Matthew Roloff
Encyclopedia
Matthew James Roloff is an actor, author, farmer and businessman, best known for participating with his family in the reality television
program Little People, Big World
seen on TLC
. The show featured the Roloffs' daily life. Roloff has dwarfism
, as does his wife Amy and one of their four children, Zachary.
, his wife Amy, also a little person with achondroplasia
, and four children: fraternal twins Jeremy and Zachary (born 1990), Molly (born 1993), and Jacob (born 1997). Zach, like his mother, has achondroplasia, while the other three children are average height. Matt and Amy met at a Little People of America
convention in 1987. The couple were engaged very quickly and were married on September 12, 1987.
Matt's parents, Ron and Peggy, were also featured Little People, Big World. They are of average height as is his older sister, Ruth. His younger brother Sam, an artist and founder of Back-Story Underpainting, has diastrophic dysplasia and uses crutches to walk as well. His middle brother Joshua was born with a severe heart malformation. Joshua died in 1999 at age 34.
in the Star Wars
TV movie Ewoks: The Battle for Endor
. Today, he is still well-known around the Hollywood scene because he is good friends with fellow little person and actor Martin Klebba
, who appeared in the Pirates of the Caribbean movie franchise and is also a member of a leading athletic club for little people, the LA Breakers. The Breakers however, lost to the Grasshogs (Matt's son Zach's team), while Matt was on the sideline admiring his son's soccer progress.
Matt worked as a computer programmer for Silicon Valley
companies including Altos Computer Systems in the late 1980s. A friend encouraged him to take a job with Sequent Computer Systems, which was headquartered in Beaverton, Oregon
, in order to escape the long work hours and stress of Silicon Valley
. Matt and his wife Amy relocated to the Portland area in 1990, while she was pregnant with twins Jeremy and Zachary.
Matt has embarked on a number of business ventures in an effort to try to make a living from his investment in the farm. On Little People, Big World, he is shown running the business he co-founded, Direct Access Solutions, a company that provides accessibility products for little people to the hospitality industry.
At the end of the first season of Little People, Big World, Roloff is shown again taking a job in computer sales for the software company Amdocs
, for which he still works as a consultant. The family's 34 acres (137,593.2 m²) farm outside Portland, Oregon
also serves the Roloffs as a business venture. It includes a farm, an Old West town, a pirate ship and other attractions, some of which are open to the public during pumpkin season in October.
In 1999, with the help of a ghostwriter
, Roloff authored the book Against Tall Odds: Being a David in a Goliath World.
In April 2007 a second book, "Little Family, Big Values: Lessons in Love, Respect, and Understanding for Families of Any Size" was released. According to the family's official website it was written by Matt. However, Amazon.com credits The Roloff Family and Tracy Summer, the same ghostwriter
that helped with Matt's first book.
In 2008, Roloff traveled to Iraq
to assist an Iraqi family with three dwarf children who needed medical attention. His trip was the subject of the season-ending episodes of the fourth season of Little People, Big World
, and it was covered by CNN
and other national news outlets. The entire family appeared on the Oprah Winfrey Show in 2008.
Matt and Amy frequently work as motivational speakers.
As of December 6, 2010, Little People, Big World concluded its sixth and final season.
. The arrest stemmed from an incident in which an intoxicated Roloff swerved his vehicle off the road and into a ditch, causing the car to roll; according to Roloff, the crash was severe enough that it almost killed his passenger. Upon his completion of the program, the charges were dropped. After completing the program, Roloff stayed sober for two years.
On June 19, 2007, Roloff was pulled over by Washington County Sheriff's Deputy Allen Pastori after making a wide turn out of a parking lot of a bar. Roloff claimed that he had difficulty controlling the SUV because it was fitted with smaller pedal and brake extensions for his wife. Pastori claimed that Roloff smelled of alcohol and failed a sobriety test. Roloff admitted to drinking one beer earlier in the day. He was arrested and charged with DUI
. He pleaded not guilty. The two-day trial began on January 8, 2008 and was covered by a large number of reporters. After determining that members of the jury
had improperly researched legal questions on the Internet, Roloff and his attorney asked the judge to render a verdict, rather than face the stress of a new trial. Judge Donald LeTourneau acquitted Roloff on the principal DUI charge, saying that field sobriety tests are not accurate enough to prove the case beyond a reasonable doubt. However, Roloff was convicted on related civil infractions for improper lane use and refusal to take a breathalyzer
, which under Oregon law results in a one year suspension of his driver's license. The trial was the subject of the season opener of Little People, Big World
on March 3, 2008 and its conclusion on March 10, 2008.
Reality television
Reality television is a genre of television programming that presents purportedly unscripted dramatic or humorous situations, documents actual events, and usually features ordinary people instead of professional actors, sometimes in a contest or other situation where a prize is awarded...
program Little People, Big World
Little People, Big World
Little People, Big World is a reality television series produced in the United States that aired on TLC. The series follows the six-member Roloff family farm near Portland, Oregon...
seen on TLC
TLC (TV channel)
TLC is an American cable TV specialty channel which initially focused on educational content. Since 1991 TLC has been owned by Discovery Communications, the same company that operates the Discovery Channel, Animal Planet and The Science Channel, as well as other learning-themed networks...
. The show featured the Roloffs' daily life. Roloff has dwarfism
Dwarfism
Dwarfism is short stature resulting from a medical condition. It is sometimes defined as an adult height of less than 4 feet 10 inches , although this definition is problematic because short stature in itself is not a disorder....
, as does his wife Amy and one of their four children, Zachary.
Family
The Roloff family includes Matt, who was born with diastrophic dysplasiaDiastrophic dysplasia
Diastrophic dysplasia is an autosomal recessive dysplasia which affects cartilage and bone development....
, his wife Amy, also a little person with achondroplasia
Achondroplasia
Achondroplasia dwarfism occurs as a sporadic mutation in approximately 85% of cases or may be inherited in an autosomal dominant genetic disorder that is a common cause of dwarfism...
, and four children: fraternal twins Jeremy and Zachary (born 1990), Molly (born 1993), and Jacob (born 1997). Zach, like his mother, has achondroplasia, while the other three children are average height. Matt and Amy met at a Little People of America
Little People of America
Little People of America is a non-profit organization which provides support, resources and information to individuals with dwarfism and their families...
convention in 1987. The couple were engaged very quickly and were married on September 12, 1987.
Matt's parents, Ron and Peggy, were also featured Little People, Big World. They are of average height as is his older sister, Ruth. His younger brother Sam, an artist and founder of Back-Story Underpainting, has diastrophic dysplasia and uses crutches to walk as well. His middle brother Joshua was born with a severe heart malformation. Joshua died in 1999 at age 34.
Career
Matt appeared as an EwokEwok
Ewoks originate from the Star Wars films. In the series, they are a species of teddy-bear-like hunter-gatherers that inhabit the forest moon of Endor. The Ewoks live in various tree-huts and primitive dwellings. They first appeared in the film Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi...
in the Star Wars
Star Wars
Star Wars is an American epic space opera film series created by George Lucas. The first film in the series was originally released on May 25, 1977, under the title Star Wars, by 20th Century Fox, and became a worldwide pop culture phenomenon, followed by two sequels, released at three-year...
TV movie Ewoks: The Battle for Endor
Ewoks: The Battle for Endor
Ewoks: The Battle for Endor is a 1985 made-for-TV movie set in the Star Wars galaxy. A sequel to Caravan of Courage: An Ewok Adventure, it focuses on Cindel Towani, the little girl from the first film, who, after being orphaned, joins the Ewoks in protecting their village and defeating the evil...
. Today, he is still well-known around the Hollywood scene because he is good friends with fellow little person and actor Martin Klebba
Martin Klebba
Martin Klebba is an American actor and stunt performer. Klebba has a form of dwarfism called acromicric dysplasia; he is 4'1" tall.-Early life:Klebba was born and grew up in Troy, Michigan, graduating from Athens High School.-Film:...
, who appeared in the Pirates of the Caribbean movie franchise and is also a member of a leading athletic club for little people, the LA Breakers. The Breakers however, lost to the Grasshogs (Matt's son Zach's team), while Matt was on the sideline admiring his son's soccer progress.
Matt worked as a computer programmer for Silicon Valley
Silicon Valley
Silicon Valley is a term which refers to the southern part of the San Francisco Bay Area in Northern California in the United States. The region is home to many of the world's largest technology corporations...
companies including Altos Computer Systems in the late 1980s. A friend encouraged him to take a job with Sequent Computer Systems, which was headquartered in Beaverton, Oregon
Beaverton, Oregon
Beaverton is a city in Washington County, Oregon, United States, seven miles west of Portland in the Tualatin River Valley.As of the 2010 census, the population is 90,267. This makes it the second-largest city in the county and Oregon's sixth-largest city...
, in order to escape the long work hours and stress of Silicon Valley
Silicon Valley
Silicon Valley is a term which refers to the southern part of the San Francisco Bay Area in Northern California in the United States. The region is home to many of the world's largest technology corporations...
. Matt and his wife Amy relocated to the Portland area in 1990, while she was pregnant with twins Jeremy and Zachary.
Matt has embarked on a number of business ventures in an effort to try to make a living from his investment in the farm. On Little People, Big World, he is shown running the business he co-founded, Direct Access Solutions, a company that provides accessibility products for little people to the hospitality industry.
At the end of the first season of Little People, Big World, Roloff is shown again taking a job in computer sales for the software company Amdocs
Amdocs
Amdocs Limited is a provider of software and services for billing, customer relationship management , operations support systems...
, for which he still works as a consultant. The family's 34 acres (137,593.2 m²) farm outside Portland, Oregon
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
also serves the Roloffs as a business venture. It includes a farm, an Old West town, a pirate ship and other attractions, some of which are open to the public during pumpkin season in October.
In 1999, with the help of a ghostwriter
Ghostwriter
A ghostwriter is a professional writer who is paid to write books, articles, stories, reports, or other texts that are officially credited to another person. Celebrities, executives, and political leaders often hire ghostwriters to draft or edit autobiographies, magazine articles, or other written...
, Roloff authored the book Against Tall Odds: Being a David in a Goliath World.
In April 2007 a second book, "Little Family, Big Values: Lessons in Love, Respect, and Understanding for Families of Any Size" was released. According to the family's official website it was written by Matt. However, Amazon.com credits The Roloff Family and Tracy Summer, the same ghostwriter
Ghostwriter
A ghostwriter is a professional writer who is paid to write books, articles, stories, reports, or other texts that are officially credited to another person. Celebrities, executives, and political leaders often hire ghostwriters to draft or edit autobiographies, magazine articles, or other written...
that helped with Matt's first book.
In 2008, Roloff traveled to Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
to assist an Iraqi family with three dwarf children who needed medical attention. His trip was the subject of the season-ending episodes of the fourth season of Little People, Big World
Little People, Big World
Little People, Big World is a reality television series produced in the United States that aired on TLC. The series follows the six-member Roloff family farm near Portland, Oregon...
, and it was covered by CNN
CNN
Cable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
and other national news outlets. The entire family appeared on the Oprah Winfrey Show in 2008.
Matt and Amy frequently work as motivational speakers.
As of December 6, 2010, Little People, Big World concluded its sixth and final season.
Legal issues
In 2003, Roloff agreed to enter an alcohol treatment program after being charged with driving under the influenceDriving under the influence
Driving under the influence is the act of driving a motor vehicle with blood levels of alcohol in excess of a legal limit...
. The arrest stemmed from an incident in which an intoxicated Roloff swerved his vehicle off the road and into a ditch, causing the car to roll; according to Roloff, the crash was severe enough that it almost killed his passenger. Upon his completion of the program, the charges were dropped. After completing the program, Roloff stayed sober for two years.
On June 19, 2007, Roloff was pulled over by Washington County Sheriff's Deputy Allen Pastori after making a wide turn out of a parking lot of a bar. Roloff claimed that he had difficulty controlling the SUV because it was fitted with smaller pedal and brake extensions for his wife. Pastori claimed that Roloff smelled of alcohol and failed a sobriety test. Roloff admitted to drinking one beer earlier in the day. He was arrested and charged with DUI
DUI
DUI is a three letter acronym that may stand for:* Driving under the influence * Democratic Union for Integration — the largest ethnic Albanian party in the Republic of Macedonia* Data Use Identifier...
. He pleaded not guilty. The two-day trial began on January 8, 2008 and was covered by a large number of reporters. After determining that members of the jury
Jury
A jury is a sworn body of people convened to render an impartial verdict officially submitted to them by a court, or to set a penalty or judgment. Modern juries tend to be found in courts to ascertain the guilt, or lack thereof, in a crime. In Anglophone jurisdictions, the verdict may be guilty,...
had improperly researched legal questions on the Internet, Roloff and his attorney asked the judge to render a verdict, rather than face the stress of a new trial. Judge Donald LeTourneau acquitted Roloff on the principal DUI charge, saying that field sobriety tests are not accurate enough to prove the case beyond a reasonable doubt. However, Roloff was convicted on related civil infractions for improper lane use and refusal to take a breathalyzer
Breathalyzer
A breathalyzer or breathalyser is a device for estimating blood alcohol content from a breath sample...
, which under Oregon law results in a one year suspension of his driver's license. The trial was the subject of the season opener of Little People, Big World
Little People, Big World
Little People, Big World is a reality television series produced in the United States that aired on TLC. The series follows the six-member Roloff family farm near Portland, Oregon...
on March 3, 2008 and its conclusion on March 10, 2008.
External links
- "Little People, Big World: Exclusive With Matt Roloff", OratoOratoOrato is an international news Web site that showcases first person accounts from the protagonists and witnesses of events.It was recognized as one of the top 12 news websites in the world by the 2008 Webby Awards, called the Oscars of the Internet by The New York Times, receiving approximately...
, December 7, 2007 - Roloff family official web site
- Little People, Big World official web site
- Direct Access Solutions
- "A Dream Lives in a Grand Design", The New York TimesThe New York TimesThe New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
, September 30, 1999