Captivity Will Marek Main cast; 7 episodes
1999 NYPD Blue Witness Episode: "What's Up, Chuck?"
1999 Love, American Style Ned Episode: "Love in the Old South"
2001 Jackie, Ethel, Joan: The Women of Camelot Ted Kennedy Miniseries; 2 episodes
2002 Providence Kevin Norris 3 episodes
2002–2003 Good Morning, Miami Gavin Stone Main cast; 31 episodes
2004–2005 Joey Eric Garrett 5 episodes
2005 Criminal Minds Vincent Shyer Episode: "Broken Mirror"
2006–2007 New Adventures of Old Christine, TheThe New Adventures of Old Christine Burton Schaefer 5 episodes
2006 West Wing, TheThe West Wing Peter Blake Episode: "Welcome to Wherever You Are"
2006 Saved Robbie Cole Episode: "Family"
2006 Justice Will Bechtel Episode: "Shark Week"
2007 Boston Legal A.D.A Adam Mersel Episode: "Angel of Death"
2007 CSI Miami Dr. Mike Lasker Episode: "Broken Home"
2008–2009 Eli Stone Nathan Stone Main cast; 21 episodes
2009–2010 Brothers & Sisters Alec Tyler 5 episodes
2009 Entourage Dan Coakley 3 episodes
2009 Medium Dr. Erik Westphal Episode: "You Give Me Fever"
2010 Drop Dead Diva A.J. Fowler Episode: "Good Grief"
2011 Good Wife, TheThe Good Wife Adam Boras Episode: "Two Courts"
2011 Pound Puppies Hunky man, ticket seller, Ref Voice; episode: "Quintuplets"
2012 Bent Ben 5 episodes
2012–2013 Scandal Billy Chambers 8 episodes
2013–2014 Carrie Diaries, TheThe Carrie Diaries Tom Bradshaw Main cast; 26 episodes
2014 Boardwalk Empire Joseph P. Kennedy 4 episodes
2014–2015 Castle Henry Jenkins 3 episodes
2014 CSI: Crime Scene Investigation Major Bernard Mills Episode: "Angle of Attack"
2015 Exes, TheThe Exes Charles Hayward 2 episodes
2015–present Flash, TheThe Flash Professor Eobard Thawne / Reverse-Flash Recurring role
2016–present Legends of Tomorrow Main role; Season 2
Web
Year Title Role Notes
2009 Hustler, TheThe Hustler Dad Episode: "Piñata Hustler"
2014–2016 One & Done Matthew Main cast; 7 episodes
Also co-creator, writer, director, and producer
Video games
Year Title Role
2010 BioShock 2 Additional voices – Minerva's Den

Theater

As an actor
Year Play Role Theater/Company
1992 Tropical Pickle, TheThe Tropical Pickle Birmingham Purple Rose Theatre (regional)
1993 Seagull, TheThe Seagull Fountain Theater (regional)
1995 Sisters, TheThe Sisters David Turzin Fountain Theater (regional)
1997–1998 Proposals Ray Broadhurst Theater (Broadway)
1999 Absolution David Los Angeles Court Theater (regional)
2000 Love's Labour's Lost Berowne Old Globe Theater (regional)
2000 Tonight at 8:30 Toby Cartwright Pacific Resident Theater (regional)
2001 Rain Dance Hank Purple Rose Theatre (regional)
2002 On Approval George Pacific Resident Theater (regional)
2004–2005 Rivals, TheThe Rivals Captain Jack Absolute Lincoln Center (Broadway)
2006 Double Double Duncan Williamson Theater Festival (regional)
2006 Ridiculous Fraud Kap South Coast Repatory (regional)
2007 Anatol Anatol Pacific Resident Theater (regional), Los Angeles Drama Desk Award-Lead Performance
2008 What We Have Jonas South Coast Repatory (regional)
2010 In a Garden Hacket South Coast Repertory (regional)
2010 Language Archive, TheThe Language Archive George Roundabout Theater Company (Off-Broadway)
As a playwright
Year Play Theater/Company
2007 Sea of Fools Purple Rose Theater (regional)
2009 Gaps in the Fossil Record Pacific Resident Theatre (regional)

References

  1. ↑ "UM School of Music, Theatre & Dance - Department of Theatre & Drama - Alumni". Music.umich.edu. Retrieved 2014-01-07.
  2. ↑ "A Perfectly Scripted Opening Night for The Language Archive". Broadway.com. October 18, 2010. Retrieved February 19, 2014.
  3. 1 2 3 Hoffner, Josh (January 2, 2005). "Matt Letscher makes transition from Must See TV to theater". The Post and Courier. p. 2E. Retrieved February 19, 2014.
  4. ↑ Fall TV Preview Good Morning, Miami By Dave Karger | Sep 13, 2002 http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,348207,00.html
  5. ↑ Director's Comedy, DVD Straight-Jacket
  6. ↑ "The Carrie Diaries | About | Show Information". Cwtv.com. 2013-12-17. Retrieved 2014-01-07.
  7. ↑ Michael Ausiello (2012-05-11). "The Carrie Diaries, Arrow and Beauty and the Beast TV Shows Picked Up By The CW". TVLine. Retrieved 2014-01-07.
  8. ↑ Cast bio, http://www.cwtv.com/shows/the-carrie-diaries/cast/matt-letscher
  9. ↑ http://www.ew.com/article/2015/12/23/flash-matt-letscher-reverse-flash-return
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