Matthew Darren Evans (born 11 April 1981),[1] known professionally as Matt Ryan, is a Welsh actor. He is known for portraying Edward Kenway in the video game Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag, John Constantine in NBC's Constantine and The CW's Arrowverse, as well as voicing the character in the DC Animated Movie Universe and its spin-off web series Constantine: City of Demons.
Matt Ryan | |
---|---|
![]() Ryan at Wales Comic-Con Homecoming Wrexham 2022 | |
Born | Matthew Darren Evans 11 April 1981 Swansea, Wales |
Alma mater | Bristol Old Vic Theatre School |
Occupation | Actor |
Years active | 2001–present |
Early life
editRyan was born in Swansea, Wales as Matthew Darren Evans, the son of Steve and Maria Evans.[2] He attended Penyrheol Comprehensive School before moving on to Gorseinon College,[2] where he completed a BTEC Performing Arts course. He graduated from the Bristol Old Vic[2] in 2003 and joined the Royal Shakespeare Company in 2004.[3]
Career
editWhen he was 10,[4] Ryan appeared as Gavroche in the West End production of Les Misérables. He played Mick Rawson on the CBS series Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior, a character that had been introduced in the Criminal Minds episode "The Fight".[1]
He performed the voice and motion capture of Edward Kenway in Ubisoft Montreal's video game Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag.[5][6][7] In February 2014, it was announced that Ryan was cast as John Constantine in NBC's pilot for Constantine,[8] starring in all 13 episodes of the series' only season. He reprised his role in a crossover episode of The CW's Arrow,[9] as well as the 2017 animated film Justice League Dark.[10][11] On 8 January 2017, The CW announced an animated series of Constantine: City of Demons on the CW Seed app with Ryan confirmed to reprise the character.[12] Ryan later reprised the role in Legends of Tomorrow, initially several episodes of the third season,[13][14] before he was promoted to series regular for the fourth season.[15]
In the 2015 production of Helen Edmundson's adaptation of Thérèse Raquin at the Roundabout Theater at Studio 54 he played Laurent opposite Keira Knightley, Judith Light, and Gabriel Ebert.[3][16]
In August 2017, he appeared on stage at the Donmar Warehouse in the play Knives in Hens by David Harrower and directed by Yaël Farber.
Filmography
editFilm
editYear | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
2002 | Pocket Money | Johnny | Short film |
2004 | Layer Cake | Junkie 2 | |
2007 | Blood Monkey | Seth | Direct-to-video |
2008 | Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day | Gerry | |
2011 | Flypaper | Rupert Gates | |
2013 | Armistice | Edward Sterling | |
2014 | Heart of Lightness | Stranger | |
500 Miles North | John Hogg | ||
2015 | John Con Noir | John Constantine (voice) | Short film |
2016 | Away | Dex | |
2017 | Justice League Dark | John Constantine (voice) | |
2018 | Constantine: City of Demons – The Movie | John Constantine / Constantine Demons (voice) | |
2020 | Adverse | Jake | |
Justice League Dark: Apokolips War | John Constantine (voice) | ||
2022 | Constantine: The House of Mystery | Short film | |
2024 | Justice League: Crisis on Infinite Earths |
Television
editYear | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
2001 | Nuts and Bolts | Gilly | |
2004 | Mine All Mine | Tonker | 2 episodes |
2007 | The Tudors | Richard Pace | 3 episodes |
Consenting Adults | Charley Bullard | Television film | |
2008 | Torchwood | Dale | Episode: "Meat" |
HolbyBlue | Frankie | Season 2, episode 7 | |
2009 | Wild Decembers | Bugler | Television film |
Collision | Dave Brown | Miniseries; 5 episodes | |
2010 | Criminal Minds | Mick Rawson | Episode: "The Fight" |
2011 | Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior | ||
2014–2015 | Constantine | John Constantine | Main role; 13 episodes |
2015 | Arrow | Episode: "Haunted" | |
2017 | The Halcyon | Joe O'Hara | Main role; 8 episodes[17] |
2017–2022 | Legends of Tomorrow | John Constantine | Recurring role (season 3);[18] main role (season 4–season 6); 47 episodes |
Gwyn Davies | Main role (season 7); 9 episodes | ||
2018–2019 | Constantine: City of Demons | John Constantine / Constantine Demons (voice) | Web series; main role |
2019 | Batwoman | John Constantine | Episode: "Crisis on Infinite Earths Part Two"[19] |
The Flash | Episode: "Crisis on Infinite Earths Part Three" | ||
2022 | Harley Quinn | Episode: "It's a Swamp Thing"; voice role |
Theatre
editPlay | Year | Role | Theatre | Director |
---|---|---|---|---|
Small Change | 2008 | Gerard | Donmar Warehouse | Peter Gill |
Hamlet | 2009 | Horatio | Donmar production at the Wyndham's Theatre | Michael Grandage |
Look Back in Anger | 2012 | Cliff | Royal Court Theatre | Polly Stenham |
The Tempest | Caliban | Theatre Royal, Bath | Adrian Noble | |
Henry V | 2014 | Fluellen | Noël Coward Theatre | Michael Grandage |
Therese Raquin | 2015 | Laurent | Roundabout Theatre, Broadway | Evan Cabnet |
Knives in Hens | 2017 | Gilbert | Donmar Warehouse | Yaël Farber |
Video games
editYear | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
2013 | Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag | Edward Kenway | Voice and motion capture |
References
edit- ^ a b Price, Karen (29 June 2009). "Understudy ready to rise to the Hamlet challenge". Western Mail. Cardiff, Wales. Retrieved 2 April 2011.
- ^ a b c Price, Karen (18 November 2013). "Welsh actor reunites with Jude Law for major stage drama". walesonline.co.uk. Retrieved 17 December 2017.
- ^ a b Cox, Gordon (10 June 2015). "Matt Ryan of Constantine, Judith Light Join Keira Knightley on Broadway". Variety.
- ^ "Exclusive: 'Legends' star Matt Ryan talks Constantine, character's LGBTQ importance, and his passion for Shakespeare and the stage". ScienceFiction.com. 7 January 2019. Retrieved 7 January 2019.
- ^ AssassinsCreed (26 July 2013). San Diego Comic-Con Panel Assassin's Creed 4 Black Flag [North America]. Archived from the original on 21 December 2021. Retrieved 2 August 2013 – via YouTube.
- ^ PlayStation (30 August 2013). The Actors of Black Flag | Assassin's Creed 4 Black Flag. YouTube. Retrieved 30 August 2013.
- ^ Williams, Kathryn (22 September 2013). "Shiver me timbers! Pirate hero in new Assassin's Creed is a Welshman!". Wales Online. Retrieved 19 December 2013.
- ^ Nellie Andreeva (21 February 2014). "Matt Ryan Lands Title Role in NBC Pilot 'Constantine' Based on DC Comic". Deadline. Retrieved 22 February 2014.
- ^ Goldberg, Lesley (11 August 2015). "Matt Ryan to Reprise 'Constantine' Role on The CW's 'Arrow'". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 9 October 2015.
- ^ Mueller, Matthew (7 June 2016). "Justice League Dark Revealed To Be Next DC Animated Movie". Comicbook.com. Retrieved 7 June 2016.
- ^ Damore, Meagan (23 July 2016). "SDCC: "Justice League Dark" Animated Film Confirmed; "Teen Titans" & More Announced". Comic Book Resources.
- ^ Andreeva, Nellie (8 January 2017). "'Constantine' Back As Animated Series For CW Seed With Greg Berlanti Producing". Deadline. Retrieved 22 February 2018.
- ^ "'Legends of Tomorrow' loses another team member". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 7 December 2017.
- ^ Burlingame, Russ (1 March 2018). "'DC's Legends of Tomorrow' Synopsis For "Necromancing the Stone" Released". Comicbook.com. Retrieved 2 March 2018.
- ^ Andreeva, Nellie (4 April 2018). "Matt Ryan To Join 'DC's Legends Of Tomorrow' As Series Regular For Season 4". Deadline. Retrieved 19 March 2018.
- ^ "Thérèse Raquin". Roundabout Theatre Company. Archived from the original on 13 July 2017. Retrieved 22 November 2015.
- ^ "The Halcyon – S1 – Episode 1". Radio Times. Archived from the original on 20 May 2018. Retrieved 4 January 2017.
- ^ Gelman, Vlada (9 October 2017). "Legends of Tomorrow: Matt Ryan's Constantine to Visit in Season 3". TVLine. Retrieved 27 January 2019.
- ^ Agard, Chancellor (9 December 2019). "'Batwoman' crossover recap: DC's past and present collide in 'Crisis on Infinite Earths'". Entertainment Weekly.