Matthew Richard "Matt" Stone (born May 26, 1971) is an
AmericanThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
screenwriterScreenwriters or scriptwriters or scenario writers are people who write/create the short or feature-length screenplays from which mass media such as films, television programs, Comics or video games are based.-Profession:...
,
producerThe primary role of a television Producer is to allow all aspects of video production, ranging from show idea development and cast hiring to shoot supervision and fact-checking...
,
voice artistVoice 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...
,
musicianA musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
and
actorAn actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
, best known for being the co-creator of
South ParkSouth Park is an American animated television series created by Trey Parker and Matt Stone for the Comedy Central television network. Intended for mature audiences, the show has become famous for its crude language, surreal, satirical, and dark humor that lampoons a wide range of topics...
along with creative partner and best friend,
Trey ParkerTrey Parker is an American animator, screenwriter, director, producer, voice artist, musician and actor, best known for being the co-creator of the television series South Park along with his creative partner and best friend Matt Stone.Parker started his film career in 1992, making a holiday short...
.
Stone and Parker launched their largely collaborative careers in 1992, making a holiday short titled
Jesus vs. Frosty. Their first success came from
Alferd Packer: The Musical, subsequently distributed as
Cannibal! The MusicalCannibal! The Musical is a 1993 independent film directed by co-creator of South Park, Trey Parker, while studying at the University of Colorado at Boulder...
. From there he made another short title
Jesus vs. Santa, leading him and his college friend
Trey ParkerTrey Parker is an American animator, screenwriter, director, producer, voice artist, musician and actor, best known for being the co-creator of the television series South Park along with his creative partner and best friend Matt Stone.Parker started his film career in 1992, making a holiday short...
to create the animated television series
South ParkSouth Park is an American animated television series created by Trey Parker and Matt Stone for the Comedy Central television network. Intended for mature audiences, the show has become famous for its crude language, surreal, satirical, and dark humor that lampoons a wide range of topics...
, which has been on television for over a decade. He has four Emmy Awards for his role in
South Park, winning for both "Outstanding Programming More Than One Hour" and "Outstanding Programming Less Than One Hour".
Early life
Stone was born in Houston,
TexasTexas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
to Gerald Whitney Stone, Jr. (1941-2010), an
economicsEconomics is the social science that analyzes the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. The term economics comes from the Ancient Greek from + , hence "rules of the house"...
professor and textbook author, and Sheila Lois Belasco (who share the first names of
South Park character
Kyle BroflovskiKyle Broflovski is a fictional character in the animated television series South Park. He is voiced by co-creator Matt Stone. Kyle is one of the show's four central characters, along with his friends Stan Marsh, Kenny McCormick, and Eric Cartman...
's parents). Stone's mother is
JewishJudaism ) is the "religion, philosophy, and way of life" of the Jewish people...
and his father was of
IrishThe Irish people are an ethnic group who originate in Ireland, an island in northwestern Europe. Ireland has been populated for around 9,000 years , with the Irish people's earliest ancestors recorded having legends of being descended from groups such as the Nemedians, Fomorians, Fir Bolg, Tuatha...
descent. Stone and his younger sister, Rachel were raised in
Littleton, ColoradoLittleton is a Home Rule Municipality contained in Arapahoe, Douglas, and Jefferson counties in the U.S. state of Colorado. Littleton is a suburb of the Denver-Aurora Metropolitan Statistical Area. Littleton is the county seat of Arapahoe County and the 20th most populous city in the state of...
, a suburb of Denver,
ColoradoColorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
, where both attended
Heritage High SchoolHeritage High School, in Littleton, Colorado was completed in 1972 as the last of three high schools in the Littleton Public Schools system. It was rated by Newsweek magazine as one of the top 200 high schools in the United States, and the Denver-based 5280 magazine acknowledged Heritage High...
. He graduated from the
University of Colorado at BoulderThe University of Colorado Boulder is a public research university located in Boulder, Colorado...
, and was their first student to double major in film and mathematics.
Career
South Park
In 1992, Stone and Parker created
Jesus vs. FrostyThe Spirit of Christmas is the name of two different animated short films made by Trey Parker and Matt Stone. They are notable for being precursors to the animated series South Park. To differentiate the two, they are often referred to as Jesus vs. Frosty and Jesus vs. Santa .- Jesus vs. Frosty...
. It included four boys, two resembling
Stan MarshStanley Randall "Stan" Marsh is a fictional character in the animated television series South Park. He is voiced by and loosely based on series co-creator Trey Parker. Stan is one of the show's four central characters, along with his friends Kyle Broflovski, Kenny McCormick, and Eric Cartman...
and
Kyle BroflovskiKyle Broflovski is a fictional character in the animated television series South Park. He is voiced by co-creator Matt Stone. Kyle is one of the show's four central characters, along with his friends Stan Marsh, Kenny McCormick, and Eric Cartman...
, one called Kenny who looked like
CartmanEric Theodore Cartman is a fictional character in the American animated television series South Park. One of four main characters, along with Stan Marsh, Kyle Broflovski, and Kenny McCormick, he is generally referred to within the series by his last name...
, and a fourth unnamed boy who looked like
KennyKenneth "Kenny" McCormick is a fictional character in the animated television series South Park. He is one of the four central characters along with his friends Stan Marsh, Kyle Broflovski, and Eric Cartman. His oft-muffled and indiscernible speech—the result of his parka hood covering his...
. Both
Jesus and
Cannibal! The MusicalCannibal! The Musical is a 1993 independent film directed by co-creator of South Park, Trey Parker, while studying at the University of Colorado at Boulder...
were made while they were students at the University of Colorado film school, studying under both
Stan BrakhageJames Stanley Brakhage , better known as Stan Brakhage, was an American non-narrative filmmaker who is considered to be one of the most important figures in 20th century experimental film....
and Jerry Aronson. After the duo released
Cannibal! The Musical, they were asked to make another animated short. They came down to two ideas: one a sequel to
Jesus vs. Frosty, and one about a character that would later be recurring in
South Park, Mr. Hankey. They chose to write about the four boys, and their decision ultimately opened the door for them to present a show (
South Park) to Comedy Central. Stone and Parker produced 13 episodes for season 1. In 1999, Stone and Parker made
South Park: Bigger, Longer & UncutSouth Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut is a 1999 animated musical comedy film based on the animated television series South Park, created by Matt Stone and Trey Parker. The film was directed by Parker, who also stars along with the rest of the regular voice cast from the series, including Stone, Mary...
, which gave the series prominence. The film's music was nominated for an Academy Award, but lost to "
You'll Be In My Heart"You'll Be in My Heart" is a song by Phil Collins, from the 1999 Disney animated feature Tarzan. It appeared on Tarzan: An Original Walt Disney Records Soundtrack as well as various other Disney compilations...
" from
TarzanTarzan is a 1999 American animated feature film produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation and released by Walt Disney Pictures on June 18, 1999...
.
Other projects
In 1997, they also released
OrgazmoOrgazmo is a 1997 comedy film written by Trey Parker and Matt Stone, the creators of the animated series South Park, and directed by Parker.-Plot:...
, a movie rated NC-17. In 1998, they starred in (but did not write or direct)
BASEketballBASEketball is a 1998 American David Zucker comedy starring South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone, along with Dian Bachar, Robert Vaughn, Ernest Borgnine, Yasmine Bleeth, and Jenny McCarthy...
, another feature film, while being renewed for a second season of
South Park. In 2001, the duo announced they would do 39 shorts between the lengths of 2 and 5 minutes. Although originally thought to be
South Park-related, they decided they would do something different. The result was the shorts '
PrincessPrincess is a Flash animation series by Matt Stone and Trey Parker, the creators of South Park. The story follows a Lhasa Apso dog.On December 8, 1999, Daily Variety reported that Parker and Stone were going to produce 39 shorts that were to be 3-5 minutes long...
'. The content was so extreme that it was cancelled after two shows aired. In 2001, they also created
That's My Bush!That's My Bush! is an American comedy television series that aired on Comedy Central from April 4 to May 23, 2001. Created by Trey Parker and Matt Stone, best known for also creating South Park, the series centers on the fictitious personal life of President George W. Bush, as played by Timothy...
, another television series. Despite great reviews, the show was cancelled after one season for its cost, reportedly $700,000 per episode.
In 2004, they made a film titled
Team America: World PoliceTeam America: World Police, often referred to as simply Team America, is a 2004 action comedy film written by Trey Parker, Matt Stone, and Pam Brady and directed by Parker, all of whom are also known for the popular animated television series South Park...
which many critics reviewed positively. In August 2007, South Park was renewed for three more seasons, 13, 14 and 15, each of them containing 14 episodes.
Stone is also a member of the band
DVDADVDA is a comedy band featuring South Park crew members Trey Parker , Matt Stone , Bruce Howell , and D. A. Young . The name refers to a sexual position meaning "double vaginal, double anal"...
with Parker, for which he plays bass and drums. DVDA's songs have appeared in many of the duo's productions, including
Orgazmo,
BASEketball,
South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut, and
Team America: World Police.
On September 28, 2007, Parker and Stone acquired the US rights to the Canadian-made
Kenny vs. SpennyKenny vs. Spenny is a Canadian comedy reality television series about Kenny Hotz and Spencer Rice, who face each other in various competitions. The loser of the episode must perform an act of humiliation, usually selected by the winner. Hotz and Rice helped create the series, and it was typically...
, which premiered November 14, 2007 on Comedy Central with ten old and new episodes.
Stone and Parker collaborated with
Avenue QAvenue Q is a musical in two acts, conceived by Robert Lopez and Jeff Marx, who wrote the music and lyrics. The book was written by Jeff Whitty and the show was directed by Jason Moore and produced by Kevin McCollum, Robyn Goodman, and Jeffrey Seller...
composer
Robert LopezRobert Lopez is an American composer and lyricist of musicals best known for co-writing the Broadway musical Avenue Q and for co-creating the musical The Book of Mormon, receiving Tony Awards for both works....
on a musical about
MormonsThe Mormons are a religious and cultural group related to Mormonism, a religion started by Joseph Smith during the American Second Great Awakening. A vast majority of Mormons are members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints while a minority are members of other independent churches....
titled
The Book of Mormon, which stars Andrew Rannells, Josh Gad, Nikki M. James and
Rory O'MalleyRory O'Malley is an Irish-American film, television, and musical theater actor, best known for his Tony Award-nominated performance as Elder McKinley in The Book of Mormon. He is a co-founder of the gay rights activism group Broadway Impact.-Film and television:O'Malley made a small cameo...
. It opened at the Eugene O'Neill Theatre on March 24, 2011, and is being produced by Scott Rudin and Anne Garefino. It is directed by Parker and Casey Nicholaw, and choreographed by Nicholaw.
In April 2010, Stone and Parker received a "warning" for allegedly representing the
MuslimA Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
prophet
MuhammadMuhammad |ligature]] at U+FDF4 ;Arabic pronunciation varies regionally; the first vowel ranges from ~~; the second and the last vowel: ~~~. There are dialects which have no stress. In Egypt, it is pronounced not in religious contexts...
in a bear costume: "We have to warn Matt and Trey that what they are doing is stupid and they will probably wind up like
DutchThe Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
director
Theo van GoghTheodoor "Theo" van Gogh was a Dutch film director, film producer, columnist, author and actor.Van Gogh worked with the Somali-born writer Ayaan Hirsi Ali to produce the film Submission, which criticized the treatment of women in Islam and aroused controversy among Muslims...
for airing this show." It was revealed in the next episode that the person in the bear costume was actually
Santa ClausSanta Claus is a folklore figure in various cultures who distributes gifts to children, normally on Christmas Eve. Each name is a variation of Saint Nicholas, but refers to Santa Claus...
and not Muhammad; the "real" Muhammad was supposed to appear as well, but Comedy Central had him censored out against Stone and Parker's wishes.
Stone claimed that he and Parker were on acid at the time of the
72nd Academy AwardsThe 72nd Academy Awards ceremony took place at Los Angeles' Shrine Auditorium, and was Billy Crystal's seventh time hosting the Awards. The ceremony attracted 46.53 million viewers, an audience 3.7% bigger than the previous ceremony.The Academy Awards ceremony was dominated by two films...
in 2000, where they wore dresses popularized by
Jennifer LopezJennifer Lynn Lopez is an American actress, singer, record producer, dancer, television personality, and fashion designer. Lopez began her career as a dancer on the television comedy program In Living Color. Subsequently venturing into acting, she gained recognition in the 1995 action-thriller...
and
Gwyneth PaltrowGwyneth Kate Paltrow is an American actress and singer. She made her acting debut on stage in 1990 and started appearing in films in 1991. After appearing in several films throughout the decade, Paltrow gained early notice for her work in films such as Se7en and Emma...
at previous awards shows.
Personal life
In 2008, Stone married Angela Howard. He has one son.
Regarding religion, Stone considers himself "ethnically Jewish", on account of his mother's descent, but grew up agnostic, and has no other adherence to the religion, identifying himself as an atheist.
Filmography
| Year |
Production |
Role |
Other notes |
| 1992 |
Jesus vs. Frosty The Spirit of Christmas is the name of two different animated short films made by Trey Parker and Matt Stone. They are notable for being precursors to the animated series South Park. To differentiate the two, they are often referred to as Jesus vs. Frosty and Jesus vs. Santa .- Jesus vs. Frosty...
|
Director, Actor, Producer, Writer |
|
| 1994 |
Cannibal! The Musical Cannibal! The Musical is a 1993 independent film directed by co-creator of South Park, Trey Parker, while studying at the University of Colorado at Boulder...
|
Actor, Producer |
|
| 1995 |
Jesus vs. Santa The Spirit of Christmas is the name of two different animated short films made by Trey Parker and Matt Stone. They are notable for being precursors to the animated series South Park. To differentiate the two, they are often referred to as Jesus vs. Frosty and Jesus vs. Santa .- Jesus vs. Frosty...
|
Director, Actor, Producer, Writer |
|
| Your Studio and You Your Studio and You is a comedy short film created in 1995 by Matt Stone and Trey Parker and commissioned by comedic filmmaker David Zucker. It was to be played at a party Seagram threw for its employees acquired as a result of its Universal Studios take-over. It parodies the style of 1950s...
|
Actor, Writer |
Cameo |
| 1997 |
South ParkSouth Park is an American animated television series created by Trey Parker and Matt Stone for the Comedy Central television network. Intended for mature audiences, the show has become famous for its crude language, surreal, satirical, and dark humor that lampoons a wide range of topics...
(Television series; 1997–present) |
Co-creator, Voice actor, Writer, Director, Executive producer |
|
OrgazmoOrgazmo is a 1997 comedy film written by Trey Parker and Matt Stone, the creators of the animated series South Park, and directed by Parker.-Plot:...
|
Actor, Writer, Producer |
Cameo |
| 1998 |
BASEketballBASEketball is a 1998 American David Zucker comedy starring South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone, along with Dian Bachar, Robert Vaughn, Ernest Borgnine, Yasmine Bleeth, and Jenny McCarthy...
|
Actor |
|
| 1999 |
South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut is a 1999 animated musical comedy film based on the animated television series South Park, created by Matt Stone and Trey Parker. The film was directed by Parker, who also stars along with the rest of the regular voice cast from the series, including Stone, Mary...
|
Voice actor, Writer, Producer |
|
| Terror Firmer Terror Firmer is a 1999 American comedy horror film, directed by Lloyd Kaufman, written by Patrick Cassidy and Douglas Buck, and starring Will Keenan and Alyce LaTourelle. The film was produced by the Troma Entertainment company, known for distributing campy exploitation films...
|
Actor |
|
| 2000 |
Even If You Don't "Even If You Don't" is a single released in 2000 by the band Ween from the album White Pepper. It was covered by the indie/pop-punk supergroup Two Tongues on their self-titled debut album, released in 2009.-Enhanced CD single:...
|
Director |
Music video |
| 2001 |
PrincessPrincess is a Flash animation series by Matt Stone and Trey Parker, the creators of South Park. The story follows a Lhasa Apso dog.On December 8, 1999, Daily Variety reported that Parker and Stone were going to produce 39 shorts that were to be 3-5 minutes long...
|
Director, Writer, Voice actor, Producer |
Animation shorts |
That's My Bush!That's My Bush! is an American comedy television series that aired on Comedy Central from April 4 to May 23, 2001. Created by Trey Parker and Matt Stone, best known for also creating South Park, the series centers on the fictitious personal life of President George W. Bush, as played by Timothy...
(Television series; 2001) |
Co-creator, Writer, Executive producer |
Cameo |
| 2003 |
Bowling for ColumbineBowling for Columbine is a 2002 documentary film written, directed, produced, and narrated by Michael Moore. The film explores what Michael Moore suggests are the causes for the Columbine High School massacre and other acts of violence with guns...
|
Interviewee |
|
| 2004 |
Team America: World Police Team America: World Police, often referred to as simply Team America, is a 2004 action comedy film written by Trey Parker, Matt Stone, and Pam Brady and directed by Parker, all of whom are also known for the popular animated television series South Park...
|
Writer, Voice actor, Producer |
|
| 2006 |
This Film Is Not Yet Rated This Film is Not Yet Rated is a 2006 independent documentary film about the Motion Picture Association of America's rating system and its effect on American culture, directed by Kirby Dick and produced by Eddie Schmidt. It premiered at the 2006 Sundance Film Festival and was released limited on...
|
Interviewee |
|
| 2007 |
Electric Apricot: Quest for Festeroo Electric Apricot: Quest For Festeroo is a mockumentary film by Primus lead-man Les Claypool, featuring himself as well as others using pseudonyms. The band Electric Apricot played occasional shows in 2004 and 2005, unannounced, in the California area for footage. The Electric Apricot also made an...
|
Actor |
|
| 2007 |
Kenny vs. Spenny Kenny vs. Spenny is a Canadian comedy reality television series about Kenny Hotz and Spencer Rice, who face each other in various competitions. The loser of the episode must perform an act of humiliation, usually selected by the winner. Hotz and Rice helped create the series, and it was typically...
|
Executive Producer |
|
| 2010 |
Rush: Beyond the Lighted Stage Rush: Beyond the Lighted Stage is a 2010 documentary film directed by Scot McFadyen and Sam Dunn. The film offers an in-depth look at the Canadian progressive rock band Rush, chronicling the band's musical evolution from their progressive rock sound of the 1970s to their current heavy rock style...
|
Himself |
|
Voices on South Park
- Kyle Broflovski
Kyle Broflovski is a fictional character in the animated television series South Park. He is voiced by co-creator Matt Stone. Kyle is one of the show's four central characters, along with his friends Stan Marsh, Kenny McCormick, and Eric Cartman...
- Kenny McCormick
Kenneth "Kenny" McCormick is a fictional character in the animated television series South Park. He is one of the four central characters along with his friends Stan Marsh, Kyle Broflovski, and Eric Cartman. His oft-muffled and indiscernible speech—the result of his parka hood covering his...
- Gerald Broflovski
- Stuart McCormick
- Craig Tucker
- Butters Stotch
Leopold "Butters" Stotch is a fictional character in the animated television series South Park. He is voiced by series co-creator Matt Stone and loosely based on co-producer Eric Stough. He is a fourth-grade student who commonly has extraordinary experiences not typical of conventional small-town...
- Jimbo Kern
- Pip Pirrup (1997–2010)
|
Skeeter
Terrance
Saddam HusseinSaddam Hussein Abd al-Majid al-Tikriti was the fifth President of Iraq, serving in this capacity from 16 July 1979 until 9 April 2003...
Kevin Stoley
Priest Maxi
Tweek Tweak
Mr. Adler
Jesus |
External links