Matthew Porretta
Encyclopedia
Matthew Charles Porretta (born May 29, 1965 in Darien, Connecticut
) is an American television and film actor.
Porretta was born into an incredible show-biz family: his father, Frank II, is a trained opera singer and accomplished actor. His mother, Roberta, is also a trained singer and was Miss Ohio 1956. Porretta wasted no time in getting involved with the entertainment industry. By the age of 25 he was already a veteran of Broadway and a student at the Manhattan School of Music. In 1990 Porretta broke into television with recurring roles on shows like Wings and Beverly Hills, 90210. In 1993 he was given his first major movie role, as Will Scarlet O'Hara in Mel Brooks
' spoof Robin Hood: Men in Tights. In a twist of irony, Porretta would star as Robin Hood
in his own TV series four years later. Since 1997 he has starred in many independent movies and been featured in commercials for McDonald's and Arrowhead Water. In 1994 he appeared in the original Broadway cast of Stephen Sondheim
and James Lapine
's Passion
.
Porretta has four siblings, all of whom have found their way into show business in some form or another: His brother Frank III (the oldest sibling) has become an internationally recognized opera singer. His other brother, Greg, has guest-starred with Matthew on television. His sisters, Anna and Roberta, also dabble (Anna is a writer for Talk Soup
).
In August 2009 it was revealed that he would be the voice actor of the protagonist in the video game title Alan Wake
, a psychological action thriller developed by Remedy Entertainment
.
Darien, Connecticut
Darien is a town in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. A relatively small community on Connecticut's "Gold Coast", the population was 20,732 at the 2010 census. Darien was listed at #9 at CNN Money's list of "top-earning towns" in the United States as of 2011...
) is an American television and film actor.
Porretta was born into an incredible show-biz family: his father, Frank II, is a trained opera singer and accomplished actor. His mother, Roberta, is also a trained singer and was Miss Ohio 1956. Porretta wasted no time in getting involved with the entertainment industry. By the age of 25 he was already a veteran of Broadway and a student at the Manhattan School of Music. In 1990 Porretta broke into television with recurring roles on shows like Wings and Beverly Hills, 90210. In 1993 he was given his first major movie role, as Will Scarlet O'Hara in Mel Brooks
Mel Brooks
Mel Brooks is an American film director, screenwriter, composer, lyricist, comedian, actor and producer. He is best known as a creator of broad film farces and comic parodies. He began his career as a stand-up comic and as a writer for the early TV variety show Your Show of Shows...
' spoof Robin Hood: Men in Tights. In a twist of irony, Porretta would star as Robin Hood
Robin Hood
Robin Hood was a heroic outlaw in English folklore. A highly skilled archer and swordsman, he is known for "robbing from the rich and giving to the poor", assisted by a group of fellow outlaws known as his "Merry Men". Traditionally, Robin Hood and his men are depicted wearing Lincoln green clothes....
in his own TV series four years later. Since 1997 he has starred in many independent movies and been featured in commercials for McDonald's and Arrowhead Water. In 1994 he appeared in the original Broadway cast of Stephen Sondheim
Stephen Sondheim
Stephen Joshua Sondheim is an American composer and lyricist for stage and film. He is the winner of an Academy Award, multiple Tony Awards including the Special Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre, multiple Grammy Awards, a Pulitzer Prize and the Laurence Olivier Award...
and James Lapine
James Lapine
James Lapine is an American stage director and librettist. He has won the Tony Award for Best Book of a Musical three times, for Into the Woods, Falsettos, and Passion. He has frequently collaborated with Stephen Sondheim and William Finn.-Biography:Lapine was born in Mansfield, Ohio and graduated...
's Passion
Passion (musical)
Passion is a musical adapted from Ettore Scola's film Passione d'Amore . The book is by James Lapine, with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim. Central subjects include obsession, beauty, power, manipulation, passion, illness, and love...
.
Porretta has four siblings, all of whom have found their way into show business in some form or another: His brother Frank III (the oldest sibling) has become an internationally recognized opera singer. His other brother, Greg, has guest-starred with Matthew on television. His sisters, Anna and Roberta, also dabble (Anna is a writer for Talk Soup
Talk Soup
Talk Soup was a television show produced for cable network E! that debuted on January 7, 1991, and aired until August 2002. Talk Soup aired selected clips of the previous day's daily talk shows—ranging from daytime entries like The Jerry Springer Show and to celebrity interview shows like The...
).
In August 2009 it was revealed that he would be the voice actor of the protagonist in the video game title Alan Wake
Alan Wake
Alan Wake is a story-driven action game in the psychological thriller genre, developed by Remedy Entertainment and published by Microsoft Game Studios, released for the Xbox 360 video game console in 2010...
, a psychological action thriller developed by Remedy Entertainment
Remedy Entertainment
Remedy Entertainment is a Finnish computer game developer founded in 1995 and based in Espoo, Finland. The company is best known for its Max Payne and Alan Wake series of video games.-History:...
.
Filmography
- Alan WakeAlan WakeAlan Wake is a story-driven action game in the psychological thriller genre, developed by Remedy Entertainment and published by Microsoft Game Studios, released for the Xbox 360 video game console in 2010...
(2010) .... Alan Wake (voice) - CSI: NYCSI: NYCSI: NY is an American police procedural television series that premiered on September 22, 2004, on CBS. The show follows the investigations of a team of NYPD forensic scientists and police officers as they unveil the circumstances behind mysterious and unusual deaths as well as other crimes...
.... Ron Bogda (episode "Hush," 2005) - Without a TraceWithout a TraceWithout a Trace is an American television drama which originally ran on CBS from September 26, 2002 to May 19, 2009. The series was set in New York City and concerned a fictitious FBI Missing Persons Unit.-Premise:...
.... Oscar (episode "Doppelgänger," 2004) - Dream Warrior (2003) .... Caleb
- Code Name: EternityCode Name: EternityCode Name: Eternity is a Canadian science fiction series that ran for 26 episodes starting in 1999. It was later shown on the Sci Fi Channel in the United States....
.... Leethan (episode "Death Trap," 2000) - Kate's Addiction (1999) .... Dylan Parker
- Turkey. Cake. (1999) .... Jimmy
- Desperate But Not SeriousDesperate But Not SeriousDesperate But Not Serious is a 1999 movie directed by Bill Fishman. It was released in the USA under the title Reckless + Wild.Out-of-towner Lily arrives in Los Angeles to attend a wedding reception with the man of her dreams, Jonathan . Aided by party-girl Frances , they embark on a night of...
(1999) .... Gene - The New Adventures of Robin HoodThe New Adventures of Robin HoodThe New Adventures of Robin Hood is a 1997-1998 live action TV series on Turner Network Television. It was filmed in Vilnius, Lithuania and produced and distributed by Dune Productions, M6, and Warner Bros. International. The tone of the series resembled its contemporaries Hercules: The Legendary...
.... Robin Hood (23 episodes, 1996–1998) - Wings .... David Barnes (episode "Love at First Flight," 1996)
- Dracula: Dead and Loving ItDracula: Dead and Loving ItDracula: Dead and Loving It is a 1995 comedy film starring Leslie Nielsen, directed by Mel Brooks. It is a parody of the novel Dracula by Bram Stoker, and of some of the films it inspired....
(1995) .... Handsome Lieutenant at Ball - Beverly Hills, 90210Beverly Hills, 90210Beverly Hills, 90210 is an American drama series that originally aired from October 4, 1990 to May 17, 2000 on Fox and was produced by Spelling Television in the United States, and subsequently on various networks around the world. It is the first series in the Beverly Hills, 90210 franchise...
.... Dan Rubin (10 episodes, 1993) - Robin Hood: Men in TightsRobin Hood: Men in TightsRobin Hood: Men in Tights is a 1993 French-American adventure comedy film and a parody of the Robin Hood story. Produced and directed by Mel Brooks, the film stars Cary Elwes, Richard Lewis, and Dave Chappelle in his film debut...
(1993) .... Will Scarlet O'Hara - South BeachSouth Beach (1993 TV series)South Beach was an American action/adventure series that aired on NBC during the summer of 1993. The series was created by Dick Wolf and Robert DeLaurentis and starred Yancy Butler, who had been the lead actress a year earlier in another failed Wolf/DeLaurentis series, Mann & Machine.Set in South...
.... Richard (episode "Wild Thing," 1993) - Class of '96Class of '96Class of '96 is an American drama series that aired on Fox from January to May 1993. The series was created by John Romano and filmed mostly at the University of Toronto.-Synopsis:...
.... Claude (episode "Breaking up Is Hard to Overdue," 1993)