Matthew Backer(II)
- Actor
- Writer
- Producer
Matthew Backer is one of Australia's most technically skilled, shapeshifting actors. Described as "wondrously chameleonic" (Sydney Morning Herald), "one of our most compelling performers" (Time Out), and "remarkable" (The Guardian), his versatility spans television, film, theatre, and presenting. Backer has worked opposite the likes of Mark Wahlberg, Rachel Griffiths, James Cromwell, Celeste Barber, and Richard Roxburgh, and also hosts the iconic Australian kids TV show, Play School, and the hit podcast, Story Salad.
The award-winning Backer (including Sydney Theatre and Broadway World Awards) has performed with many of Australia's major theatre companies including Sydney Theatre Company and Bell Shakespeare, and has starred in musicals like Jersey Boys, in which he played Frankie Valli, and for which he was praised for his "charisma that demands attention. The package of the triple threat, so greedily desired by this genre of actor: singer, dancer, actor, is packed into this young performer with vivid and controlled commitment" (Kevin Jackson's Theatre Diary).
His debut screenplay and producing effort, the short film Die Bully Die, won Best Live Action Australian Short at the 2024 Sydney Film Festival, making it eligible for an Academy Award nomination, and is screening globally at film festivals like Screamfest in Hollywood and Iris Prize in the UK.
Backer studied improv at UCB in New York and Second City in Los Angeles, and "acts with every pound of his flesh, and probably soul as well" (Faces of Brisbane), making him a standout actor's actor across drama and comedy in all mediums.
The award-winning Backer (including Sydney Theatre and Broadway World Awards) has performed with many of Australia's major theatre companies including Sydney Theatre Company and Bell Shakespeare, and has starred in musicals like Jersey Boys, in which he played Frankie Valli, and for which he was praised for his "charisma that demands attention. The package of the triple threat, so greedily desired by this genre of actor: singer, dancer, actor, is packed into this young performer with vivid and controlled commitment" (Kevin Jackson's Theatre Diary).
His debut screenplay and producing effort, the short film Die Bully Die, won Best Live Action Australian Short at the 2024 Sydney Film Festival, making it eligible for an Academy Award nomination, and is screening globally at film festivals like Screamfest in Hollywood and Iris Prize in the UK.
Backer studied improv at UCB in New York and Second City in Los Angeles, and "acts with every pound of his flesh, and probably soul as well" (Faces of Brisbane), making him a standout actor's actor across drama and comedy in all mediums.
