Matthew Backer(II)
- Actor
- Writer
- Producer
Matthew graduated from NIDA in 2010. He made his professional debut playing the lead role of Frankie Valli in the Australian production of the internationally acclaimed musical Jersey Boys in 2011. He has worked with some of Australia's leading theatre companies including Sydney Theatre Company (Machinal, Orlando, A Midsummer Night's Dream, Chimerica, Cloud Nine), Bell Shakespeare (Henry V, The Tempest), Belvoir (Kill the Messenger), Griffin Theatre (Ladies Day), Queensland Theatre (Brisbane, Switzerland, Nearer the Gods) and Hayes Theatre (Only Heaven Knows, Young Frankenstein). He is a current presenter on ABC's Play School and Play School Art Time and is also the host of ABC Kids Listen's successful improvised audio program, Story Salad. His TV credits include Wellmania, The Twelve, Five Bedrooms, Operation Buffalo, Born To Spy, Harrow, Dead Lucky, Home & Away, and History Hunters. His film credits include Marley, Someone and Only for a Time. His short film credits include Ghosted (Sydney Film Festival), Butter, Whispers Among Wolves (Flickerfest, Sydney Film Festival, Palms Springs Film Festival, Hollywood Film Festival), Chicom, Echo Pines, The House, and Latte e Miele. His audio book credits include Seven Types of Ambiguity by Elliot Perlman, Infinite Splendours by Sofie Laguna, and Anything But Fine by Tobias Madden. Matthew has studied improvisation at the Upright Citizen's Brigade and the People's Improv Theatre in New York and at Second City in Los Angeles. He was the winner of a 2016 Broadway World Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role for Sydney Theatre Company's A Midsummer Night's Dream, a 2016 Matilda Award for Best Actor in a Play for Queensland Theatre's Switzerland and 2017 Sydney Theatre Award for Best Male Actor in a Supporting Role in a Musical for Hayes Theatre Co's Only Heaven Knows.