Matthew Laborteaux
Encyclopedia
Matthew Laborteaux is an American
actor
who has starred in television and film. He is perhaps best known for portraying the character Albert Quinn Ingalls
on the hit NBC
series
Little House on the Prairie
from 1976 to 1983.
, to a casting call. He shortly thereafter landed his first dramatic role in A Woman Under the Influence
, where he played one of Peter Falk
and Gena Rowlands
' children.
Aside from his tenure on Little House on the Prairie, Laborteaux also starred in the short-lived television series The Red Hand Gang
(1977) and Whiz Kids
(1983), in addition to several made-for-television movies.
Laborteaux's most prominent film role was in the 1986 Wes Craven
feature Deadly Friend
as Paul Conway, a young genius who resurrects a dead girl using an artificial intelligence
microchip
from a robot
he created that had previously been destroyed by a malicious neighbor.
During his most active years, Laborteaux made guest appearances on numerous television shows, including The Bob Newhart Show
, Lou Grant, Here's Boomer
(spin-off
of The Red Hand Gang), The Love Boat
, Simon and Simon (crossover
episode with Whiz Kids), Highway to Heaven
, Night Court
, and Silk Stalkings
.
Most recently, Laborteaux has worked as a voice actor
, providing characterizations in video games and animated
features, and additional dialogue recording in film and television.
son of Ronald Labyorteaux, an interior designer, and actress Frances Marshall. He is the younger brother of Patrick Labyorteaux
, himself adopted, and Jane Laborteaux, both of whom are actors in their own right. Laborteaux was born with a congenital heart defect
, which eventually healed on its own, and also exhibited symptoms of a developmental disorder
, most likely autism
, in his early years.
In 1992, Laborteaux and his brother founded the Youth Rescue Fund (currently partnered with Los Angeles Youth Supportive Services), a charity organization that assists young people in crisis, and they have since engaged in fundraising
for youth shelters
across the U.S.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
who has starred in television and film. He is perhaps best known for portraying the character Albert Quinn Ingalls
Albert Quinn Ingalls
Albert Quinn Ingalls was a character on the U.S. television series, Little House On The Prairie. The role, which was not historically a part of the Little House on the Prairie books by Laura Ingalls Wilder, was played by actor Matthew Laborteaux....
on the hit NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
series
Television program
A television program , also called television show, is a segment of content which is intended to be broadcast on television. It may be a one-time production or part of a periodically recurring series...
Little House on the Prairie
Little House on the Prairie (TV series)
Little House on the Prairie is an American Western drama television series, starring Michael Landon and Melissa Gilbert, about a family living on a farm in Walnut Grove, Minnesota, in the 1870s and 1880s. The show was an adaptation of Laura Ingalls Wilder's best-selling series of Little House books...
from 1976 to 1983.
Career
Matthew Laborteaux began working in commercials at the age of seven, having been discovered while accompanying his older brother, Patrick LabyorteauxPatrick Labyorteaux
Patrick Labyorteaux is an American actor. He is best known for his roles of Andrew Garvey on the NBC series Little House on the Prairie as well as Bud Roberts on the hit CBS series JAG.-Life and career:...
, to a casting call. He shortly thereafter landed his first dramatic role in A Woman Under the Influence
A Woman Under the Influence
A Woman Under the Influence is a 1974 American drama film written and directed by John Cassavetes. It focuses on a woman whose psychotic behavior leads her husband to commit her for psychiatric treatment and the effect this has on their family. It received two Academy Award nominations for Best...
, where he played one of Peter Falk
Peter Falk
Peter Michael Falk was an American actor, best known for his role as Lieutenant Columbo in the television series Columbo...
and Gena Rowlands
Gena Rowlands
Gena Rowlands is an American actress of film, stage and television. The four-time Emmy and two-time Golden Globe winner is best known for her collaborations with her actor-director husband John Cassavetes in ten films, in two of which, Gloria and A Woman Under the Influence, she gave Academy...
' children.
Aside from his tenure on Little House on the Prairie, Laborteaux also starred in the short-lived television series The Red Hand Gang
The Red Hand Gang
The Red Hand Gang is an American live-action Saturday morning television series on NBC, first broadcast in 1977. The show featured five crime-solving pre-teens and their dog, who lived in the inner city...
(1977) and Whiz Kids
Whiz Kids (TV series)
Whiz Kids is an American action/adventure television series which aired on CBS for one season during the 1983-1984 television season. The show follows the adventures of a group of four teenagers — Richie, Alice, Hamilton and Jeremy — who are amateur computer experts and detectives...
(1983), in addition to several made-for-television movies.
Laborteaux's most prominent film role was in the 1986 Wes Craven
Wes Craven
Wesley Earl "Wes" Craven is an American actor, film director, writer, producer, perhaps best known as the director of many horror films, particularly slasher films, including the famed A Nightmare on Elm Street and Wes Craven's New Nightmare, featuring the iconic Freddy Krueger character, the...
feature Deadly Friend
Deadly Friend
Deadly Friend is a 1986 science fiction horror film directed by Wes Craven. It is based on the novel entitled Friend by Diana Henstell, which was adapted for the screen by Bruce Joel Rubin.-Plot:...
as Paul Conway, a young genius who resurrects a dead girl using an artificial intelligence
Artificial intelligence
Artificial intelligence is the intelligence of machines and the branch of computer science that aims to create it. AI textbooks define the field as "the study and design of intelligent agents" where an intelligent agent is a system that perceives its environment and takes actions that maximize its...
microchip
Microchip
Microchip can also refer to:* Integrated circuit, a set of electronic components on a single unit.* Microchip Technology, a company that makes popular 8, 16 and 32-bit microcontroller lines.* Microchip implant , a microchip implanted into animals....
from a robot
Robot
A robot is a mechanical or virtual intelligent agent that can perform tasks automatically or with guidance, typically by remote control. In practice a robot is usually an electro-mechanical machine that is guided by computer and electronic programming. Robots can be autonomous, semi-autonomous or...
he created that had previously been destroyed by a malicious neighbor.
During his most active years, Laborteaux made guest appearances on numerous television shows, including The Bob Newhart Show
The Bob Newhart Show
The Bob Newhart Show is an American situation comedy produced by MTM Enterprises, which aired 142 original episodes on CBS from September 16, , to April 1, . Comedian Bob Newhart portrayed a psychologist having to deal with his patients and fellow office workers...
, Lou Grant, Here's Boomer
Here's Boomer
Here's Boomer is an American adventure/drama series produced by Paramount that aired on the NBC beginning in March 1980. A television movie called A Christmas for Boomer aired on December 6, 1979 and served as the pilot. The show ran for two seasons, ending its run in August 1982...
(spin-off
Spin-off (media)
In media, a spin-off is a radio program, television program, video game, or any narrative work, derived from one or more already existing works, that focuses, in particular, in more detail on one aspect of that original work...
of The Red Hand Gang), The Love Boat
The Love Boat
The Love Boat is an American television series set on a cruise ship, which aired on the ABC Television Network from September 24,1977, until May 24,1986.The show starred Gavin MacLeod as the ship's captain...
, Simon and Simon (crossover
Fictional crossover
A fictional crossover is the placement of two or more otherwise discrete fictional characters, settings, or universes into the context of a single story. They can arise from legal agreements between the relevant copyright holders, or because of unauthorized efforts by fans, or even amid common...
episode with Whiz Kids), Highway to Heaven
Highway to Heaven
Highway to Heaven is an American television drama series which ran on NBC from 1984 to 1989.- Season 1 :- Season 2 :- Season 3 :- Season 4 :- Season 5 :...
, Night Court
Night Court
Night Court is an American television situation comedy that aired on NBC from January 4, 1984, to May 20, 1992. The setting was the night shift of a Manhattan court, presided over by the young, unorthodox Judge Harold T. "Harry" Stone...
, and Silk Stalkings
Silk Stalkings
Silk Stalkings is a TV crime drama originally shown on CBS in 1991 as part of the network's late-night Crimetime After Primetime programming package, and rebroadcast on the USA Network. After CBS ended the Crimetime experiment in 1993, the series ran exclusively on USA until its finale in the...
.
Most recently, Laborteaux has worked as a voice actor
Voice acting
Voice acting is the art of providing voices for animated characters and radio and audio dramas and comedy, as well as doing voice-overs in radio and television commercials, audio dramas, dubbed foreign language films, video games, puppet shows, and amusement rides.Performers are called...
, providing characterizations in video games and animated
Animation
Animation is the rapid display of a sequence of images of 2-D or 3-D artwork or model positions in order to create an illusion of movement. The effect is an optical illusion of motion due to the phenomenon of persistence of vision, and can be created and demonstrated in several ways...
features, and additional dialogue recording in film and television.
Personal life
Matthew Laborteaux is the adoptiveAdoption
Adoption is a process whereby a person assumes the parenting for another and, in so doing, permanently transfers all rights and responsibilities from the original parent or parents...
son of Ronald Labyorteaux, an interior designer, and actress Frances Marshall. He is the younger brother of Patrick Labyorteaux
Patrick Labyorteaux
Patrick Labyorteaux is an American actor. He is best known for his roles of Andrew Garvey on the NBC series Little House on the Prairie as well as Bud Roberts on the hit CBS series JAG.-Life and career:...
, himself adopted, and Jane Laborteaux, both of whom are actors in their own right. Laborteaux was born with a congenital heart defect
Congenital heart defect
A congenital heart defect is a defect in the structure of the heart and great vessels which is present at birth. Many types of heart defects exist, most of which either obstruct blood flow in the heart or vessels near it, or cause blood to flow through the heart in an abnormal pattern. Other...
, which eventually healed on its own, and also exhibited symptoms of a developmental disorder
Pervasive developmental disorder
Pervasive developmental disorders is a diagnostic category refers to a group of disorders characterized by delays or impairments in communication, social behaviors, and cognitive development.Pervasive developmental disorders include Autism, Asperger's syndrome, Rett's syndrome, Childhood...
, most likely autism
Autism
Autism is a disorder of neural development characterized by impaired social interaction and communication, and by restricted and repetitive behavior. These signs all begin before a child is three years old. Autism affects information processing in the brain by altering how nerve cells and their...
, in his early years.
In 1992, Laborteaux and his brother founded the Youth Rescue Fund (currently partnered with Los Angeles Youth Supportive Services), a charity organization that assists young people in crisis, and they have since engaged in fundraising
Fundraising
Fundraising or fund raising is the process of soliciting and gathering voluntary contributions as money or other resources, by requesting donations from individuals, businesses, charitable foundations, or governmental agencies...
for youth shelters
Emergency shelter
Emergency shelters are places for people to live temporarily when they can't live in their previous residence, similar to homeless shelters. The main difference is that an emergency shelter typically specializes in people fleeing a specific type of situation, such as natural or man-made disasters,...
across the U.S.
Selected filmography
| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1974 | A Woman Under the Influence A Woman Under the Influence A Woman Under the Influence is a 1974 American drama film written and directed by John Cassavetes. It focuses on a woman whose psychotic behavior leads her husband to commit her for psychiatric treatment and the effect this has on their family. It received two Academy Award nominations for Best... |
Angelo Longhetti | Feature film Feature film In the film industry, a feature film is a film production made for initial distribution in theaters and being the main attraction of the screening, rather than a short film screened before it; a full length movie... . |
| 1976 | Little House on the Prairie Little House on the Prairie (TV series) Little House on the Prairie is an American Western drama television series, starring Michael Landon and Melissa Gilbert, about a family living on a farm in Walnut Grove, Minnesota, in the 1870s and 1880s. The show was an adaptation of Laura Ingalls Wilder's best-selling series of Little House books... |
Albert Quinn Ingalls Albert Quinn Ingalls Albert Quinn Ingalls was a character on the U.S. television series, Little House On The Prairie. The role, which was not historically a part of the Little House on the Prairie books by Laura Ingalls Wilder, was played by actor Matthew Laborteaux.... |
Television series Television program A television program , also called television show, is a segment of content which is intended to be broadcast on television. It may be a one-time production or part of a periodically recurring series... ; featured in 89 episodes from 1976-1983. Nominated - Young Artist Award for Best Young Actor in a Drama Series, 1983 and 1984. |
| 1976 | NBC Special Treat Special Treat Special Treat is an occasional series of specials on NBC that were geared toward teenagers, similar to ABC's Afterschool Special. It debuted in 1975 and ran through the 1985 - 86 season.-See also:* ABC Afterschool Special... |
Billy | Television series; first season episode "Papa and Me". |
| 1977 | A Circle of Children | Brian O'Connell | Made-for-television feature. |
| 1977 | The Red Hand Gang The Red Hand Gang The Red Hand Gang is an American live-action Saturday morning television series on NBC, first broadcast in 1977. The show featured five crime-solving pre-teens and their dog, who lived in the inner city... |
Frankie | Television series (1 season, 12 episodes). |
| 1977 | Tarantulas: The Deadly Cargo Tarantulas: The Deadly Cargo Tarantulas: The Deadly Cargo is a 1977 television horror film directed by Stuart Hagmann. The production stars Claude Akins, Charles Frank and Deborah Winters. Matthew Laborteaux and Pat Hingle costar... |
Matthew Beck | Made-for-television feature. |
| 1978 | King of the Gypsies King of the Gypsies (film) King of the Gypsies is a 1978 Paramount motion picture drama starringEric Roberts, Sterling Hayden, Shelley Winters, Susan Sarandon, Brooke Shields, Annette O'Toole, and Judd Hirsch.... |
Middle Dave | Feature film. |
| 1979 | The Little House Years | Albert Ingalls | Television series special episode. |
| 1983 | Little House: Look Back to Yesterday | Albert Ingalls | Made-for-television feature. |
| 1983 | Whiz Kids Whiz Kids (TV series) Whiz Kids is an American action/adventure television series which aired on CBS for one season during the 1983-1984 television season. The show follows the adventures of a group of four teenagers — Richie, Alice, Hamilton and Jeremy — who are amateur computer experts and detectives... |
Richie Adler | Television series (1 season, 18 episodes). Nominated - Young Artist Award for Best Young Actor in a New Television Series, 1984. |
| 1985 | Amazing Stories Amazing Stories (TV series) Amazing Stories is a fantasy, horror, and science fiction television anthology series created by Steven Spielberg. It ran on NBC from 1985 to 1987, and was somewhat erratically screened in Britain by BBC1 and BBC2 - billed in the Radio Times as "Steven Spielberg's Amazing Stories" - with episodes... |
Andy | Television series; first season episode "Fine Tuning". |
| 1986 | Shattered Spirits Shattered Spirits Shattered Spirits is a 1986 movie starring Martin Sheen. Sheen plays an alcoholic father who loses his family.... |
Ken Mollencamp | Made-for-television feature. |
| 1986 | Deadly Friend Deadly Friend Deadly Friend is a 1986 science fiction horror film directed by Wes Craven. It is based on the novel entitled Friend by Diana Henstell, which was adapted for the screen by Bruce Joel Rubin.-Plot:... |
Paul Conway | Feature film. |
| 1991 | The Last to Go | Nathan Holover | Made-for-television feature. |
| 1993 | Barbarians at the Gate Barbarians at the Gate (film) Barbarians at the Gate is a television movie based upon the book by Bryan Burrough and John Helyar, about the leveraged buyout of RJR Nabisco.The film was directed by Glenn Jordan and written by Larry Gelbart. It stars James Garner as F... |
F. Ross Johnson F. Ross Johnson -Biography:Born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, into a lower-middle-class family, he used a military cadet scholarship program to attend the University of Manitoba where he graduated in 1952 with a Bachelor of Commerce degree and was a member of the fraternity Phi Delta Theta. He went on to earn an M.B.A.... (teenage) |
Made-for-television feature; uncredited role. |