Matthew Ferguson
Encyclopedia
Matthew Ferguson is an actor born on 3 April 1973 in Toronto
, Ontario
, Canada
. He graduated from the Claude Watson School for the Performing Arts.
nomination as Best Featured Actor, then on screen as Simon Henderson in On My Own.
He is best known as "Birkoff" from the TV series La Femme Nikita (1997–2001).
His roles in movies such as Love and Human Remains
(1993), Eclipse (1994) and Lilies
(1996) gave him nominations at the Genie Award
s in the 1990s.
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. He graduated from the Claude Watson School for the Performing Arts.
Performances
Ferguson made his debut in theatre as "Morgan Moreen" in Geometry in Venice (1989), which garnered him a Dora Mavor Moore AwardDora Mavor Moore Award
The Dora Mavor Moore Award is an award presented annually by the Toronto Alliance for the Performing Arts which honours theatre, dance, and opera productions in Toronto. Named after Dora Mavor Moore, who helped establish Canadian professional theatre, the award was established on December 13, 1978...
nomination as Best Featured Actor, then on screen as Simon Henderson in On My Own.
He is best known as "Birkoff" from the TV series La Femme Nikita (1997–2001).
His roles in movies such as Love and Human Remains
Love and Human Remains
Love and Human Remains is a 1993 Canadian film directed by Denys Arcand and based on Brad Fraser's stage play Unidentified Human Remains and the True Nature of Love. Fraser also wrote the screenplay for the film adaptation...
(1993), Eclipse (1994) and Lilies
Lilies (film)
Lilies is a 1996 Canadian film directed by John Greyson. It is an adaptation by Michel Marc Bouchard and Linda Gaboriau of Bouchard's own play Les feluettes. It depicts a play being performed in a prison by the inmates.-Expository narration:...
(1996) gave him nominations at the Genie Award
Genie Award
Genie Awards are given out to recognize the best of Canadian cinema by the Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television. From 1949-1979, the awards were named the Canadian Film Awards...
s in the 1990s.
Filmography
- On My Own (1992) as Simon Henderson
- Love and Human RemainsLove and Human RemainsLove and Human Remains is a 1993 Canadian film directed by Denys Arcand and based on Brad Fraser's stage play Unidentified Human Remains and the True Nature of Love. Fraser also wrote the screenplay for the film adaptation...
(1993) as Kane - I Love a Man in UniformI Love a Man in Uniform (film)I Love a Man in Uniform is a Canadian film, directed by David Wellington and released in 1993.-Plot:The film, a dark psychological drama, stars Tom McCamus as Henry Adler, a bank employee and struggling actor who finally gets his big break, being cast as a police officer in a television series...
(1993) as Edward Nichols - The Club (1994) as Darren Spenser
- Life with BillyLife with BillyLife with Billy is a 1994 Canadian television film based on the non-fiction book of the same name by Brian Vallée. The film was nominated for five Gemini Awards, and won three....
(1994) as Allan Whynot - Lives of Girls and WomenLives of Girls and WomenLives of Girls and Women is a short story cycle by Alice Munro, published by McGraw-Hill Ryerson in 1971. All of the stories chronicle the life of a single character, Del Jordan, and the book has been characterized as a novel by some critics as a result....
(1994) as Jerry Storey - Spenser: Pale Kings and Princes (1994)
- Billy MadisonBilly MadisonBilly Madison is a 1995 American comedy film directed by Tamra Davis and starring Adam Sandler, in the title role, Bradley Whitford, Bridgette Wilson, Norm Macdonald and Darren McGavin. The film was written by Sandler and Tim Herlihy, and produced by Universal Studios. It made over $25.5 million...
(1995) as Tenth Grader - Eclipse (1994) as Angelo
- Harrison BergeronHarrison Bergeron (film)Harrison Bergeron is a 1995 cable television movie film loosely adapted from Kurt Vonnegut's 1961 short story of the same name. It was produced for Showtime, and first screened on August 13, 1995.-Premise:...
(1995) as Garth Bergeron - The Deliverance of Elaine (1996)
- LiliesLilies (film)Lilies is a 1996 Canadian film directed by John Greyson. It is an adaptation by Michel Marc Bouchard and Linda Gaboriau of Bouchard's own play Les feluettes. It depicts a play being performed in a prison by the inmates.-Expository narration:...
(1996) as Young Bilodeau - The English PatientThe English Patient (film)The English Patient is a 1996 romantic drama film based on the novel of the same name by Sri Lankan-Canadian writer Michael Ondaatje. The film, written for the screen and directed by Anthony Minghella, won nine Academy Awards, including Best Picture...
(1996) as Young Canadian Soldier - UncutUncut (film)Un©ut is a Canadian docudrama film, released in 1997. The film was written and directed by John Greyson.Set in Ottawa in 1979, the film stars Matthew Ferguson as Peter Cort, a researcher writing a book on male circumcision, and Michael Achtman as Peter Koosens, his assistant who has a sexual...
(1997) as Peter Cort - The Wall as (1998) Buelton
- Giving Up the Ghost (1998) as Matthew 'Bulldog' Phelps
- I Shout Love (2001) as Bobby
- Cube 2: HypercubeCube 2: HypercubeCube 2: Hypercube is a 2003 Canadian psychological thriller/horror film film and the sequel to the psychological thriller/horror film Cube. Released in 2002, Cube 2: Hypercube had a bigger budget than its predecessor, and a new director, Andrzej Sekuła...
(2002) as Max Reisler - Three and a Half (2002) as Sasha the Director
- Owning MahownyOwning MahownyOwning Mahowny is a 2003 movie about gambling addiction with a cast that includes Philip Seymour Hoffman, Minnie Driver, Maury Chaykin and John Hurt.-Plot:...
(2003) as Martin
TV
- Street LegalStreet Legal (TV series)Street Legal is a Canadian television series, which aired on CBC Television from 1987 to 1994.-Synopsis:A spinoff from the 1985 television movie Shellgame, Street Legal focused on the professional and private lives of the partners in a small Toronto, Ontario law firm, Barr, Robinovitch and Tchobanian...
(1992) as Mark (2 episodes) - La Femme Nikita (1997–2001) as Seymour Birkoff/Jason Crawford (90 episodes)
- An American in CanadaAn American in CanadaAn American in Canada is a Canadian television sitcom that aired on CBC.The show starred Rick Roberts as Jake Crewe, an American television news host who was forced, after beating up his station manager, to accept a job in Calgary, Alberta as the host of the lowest-rated morning news program in the...
(2002–2004) as Derrick (5 episodes) - Odd Job JackOdd Job JackOdd Job Jack was a Canadian animated comedy television show featuring Don McKellar, about one man's misadventures in temporary employment. Seen on and produced for the The Comedy Network, a cable specialty channel, and shown on Adult Swim in Latin America, the show is currently finished its...
(2003–2007) as Bobby Lee (voice) (52 episodes)
Selected bibliography
- Heyn, Christopher. "A Conversation with Matthew Ferguson." Inside Section One: Creating and Producing TV's La Femme Nikita. Introduction by Peta Wilson. Los Angeles: Persistence of Vision Press, 2006. 94-99. ISBN 0-9787625-0-9. In-depth conversation with Matthew Ferguson about his role as Birkoff on La Femme Nikita, as well as his early acting experiences.
Nominations
- 1998 - Gemini AwardGemini AwardThe Gemini Awards are annual television broadcasting industry awards in Canada.First awarded in 1986, the Geminis celebrate the achievements of TV members of the Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television. Essentially, it presents awards for the best television productions in Canada. Awards are...
s: Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Supporting Role in a Dramatic Series for La Femme Nikita - 1996 - 17th Genie Awards17th Genie AwardsThe 17th Genie Awards were held on November 27, 1996, to honour films released in late 1995 and 1996. They were the second Genie Award ceremony held in that year; the 16th Genie Awards were delayed from the fall of 1995 and took place in January 1996 instead.-Best Motion Picture:*Lilies, Robin...
: Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role for Lilies - 1996 - 16th Genie Awards16th Genie AwardsThe 16th Genie Awards were held on January 14, 1996, to honour films released in 1995. The ceremony took place in Montreal, at Société Radio-Canada's Studio 42....
: Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role for Eclipse - 1994 - 15th Genie Awards15th Genie Awards-Best Motion Picture:*Exotica, Atom Egoyan and Camelia Frieberg, producers*Double Happiness, Rose Lam Waddell and Stephen Hegyes, producers*Louis 19, le roi des ondes, Jacques Dorfmann and Richard Sadler, producers...
: Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role for Love and Human Remains - 1993 - Australian Film InstituteAustralian Film Institute AwardsThe Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts Award, known as the AACTA Award , is an accolade presented annually by the Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts . The awards recognize excellence of professionals in the film industry and television industry, including directors,...
: Best Actor in a Leading Role for On My Own