Matt Frewer
About
Biography
Filmography
Family & Companions
Biography
Tall, with thinning blond hair, Frewer, though classically-trained, is perhaps best known for his eccentric and zany characterizations, particularly "Max Headroom." Born in Washington, DC, raised in Canada and trained for the stage in England, he spent several years honing his craft in various UK stage productions, including "The Glass Menagerie," "A Comedy of Errors" and "Deathtrap." Frewer made his stage debut in "Bent," a drama about the treatment of homosexuals by the Nazis during the Holocaust and made his London stage debut in Israel Horowitz's drama "The Indian Wants the Bronx."
Frewer's TV debut was a bit role (American at the Bar) in the BBC miniseries adaptation of F Scott Fitzgerald's "Tender Is the Night" (1983; shown in the US on Showtime in 1985). His American debut was the 1984 NBC miniseries "The First Olympics--Athens 1896." Fame came with his casting as "Max Headroom" (1984) in a British TV-movie and subsequent series. Playing the dual role of journalist Edison Carter and the computer-generated Max, Frewer was able to play both dramatic scenes and to develop his smart-alecky, irreverent comic style. While attempts to duplicate the success of "Max Headroom" met with limited success in the US (a cable talk show on Cinemax and a short-lived series on ABC, both 1987), American TV viewers came to recognize the computer-generated figure primarily through a series of commercials for Coca-Cola. Frewer moved on to the series "Doctor, Doctor" (CBS, 1989-91) where his manic, sarcastic comic style flowered. Originally produced as a short-run 1989 summer series, the critical reaction prompted the network to return it to its schedule as a replacement in the fall of 1989. Although never a ratings success, "Doctor, Doctor" developed a cult audience and managed to eke out a two-year run. As Providence, RI physician Mike Stratford, Frewer made use of improvisation and exhibited a madcap wit, drawing comparisons with Robin Williams from many critics. A subsequent series, "Shaky Ground" (Fox, 1992-93), in which he played a sarcastic aerospace worker, failed to capture viewers. Other TV appearances have allowed Frewer to demonstrate his dramatic abilities. He has made guest appearances on various series ("St. Elsewhere," "Miami Vice") and was effective as Japanese historian Edwin O Rieschauer in the American Playhouse presentation "Long Shadow" (PBS, 1994), as an arsonist allied with the evil Flagg (Jamey Sheridan) in the 1994 ABC miniseries "The Stand," based on the Stephen King novel and as Alexander Haig in "Kissinger and Nixon" (TNT, 1995).
Frewer's film work has been of uneven quality. He made his feature acting debut as a cadet in "The Lords of Discipline" (1983) and followed with small roles in big screen disappointments like "Supergirl" (1984) and "Ishtar" (1987). He and Drew Barrymore (as his daughter) were trapped in a trailer park by a psychopath in the thriller "Far From Home" (1989). That same year, Frewer had one of his best screen roles to date as Big Russ Thompson, Rick Moranis' neighbor in Joe Johnston's "Honey, I Shrunk the Kids." He was one of the many characters who come into contact with "Twenty Bucks" (1993) and was noted for his comic energy in "National Lampoon's Senior Trip" and his nefarious computer genius in "Lawnmower Man 2: Beyond Cyberspace" (both 1995).
Filmography
Cast (Feature Film)
Cast (Special)
Cast (TV Mini-Series)
Life Events
1980
Made stage debut in "Bent" at Theatre Royal in York, England
1981
London stage debut, "The Indian Wants the Bronx"
1983
Made feature debut in a bit part in "The Lords of Discipline"
1983
Made TV debut in "Tender is the Night" (aired on Showtime in 1985)
1984
Played the title role in the British TV-movie and subsequent series "Max Headroom"
1985
Reprised role for "The Max Headroom Show" on Cinemax
1987
Hosted "The Original Max Talking Headroom Show" (Cinemax)
1987
Starred in short-lived U.S. version of "Max Headroom" (ABC)
1989
Cast as Dr. Mike Stratford on the CBS sitcom "Doctor, Doctor"
1989
Co-starred as the bullying next-door neighbor in "Honey I Shrunk the Kids"
1992
Starred on short-lived Fox sitcom "Shaky Ground"
1993
Voiced the title character for the syndicated animated series "The Pink Panther"
1994
Cast as Trashcan Man in the TV adaptation of Stephen King's "The Stand"
1995
Played Alexander Haig in the TNT movie "Kissinger and Nixon"
1995
Played the principal in "National Lampoon's Senior Trip"
1997
Provided the voice of Panic in the animated feature "Hercules"
1997
Cast in the Canadian series "Psi Factor: Chronicles of the Paranormal"
2000
Played Sherlock Holmes in the Odyssey Network's "The Hound of the Baskervilles"
2002
Portrayed Dr. Chet Wakeman in the Steven Spielberg-produced miniseries "Taken" (Sci Fi Channel)
2004
Starred in "Dawn of the Dead," a remake of the 1978 horror flick by George A. Romero
2004
Cast in Michael Cunningham's "A Home at the End of the World"
2006
Cast in the TV adaptation of Stephen King's "Desperation"
2006
Landed a recurring role on Sci Fi Channel's "Eureka"
2009
Cast as villain Moloch the Mystic in Zack Snyder's film adaptation of "Watchmen"
2009
Played the White Knight in the miniseries "Alice" (Syfy)
2010
Acted opposite Halle Berry in the biographical drama "Frankie & Alice"
2011
Cast opposite Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Seth Rogen in "50/50"
Family
Companions
