Biography
Boyishly handsome with a charming wit, Matthew Goode quickly made a name for himself on American movie screens. This tall, dark-haired British import got his break starring opposite Mandy Moore in “Chasing Liberty” (2004) and went on to appear in the acclaimed Woody Allen film, “Match Point” (2005).
A native of the western English county of Devon, Goode, the youngest of five, was born April 3, 1978 to a geologist father and nurse mother, who also happened to be a local theater director. Raised in the city of Exeter, England, Goode was encouraged into acting by his mother, often appearing in many of her local productions as a child. The young actor went on to study drama at the University of Birmingham, and later, classical theater and stage acting at London’s Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art.
Pursuing his craft on stage in London, Goode acted in a number of stage productions including appearing as Ariel in a production of Shakespeare’s “The Tempest.” Goode’s first screen role came in 2002 when he was cast in the TV production, “Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister” alongside Stockard Channing and Jonathan Pryce. Next, Goode appeared in “Al sur de Granada” (2003) and in the BBC TV adaptation of “The Inspector Lynley Mysteries: A Suitable Vengeance” (2003). In 2004, Goode received his biggest career break to date – a chance to introduce himself to American audiences opposite Mandy Moore in the teen romance film, “Chasing Liberty” (2004). Beating out a number of other British actors for the part, Goode’s handsome face became an overnight recognizable commodity, opening doors for him all over Hollywood.
Before landing his next big American gig, however, Goode returned to his homeland to appear in the BBC period miniseries adaptation of Anthony Trollope’s “He Knew He Was Right” (2004), as well as the TV production of Agatha Christie’s “Marple: A Murder is Announced” (2005). But Hollywood came knocking again in the unlikely form of renowned American director Woody Allen, who cast him as posh Londoner Tom Hewett in the critically acclaimed film, “Match Point.” Starring opposite Scarlett Johansson and Jonathan Rhys-Meyers, Goode received solid notices for his part of rich pretty boy, Tom Hewett, fiancé of Johansson’s character, Nola Rice.
Following the critical success of Allen’s against-type thriller, Goode landed major roles in two more films – as Heck, a man who loses wife Piper Perabo to another woman, in Ol Parker’s romantic comedy “Imagine Me & You” (2006), and as Martin Bauer in “Copying Beethoven” (2006) opposite Ed Harris and Diane Kruger.
