Matthew George Frewer (born January 4, 1958) is a Canadian-American actor and comedian.[1] He portrayed the 1980s icon Max Headroom[2] in the 1985 TV film and 1987 television series of the same names.
Born
Matthew George Frewer
Citizenship
Alma mater
Bristol Old Vic Theatre School 1980
Occupations
Years active
1983–present
Spouse
Children
1
He became prominent when playing roles in films, like Russell Thompson, Sr. in Honey, I Shrunk the Kids (1989), Jobe Smith in Lawnmower Man 2: Beyond Cyberspace (1996), Sherlock Holmes in the film adaption of The Sign of Four, Frank in Dawn of the Dead (2004), Moloch in Watchmen (2009), Mitch in 50/50 (2011), and Archibald Stanley in Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb (2014).
His television credits include Dr. Mike Stratford in Doctor Doctor (1989–1991), Bob in Shaky Ground (1992–1993), Matt Prager in Psi Factor: Chronicles of the Paranormal (1997–1999), Dr. Jim Taggart in Eureka (2006–2012) and Doctor Leekie in the Canadian science fiction drama Orphan Black (2013–2017).
Frewer's more recent performances include a portrayal of "General #2" in the Steven Spielberg picture The BFG (2016), the character Carnage in the Netflix series Altered Carbon in 2018 and Logan in Fear the Walking Dead (2019). Also, he portrayed The Binder in three episodes of The Magicians and Peter Morton in eight episodes of The Order (2019−2020).
His voice roles include Panic in Hercules and its 1998 television series, Inspector 47 in The Magic School Bus, the Pink Panther in the 1993 television series of the same name, Lloyd Christmas in the Dumb and Dumber animated series, Jackal in Gargoyles and Dedgar Deadman in Toonsylvania.
Frewer was born in Washington, D.C. to Canadian parents, one of five children born to Gillian Anne (née German)[3] and Captain Frederick Charlesley Frewer, a Royal Canadian Navy officer.[4][5] He was raised in Peterborough, Ontario, where he graduated from Lakefield College School.[6] He went on to train at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School,[7] graduating from its three-year acting course in 1980.
Frewer portrayed the artificial intelligence character Max Headroom in the 1980s, starring in the 1985 eponymous science fiction television film; Frewer also played award-winning Network 23 journalist Edison Carter in the film. This led to a series on the UK Channel 4 network with the Max Headroom character as a video jockey and interviewer. This ran for two seasons, the second of which featured a studio audience with whom Max interacted. In 1987, an American series based upon the 1985 film aired, titled Max Headroom (1987–1988).[7] From 1993 to 1995, Frewer voiced the Pink Panther for the television series. Frewer guest-starred in the fifth-season Star Trek: The Next Generation episode "A Matter of Time". He also portrayed Max Headroom in other media, including a series of television commercials for "New Coke" and "Radio Rentals", as well as the single and music video for "Paranoimia" by Art of Noise. He reprised this role in the science fiction comedy film Pixels (2015).[8]
Frewer starred as Mike Stratford in Doctor Doctor (1989–1991).[8] He also appeared as Trashcan Man in the television miniseries The Stand.[8] Frewer has also appeared in such films as The Fourth Protocol (1987), Honey, I Shrunk the Kids (1989),[8][7] National Lampoon's Senior Trip (1995), and the 2004 remake of Dawn of the Dead.[8]
Frewer was nominated for two Gemini Awards in 2000, one for a guest appearance on Da Vinci's Inquest[9] and another for his work on the series Mentors. He was a regular on Eureka during the series' first two seasons, playing Jim Taggart.[8][10] He has done voice-over work on several animated projects, including Batman: The Animated Series (1993) and The Incredible Hulk (1996–1997). Frewer portrayed Matt Praeger in Psi Factor: Chronicles of the Paranormal from 1997 to 2000.[8]
In 2009, Frewer portrayed the retired villain Moloch the MysticinWatchmen[8] and appeared as the White Knight in the December 2009 Syfy two-part miniseries Alice, based upon Alice's Adventures in Wonderland.[8][7] He starred as Pestilence in two episodes of Season 5 of Supernatural.[11] He has appeared in several adaptations of Stephen King stories, such as The Stand,[8] Quicksilver Highway, Riding the Bullet, Desperation and Bag of Bones.[12]
He played Dr. Aldous Leekie on the first two seasons of Orphan Black.[8][7]
In 2018, Frewer portrayed Carnage in the Netflix series Altered Carbon.[13] In the same year, Frewer was cast in the Netflix horror-drama series, The Order.[14]
Frewer has been married to Amanda Hillwood since 1984 and the couple have a daughter.[15][16] In 1989, they bought a house in Marina del Rey, California.[17]
Year
Title
Role
Notes
1983
Senior
1983
The Crimson Permanent Assurance
Very Big Corporation of America Yuppie
Short film
Segment: Monty Python's The Meaning of Life
1984
Eddie the Truck Driver
1985
Soldier #2
1987
Tom McWhirter
1987
CIA Agent #3
1989
Alec Stewart
1989
Russell 'Russ' Thompson, Sr.
1989
Charlie Cox
1990
Ernie Dills
1991
Ed Kelvin
1993
Receding Bingo Winner
1995
Cleo, Leo
Uncredited
1995
Voice, short film
1995
National Lampoon's Senior Trip
Principal Todd Moss
1995
BugHunt
Edward Schulze
Voice
1996
Lawnmower Man 2: Beyond Cyberspace
Jobe Smith
1997
Panic
Voice[18]
1998
Heartwood
Frank Burris
Voice, uncredited
1999
6ix
Satan, Nathan, Lucy, Mother, Father
Short film
1999
Panic
Voice, direct-to-video
2000
Frazzled
Voice, short film
2004
Frank
2004
A Home at the End of the World
Ned Glover
2004
Farmer Joseph
2004
Intern Academy (AKA Whitecoats)
Dr. Anton Keller
2004
Cameron Geary
2004
Mr. Clarkson
2007
Jason Taylor
2009
Moloch
2009
Mr. Williamson
2009
Ted Duncan
2010
Dr. Strassfield
2011
Wushu Warrior
Lord Edward Lindsey
2011
Mitch
2011
Mr. Steadman
2014
Mr. Williamson
Voice, uncredited
2014
Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb
Archibald Stanley
2015
Max Headroom
Voice
2016
General #2
2017
Residue
Mr. Fairweather
Year
Title
Role
Notes
1984
The First Olympics: Athens 1896
Television miniseries
1985
Max Headroom: 20 Minutes Into The Future
Television film
1986
Roger de Carnac
Episode "The Betrayal"
1987
Pee-Wee, Walter Sandler
Episode: "No Chemo, Sabe?"
1987–1988
14 episodes
1988
Cliff King
Episodes: "Hostile Takeover" and "Redemption in Blood"
1988
2 episodes
1989–1991
Dr. Mike Stratford
Lead role, 40 episodes
1991
Star Trek: The Next Generation
Berlinghoff Rasmussen
Episode: "A Matter of Time"
1992
Mac Duff
Voice, 2 episodes[18]
1992–1993
Bob Moody
17 episodes
1992
Howard Paymer
Episode: "Tornado Days"
1993
Sid the Squid / Sidney Debris
Voice, episode: "The Man Who Killed Batman"[18]
1993
Peter Blaine
Voice, episode: "Trains, Toons, and Toon Trains"
1993–1996
Voice, main role[18]
1993
The Day My Parents Ran Away
Bob Miller
Television film
1994
Television film
1994
Ambassador Edwin Reischauer
Episode: "Long Shadows"
1994–1996
Jackal
Voice, 7 episodes[18]
1994–1996
The Exterminator
Voice, 26 episodes
1994
Trashcan Man
Miniseries, 4 episodes
1994
Chaos
Voice, episode: "When Chaos Comes Calling"
1995–1996
Lloyd Christmas, various characters
Voice, 13 episodes[18]
1996
Russel Tresh
Television film
1996–1997
Voice, 10 episodes
1996
Voice, episode: "Hulk Buster"
1996
Bobby Vicious
Voice, episode: "Searching for Bobby Vicious"
1996
Additional voices
Episode: "Tasty Paste"
1996
Dr. Wally Pretorius
Voice, episode: "The Human Factor"
1996
Norman Glass
Episode: "First Anniversary"
1996
Television film
1996
Inspector 47
Voice, episode: "In the Rainforest"[18]
1996
Himself
1 Episode
1997
Dr. Charles "Charlie" George
Television film
1997
Norbert Datry
Episode: "Fool's Gold - Pilot #2"
1997
Bob
Episode: "Supernatural"
1997
Desert's Edge
Greg
Television film
1997–1999
Psi Factor: Chronicles of the Paranormal
Matt Praeger
49 episodes
1997
Dead Fire
Max Durbin
Television film
1997
Gerald Krzemien
Television film
1998
Dedgar Deadman
Voice, 14 episodes
1998–1999
Panic
Voice, 24 episodes
1999
Frederick Banting
Episode: "A Transient, Shining Trouble"
1999
Toymaker
Voice, episode: "#1.4"
2000
Larry Williams
2 episodes
2000
Jailbait
Al Fisher
Television film
2000
Television film
2001–2002
Panic, Toymaker
Voice, 6 episodes
2001
Television film
2001
2002
The Case of the Whitechapel Vampire
2002
Dr. Chet Wakeman
6 episodes
Television miniseries
2004
Dr. Lansing
Episode: "Wonderland"
2005
Wally
Episode: "Chocolate"
2006
Ralph Carver
Television film
2006–2007
Ted Altman
26 episodes
2006–2012
Dr. Jim Taggart
18 episodes
2009
Television miniseries
2010
Battle of the Bulbs
Stu Jones
Television film
2010
Carriage Driver
Uncredited
Episode: "Of Course"
2010
Pestilence, Dr. Green
2 episodes
2011
Sid Noonan
Television miniseries
2012–2013
General Bressler
7 episodes
2012
Arthur Bowden
Television miniseries
2013–2017
Dr. Aldous Leekie
11 episodes
2013
Vidar
Episodes: "Today I Am a Witch" and "A Few Good Talismen"
2014
Dr. J.M. Christiansen
5 episodes
2014–2015
Dulaque, Lancelot
5 episodes
2015
12 episodes
2016
Paul Rice
6 episodes
2016
Dr. Kirschner
Episode: "Fatherland"
2016–2017
Anthony Bruhl
5 episodes
2016
Love in Paradise
Dr. Frank
Television film
2017–2018
The Bishop
Voice, 4 episodes
2018
Carnage
3 episodes
2018
The Truth About the Harry Quebert Affair
Reverend Kellergan
Miniseries, 10 episodes
2019
Peter Morton
7 episodes
2019–2020
The Binder
3 episodes
2019
Logan
6 episodes
2020
Judge Fred Wright
3 episodes
Year
Title
Role
Notes
1997
Panic
1997
Disney's Animated Storybook: Hercules
Panic
1998
Disney's Hades Challenge
Panic
2012
Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom
Panic
Year
Award
Category
Film/TV Show
Result
Refs
1987
Best Music Host
Won
2000
Best Performance in a Children's or Youth Program or Series
Won
2000
Best Performance in a Children's or Youth Program or Series
Nominated
2010
Best Lead Performance by a Male in a Feature Length Drama
Nominated
2011
Best Guest Performance by a Male in a Dramatic Series
Nominated
