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Matt McGrath (actor)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Matt McGrath (born June 11, 1969)[1] is an American actor who has worked across stage, television, and film.

Early life

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McGrath was born in New York City on June 11, 1969,[1] into an Irish Catholic family, with parents who worked in local politics. He first resided in Stuyvesant Town, then in Hell's Kitchen, Manhattan, and then briefly in Albany, New York.[2]

He started performing on Broadway as a child. McGrath performed in Peter Pan and the original musical Working.[2] He can be heard on the Original Cast Recording released in 2001, singing his solo Neat to Be a Newsboy.[3]

He went to Fordham University for a year, until a professor encouraged him to join the Circle Repertory Company.[2]

Career

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As an adult, McGrath appeared in A Streetcar Named Desire with Alec Baldwin and Jessica Lange as the Young Collector and later portrayed the Emcee, originated by Joel Grey, in the Roundabout Theatre Company's production of Kander and Ebb's musical Cabaret. Off-Broadway, McGrath played the title character in Jerry Springer: The Opera. He also appeared in The Black Rider (including productions in London, San Francisco, Sydney and Los Angeles), The Legend of Georgia McBride (Lucille Lortel & LAOCC Awards), Hedwig and the Angry Inch, A Fair Country, The Collection, Fat Men in Skirts, The Old Boy, and Amulets Against the Dragon Forces,[4] and Dalton's Back[5] (which received a Drama Desk nomination). In regional theatre, McGrath has appeared in The Rocky Horror Show (as Frank ‘N' Furter),[6] Romance and Distant Fires (LA Weekly Award).

He won the 2016 Lucille Lortel Award for Best Featured Performance, as well as the 2017 Drama Critics Circle Award for his portrayal of Miss Tracy Mills in The Legend of Georgia McBride. In The New York Times review of the play, Charles Isherwood wrote, “There isn’t a trace of caricature in his portrayal of the sweetly maternal Tracy”.[2]

In 2020, he was in the Broadway premiere Girl from the North Country.[7]

McGrath's film appearances include roles in The Chaperone, Boys Don't Cry, The Broken Hearts Club: A Romantic Comedy, The Impostors. Full Grown Men and The Notorious Bettie Page. On television, McGrath has appeared on Modern Family where he plays Simon (Mitchell's nemesis from Law School) and on episodes of Pose, Law & Order: Criminal Intent, Now and Again, New York Undercover and Cruel Doubt; he also had a role on the short-lived My Life and Times.

Personal life

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McGrath is gay.[8]

Filmography

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Films

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Film
Year Title Role
1987 Ironweed Goblin
1990 Desperate Hours Kyle
Pump Up the Volume Chris
1992 Bob Roberts Burt
1996 The Substance of Fire Young Book Clerk
1997 Lifebreath Todd Rusk
Colin Fitz Lives! Paul
Boys Life 2 Junior (segment 4; "The Dadshuttle")
1999 Andrew Goldman
1998 The Impostors Detective Marco
1999 Boys Don't Cry Lonny
Story of a Bad Boy Guy
2000 The Broken Hearts Club: A Romantic Comedy Howie
2001 The Anniversary Party Jeffrey (uncredited)
2005 The Notorious Bettie Page Nervous Man
2006 Full Grown Men Alby Cutrera
2012 Ex-Girlfriends Professor O'Donnelly
2018 The Chaperone Raymond

TV

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Television
Year Title Role Notes
1990 Appearances Troy Danzig (TV Movie)
1991 My Life and Times Robert Miller (TV Series), 3 episodes: "April 9, 2035", "Millennium" and "The Collapse of '98"
ABC Afterschool Specials C.z. (TV Series), 1 episode: "It's Only Rock & Roll"
1992 Cruel Doubt Chris Pritchard (TV Mini-Series), 2 episodes: "Episode #1.1" and "Episode #1.2"
1994 Winnetka Road (Unnamed role) (TV Series), 2 episodes: "Townies" and "The Real Wisconsin"
1995 Chicago Hope Dr. Scott Callahan (TV Series), 1 episode: "The Virus"
1996 Andersonville Ethan (TV Mini-Series)
1997 The Member of the Wedding Jarvis (TV Movie)
1998 New York Undercover Jonathan (TV Series), 1 episode: "Sign o' the Times"
Frasier Protester (TV Series), 1 episode: "Sweet Dreams"
2000 Now and Again Dr. Bing (TV Series), 2 episodes: "The Bugmeister" and "The Bugmeister, Part Bee"
2006 Law & Order: Criminal Intent Simon Fife (TV Series), 1 episode: "Masquerade"
2008 Little Britain USA Various roles (TV Series), 1 episode: "Episode #1.2"
2015 Modern Family Simon (TV Series), 2 episodes: "Closet? You'll Love It!" and "The More You Ignore Me"
2018 Pose Mitchell (TV Series), 1 episode: "Access"
2020 The Undoing Joseph Hoffman (TV Mini-Series), 2 episodes: "The Undoing" and "The Missing"

References

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  1. ^ a b "Matt McGrath". Internet Broadway Database. The Broadway League. Retrieved February 22, 2024.
  2. ^ a b c d Soloski, Alexis (September 17, 2015). "Matt McGrath Shines as a Nurturing Drag Queen in 'Georgia McBride' (Published 2015)". The New York Times. Retrieved March 11, 2021.
  3. ^ Levy, Robert. "The Musical WORKING - CD Review of original cast recording". www.musicalschwartz.com. Retrieved March 11, 2021.
  4. ^ Amulets Against the Dragon Forces Archived November 20, 2015, at the Wayback Machine, lortel.org, accessed November 19, 2015
  5. ^ Rich, Frank (February 10, 1989). "Review/Theater; Sloughing Off Scars Of a Bad Childhood (Published 1989)". The New York Times. Retrieved March 14, 2021.
  6. ^ "Photo Flash: Matt McGrath & More in The Old Globe's ROCKY HORROR SHOW - First Promo Shots!". BroadwayWorld.com. Retrieved March 14, 2021.
  7. ^ Millward, Tom (January 21, 2020). "Matt McGrath joins the Broadway cast of Girl from the North Country". New York Theater Guide. Retrieved March 11, 2021.
  8. ^ King, Anthony. "Matt McGrath returns with James Vasquez in Diversionary’s 'Next Fall'" Archived March 4, 2016, at the Wayback Machine. GaySanDiego.com, February 10, 2012. Retrieved May 11, 2015.
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