Matthew Goode
Encyclopedia
Matthew William Goode is an English actor. His notable films have included Match Point
, Watchmen
, Brideshead Revisited
, Leap Year
, Imagine Me and You and A Single Man.
, Devon, England, Goode is the youngest child of five siblings (he has a brother, two half brothers, and a half sister, television presenter Sally Meen
, from his mother's other marriage). He grew up in the village of Clyst St. Mary in Devon with a geologist
father and a nurse mother, Jennifer, who was also an amateur theatre director.
Goode was educated at Exeter School
, an independent school
in the city of Exeter in Devon, followed by the University of Birmingham
and London's Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art
.
's character in the 2004 film Chasing Liberty
. Beforehand, Goode had played the brother of Inspector Lynley in the BBC production Inspector Lynley Mysteries: A Suitable Vengeance and had parts in the TV-movie Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister and the Shakespeare play The Tempest. In recent years he has appeared in the films Match Point
, Imagine Me & You
, My Family and Other Animals
, opposite Imelda Staunton
, Copying Beethoven, opposite Ed Harris
and Diane Kruger
, and The Lookout. Standing the test of time is his whimsical take on Brooke Burgess in the BBC serial based upon Anthony Trollope's He Knew He was Right.
Recent roles have included Charles Ryder in the 2008 film Brideshead Revisited
, the role previously taken by Jeremy Irons
in the hugely popular 1980s serial. In 2009, he played the character of Adrian Veidt in Zack Snyder
's Watchmen
, and also appeared in the drama A Single Man (2009) (based on the Christopher Isherwood
novel
). In 2010, he co-starred with Amy Adams
in the romantic-comedy Leap Year
. He is in talks to join the cast of Stoker
to be directed by Park Chan-wook
.
Match Point
Match Point is a 2005 dramatic thriller film written and directed by Woody Allen, and starring Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Scarlett Johansson, Emily Mortimer, Matthew Goode, Brian Cox and Penelope Wilton....
, Watchmen
Watchmen (film)
Watchmen is a 2009 superhero film directed by Zack Snyder and starring Malin Åkerman, Billy Crudup, Matthew Goode, Jackie Earle Haley, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, and Patrick Wilson. It is an adaptation of the comic book of the same name by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons...
, Brideshead Revisited
Brideshead Revisited (film)
Brideshead Revisited is a 2008 British drama film directed by Julian Jarrold. The screenplay by Jeremy Brock and Andrew Davies is based on the 1945 novel of the same name by Evelyn Waugh, which previously had been adapted in 1981 as an eleven-episode television serial.-Plot:Although he aspires to...
, Leap Year
Leap Year (2010 film)
Leap Year is a 2010 American romantic comedy film directed by Anand Tucker. The film, which is largely set in Ireland and stars Amy Adams and Matthew Goode, premiered in New York City on January 6, 2010.-Plot:...
, Imagine Me and You and A Single Man.
Early life
Born in ExeterExeter
Exeter is a historic city in Devon, England. It lies within the ceremonial county of Devon, of which it is the county town as well as the home of Devon County Council. Currently the administrative area has the status of a non-metropolitan district, and is therefore under the administration of the...
, Devon, England, Goode is the youngest child of five siblings (he has a brother, two half brothers, and a half sister, television presenter Sally Meen
Sally Meen
Sally Meen , is an English television presenter.Meen has a degree in Catering and Institutional Management, and latterly qualifications in Art and Design. Her TV career started out on TSW, before becoming a weather presenter on GMTV...
, from his mother's other marriage). He grew up in the village of Clyst St. Mary in Devon with a geologist
Geologist
A geologist is a scientist who studies the solid and liquid matter that constitutes the Earth as well as the processes and history that has shaped it. Geologists usually engage in studying geology. Geologists, studying more of an applied science than a theoretical one, must approach Geology using...
father and a nurse mother, Jennifer, who was also an amateur theatre director.
Goode was educated at Exeter School
Exeter School
Exeter School is a selective independent co-educational day school for pupils between the ages of 7 and 18 located in Exeter, Devon, England. In 2010 there were around 180 pupils in the Junior School and 670 in the Senior School...
, an independent school
Independent school
An independent school is a school that is independent in its finances and governance; it is not dependent upon national or local government for financing its operations, nor reliant on taxpayer contributions, and is instead funded by a combination of tuition charges, gifts, and in some cases the...
in the city of Exeter in Devon, followed by the University of Birmingham
University of Birmingham
The University of Birmingham is a British Redbrick university located in the city of Birmingham, England. It received its royal charter in 1900 as a successor to Birmingham Medical School and Mason Science College . Birmingham was the first Redbrick university to gain a charter and thus...
and London's Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art
Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art
The Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art, formerly the Webber Douglas School of Singing and Dramatic Art, was a drama school, and originally a singing school, in London. It was one of the leading drama schools in Britain, and offered comprehensive training for those intending to pursue a...
.
Career
Goode is known for his role as romantic interest of Mandy MooreMandy Moore
Amanda Leigh "Mandy" Moore is an American singer-songwriter, actress and fashion designer. Moore became famous as a teenager in the late 1990s, after the release of her teen pop albums So Real, I Wanna Be with You, and Mandy Moore. In 2007, she took an adult pop-folk direction with the release of...
's character in the 2004 film Chasing Liberty
Chasing Liberty
Chasing Liberty is a 2004 American romantic comedy film directed by Andy Cadiff, and starring Mandy Moore and Matthew Goode.-Plot:Anna Foster is the daughter of President James Foster and First Lady Michelle Foster . After Secret Service agents ruin a first date, Anna demands some freedom...
. Beforehand, Goode had played the brother of Inspector Lynley in the BBC production Inspector Lynley Mysteries: A Suitable Vengeance and had parts in the TV-movie Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister and the Shakespeare play The Tempest. In recent years he has appeared in the films Match Point
Match Point
Match Point is a 2005 dramatic thriller film written and directed by Woody Allen, and starring Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Scarlett Johansson, Emily Mortimer, Matthew Goode, Brian Cox and Penelope Wilton....
, Imagine Me & You
Imagine Me & You
Imagine Me & You is a 2005 British-American comedy-romance film written and directed by Ol Parker. It centres on the relationship between Rachel, played by Piper Perabo and Luce, played by Lena Headey, who meet on Rachel's wedding day. The movie takes its title from a line in the song "Happy...
, My Family and Other Animals
My Family and Other Animals (film)
My Family And Other Animals is a 2005 film written by Simon Nye and directed by Sheree Folkson. The film is based on the autobiographical book of the same title written by Gerald Durrell, in which he describes a series of anecdotes relating to his family's stay on Corfu from 1935–1939, when he was...
, opposite Imelda Staunton
Imelda Staunton
Imelda Mary Philomena Bernadette Staunton, OBE is an English actress. She is perhaps best known for her performances in the British comedy television series Up the Garden Path, the Harry Potter film series and Vera Drake...
, Copying Beethoven, opposite Ed Harris
Ed Harris
Edward Allen "Ed" Harris is an American actor, writer, and director, known for his performances in Appaloosa, Radio, The Rock, The Abyss, Apollo 13, A Beautiful Mind, A History of Violence, and The Truman Show. Harris has also narrated commercials for The Home Depot and other companies...
and Diane Kruger
Diane Kruger
Diane Kruger is a German actress and former fashion model. She is known for roles such as Helen in Troy, Dr. Abigail Chase in National Treasure and its sequel, Bridget von Hammersmark in Inglourious Basterds, Anna in Mr...
, and The Lookout. Standing the test of time is his whimsical take on Brooke Burgess in the BBC serial based upon Anthony Trollope's He Knew He was Right.
Recent roles have included Charles Ryder in the 2008 film Brideshead Revisited
Brideshead Revisited (film)
Brideshead Revisited is a 2008 British drama film directed by Julian Jarrold. The screenplay by Jeremy Brock and Andrew Davies is based on the 1945 novel of the same name by Evelyn Waugh, which previously had been adapted in 1981 as an eleven-episode television serial.-Plot:Although he aspires to...
, the role previously taken by Jeremy Irons
Jeremy Irons
Jeremy John Irons is an English actor. After receiving classical training at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School, Irons began his acting career on stage in 1969, and has since appeared in many London theatre productions including The Winter's Tale, Macbeth, Much Ado About Nothing, The Taming of the...
in the hugely popular 1980s serial. In 2009, he played the character of Adrian Veidt in Zack Snyder
Zack Snyder
Zachary Edward "Zack" Snyder is an American actor, film director, screenwriter, and producer. After making his feature film debut with the 2004 remake Dawn of the Dead, he gained wide recognition with the 2007 box office hit 300, adapted from writer-artist Frank Miller's Dark Horse Comics...
's Watchmen
Watchmen (film)
Watchmen is a 2009 superhero film directed by Zack Snyder and starring Malin Åkerman, Billy Crudup, Matthew Goode, Jackie Earle Haley, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, and Patrick Wilson. It is an adaptation of the comic book of the same name by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons...
, and also appeared in the drama A Single Man (2009) (based on the Christopher Isherwood
Christopher Isherwood
Christopher William Bradshaw Isherwood was an English-American novelist.-Early life and work:Born at Wyberslegh Hall, High Lane, Cheshire in North West England, Isherwood spent his childhood in various towns where his father, a Lieutenant-Colonel in the British Army, was stationed...
novel
A Single Man (novel)
A Single Man is a 1964 novel by Christopher Isherwood.Set in Southern California during 1962, it depicts one day in the life of George, a middle-aged, gay Englishman who is a professor at a Los Angeles university....
). In 2010, he co-starred with Amy Adams
Amy Adams
Amy Lou Adams is an American actress and singer. Adams began her performing career on stage in dinner theaters before making her screen debut in the 1999 black comedy film Drop Dead Gorgeous...
in the romantic-comedy Leap Year
Leap Year (2010 film)
Leap Year is a 2010 American romantic comedy film directed by Anand Tucker. The film, which is largely set in Ireland and stars Amy Adams and Matthew Goode, premiered in New York City on January 6, 2010.-Plot:...
. He is in talks to join the cast of Stoker
Stoker (film)
Stoker is an upcoming 2012 drama film directed by Park Chan-wook and written by Wentworth Miller. It stars Mia Wasikowska, Nicole Kidman, and Matthew Goode.-Cast:*Mia Wasikowska as India Stoker*Nicole Kidman as Evelyn Stoker...
to be directed by Park Chan-wook
Park Chan-wook
Park Chan-wook is a South Korean film director, screenwriter, producer, and former film critic. One of the most acclaimed and popular filmmakers in his native country, Park is most known for his films Joint Security Area, Thirst and what has become known as The Vengeance Trilogy, consisting of...
.
Personal life
Goode and his longtime girlfriend, Sophie Dymoke, became parents in March 2009, when Dymoke gave birth to their daughter, Matilda Eve.Filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister is a novel by Gregory Maguire, retelling the tale of Cinderella through the eyes of one of her "ugly stepsisters." In 2002, the book was adapted into a TV movie of the same name, directed by Gavin Millar.-Plot:... |
Caspar | Television film |
| 2003 | Al sur de Granada Al sur de Granada Al sur de Granada is a 2003 film written and directed by Fernando Colomo, based on the book by Gerald Brenan... (South of Granada) |
Gerald Brenan Gerald Brenan Edward FitzGerald "Gerald" Brenan, CBE was a British writer and Hispanist who spent much of his life in Spain.He is best known for The Spanish Labyrinth, a historical work on the background to the Spanish Civil War, and for South from Granada: Seven Years in an Andalusian Village... |
|
| 2004 | Chasing Liberty Chasing Liberty Chasing Liberty is a 2004 American romantic comedy film directed by Andy Cadiff, and starring Mandy Moore and Matthew Goode.-Plot:Anna Foster is the daughter of President James Foster and First Lady Michelle Foster . After Secret Service agents ruin a first date, Anna demands some freedom... |
Ben Calder | |
| 2005 | Match Point Match Point Match Point is a 2005 dramatic thriller film written and directed by Woody Allen, and starring Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Scarlett Johansson, Emily Mortimer, Matthew Goode, Brian Cox and Penelope Wilton.... |
Tom Hewett | |
| 2005 | My Family and Other Animals My Family and Other Animals (film) My Family And Other Animals is a 2005 film written by Simon Nye and directed by Sheree Folkson. The film is based on the autobiographical book of the same title written by Gerald Durrell, in which he describes a series of anecdotes relating to his family's stay on Corfu from 1935–1939, when he was... |
Larry Durrell | Television film |
| 2006 | Imagine Me & You Imagine Me & You Imagine Me & You is a 2005 British-American comedy-romance film written and directed by Ol Parker. It centres on the relationship between Rachel, played by Piper Perabo and Luce, played by Lena Headey, who meet on Rachel's wedding day. The movie takes its title from a line in the song "Happy... |
Hector | |
| 2006 | Copying Beethoven | Martin Bauer | |
| 2007 | Gary Spargo | ||
| 2008 | Brideshead Revisited Brideshead Revisited (film) Brideshead Revisited is a 2008 British drama film directed by Julian Jarrold. The screenplay by Jeremy Brock and Andrew Davies is based on the 1945 novel of the same name by Evelyn Waugh, which previously had been adapted in 1981 as an eleven-episode television serial.-Plot:Although he aspires to... |
Charles Ryder | |
| 2009 | Watchmen Watchmen (film) Watchmen is a 2009 superhero film directed by Zack Snyder and starring Malin Åkerman, Billy Crudup, Matthew Goode, Jackie Earle Haley, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, and Patrick Wilson. It is an adaptation of the comic book of the same name by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons... |
Adrian Veidt/Ozymandias Ozymandias (comics) Ozymandias , is a fictional character and the main antagonist appearing in the comic book limited series Watchmen by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons, published by DC Comics. Named Ozymandias in the manner of Ramesses II, he is a modified version of the comic book character Thunderbolt from Charlton... |
|
| 2009 | Jim | ||
| 2010 | Leap Year Leap Year (2010 film) Leap Year is a 2010 American romantic comedy film directed by Anand Tucker. The film, which is largely set in Ireland and stars Amy Adams and Matthew Goode, premiered in New York City on January 6, 2010.-Plot:... |
Declan | |
| 2010 | Cemetery Junction Cemetery Junction (film) Cemetery Junction is a coming-of-age comedy-drama film written and directed by Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant. The film was released in the United Kingdom on 14 April 2010.-Plot:... |
Mike Ramsay | |
| 2011 | Burning Man | Tom | |
| 2012 | Stoker Stoker (film) Stoker is an upcoming 2012 drama film directed by Park Chan-wook and written by Wentworth Miller. It stars Mia Wasikowska, Nicole Kidman, and Matthew Goode.-Cast:*Mia Wasikowska as India Stoker*Nicole Kidman as Evelyn Stoker... |
Uncle Charlie |
Interviews
- News Week interview (21 April 2006)
- Sydney Morning Herald interview (1 March 2006)
- Sunday Herald interview (1 January 2006)
- USA Today interview (8 January 2004)
- LOVEFiLM Blog Matthew Goode at the London Film Festival screening of A Single Man (Oct 2009)