Matthew William Goode (born 3 April 1978) is a British actor.[2] Goode made his screen debut in 2002 with ABC's television film Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister.

Matthew Goode
Born (1978-04-03) 3 April 1978 (age 46)
Exeter, Devon, England[1]
Alma materUniversity of Birmingham
OccupationActor
Years active2002–present
SpouseSophie Dymoke
Children3
RelativesSally Meen (half-sister)

His breakthrough role was in the romantic comedy Chasing Liberty (2004), for which he received a nomination at the Teen Choice Awards for Choice Breakout Movie Star – Male. He then appeared in a string of supporting roles in films, such as Woody Allen's Match Point (2005), the romantic comedy Imagine Me and You (2006), and the period drama Copying Beethoven (2006). He earned praise for his performances as Charles Ryder in the 2008 film adaptation of the novel Brideshead Revisited and as Ozymandias in the superhero film Watchmen (2009). He then starred in the romantic comedy Leap Year (2010) and Australian drama Burning Man (2011), the latter earning him a nomination for Best Actor at the Film Critics Circle of Australia Awards.

His other film roles include The Lookout (2007), A Single Man (2009), Cemetery Junction (2010), Stoker (2013), Belle (2013), The Imitation Game (2014) and Self/less (2015). Goode has also appeared in television series, including as Henry Talbot in the historical drama Downton Abbey, Finley "Finn" Polmar in the legal drama The Good Wife and a music journalist in the drama Dancing on the Edge. In 2017, Goode portrayed Antony Armstrong-Jones, 1st Earl of Snowdon in the second season of the biographical drama series The Crown, for which he received a Primetime Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series.[3] From 2018–2022, Goode starred in the fantasy romance series, A Discovery of Witches. In 2022, he starred as famed Paramount studio head Robert Evans in The Offer, a miniseries about the making of the classic 1972 gangster film The Godfather.

Early life

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Goode was born on 3 April 1978 in Exeter, Devon.[4][5] His father, Anthony, was a geologist and his mother, Jennifer, is a nurse and amateur theatre director. Goode is the youngest of five children with a brother, two half-brothers, and a half-sister, television presenter Sally Meen, from his mother's previous marriage. He grew up in the village of Clyst St. Mary, near Exeter.[6] Goode was educated at Exeter School, an independent school in Exeter, Devon,[7] followed by the University of Birmingham and London's Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art.

Career

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Goode played Peter Lynley, the brother of Inspector Lynley in the BBC production Inspector Lynley Mysteries: A Suitable Vengeance and co-starred in the TV film Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister, based on the Gregory Maguire novel of the same name and William Shakespeare's play The Tempest. In 2004, Goode made his American film debut opposite Mandy Moore in the romantic comedy Chasing Liberty.

Goode co-starred in Woody Allen's thriller Match Point, opposite Jonathan Rhys Meyers and Scarlett Johansson, Ol Parker's romantic comedy Imagine Me & You, opposite Piper Perabo and Lena Headey, the TV film My Family and Other Animals, opposite Imelda Staunton, the biographical-musical drama Copying Beethoven, opposite Ed Harris and Diane Kruger and Scott Frank's crime drama The Lookout opposite Joseph Gordon-Levitt. He had a whimsical take on Brooke Burgess in the BBC miniseries He Knew He Was Right based upon Anthony Trollope's novel of the same name.

In 2008, Goode starred as Charles Ryder in the drama film Brideshead Revisited, based on Evelyn Waugh's novel of the same name.[8] In 2009, Goode co-starred in Zack Snyder's superhero film Watchmen as Ozymandias/Adrian Veidt, and co-starred opposite Colin Firth in the drama film A Single Man, based on Christopher Isherwood's novel of the same name. In 2010, he co-starred opposite Amy Adams in the romantic comedy Leap Year.

 
Goode with Stoker cast and crew at Sundance Film Festival

In 2013, Goode played the lead in the BBC Two drama Dancing on the Edge, as magazine columnist Stanley Mitchell. That same year, he co-starred opposite Mia Wasikowska and Nicole Kidman in the psychological thriller film Stoker.

Also in 2013, Goode co-starred as George Wickham opposite Matthew Rhys in the three-part BBC murder mystery miniseries Death Comes to Pemberley, based on P. D. James' novel of the same name, a sequel to Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice.[9] In 2014, he appeared in the historical thriller The Imitation Game as Hugh Alexander, a British Second World War cryptanalyst and chess champion.[10]

In March 2014, Goode joined the cast of the CBS legal drama The Good Wife as Finley "Finn" Polmar, a state prosecutor.[11][12] Replacing Will Gardner during the fifth season, he made his debut in the 15th episode, "Dramatics, Your Honor", in which Josh Charles's character was killed off.[13][14][15] In May 2015, Goode left The Good Wife after the sixth season's finale.[16]

In 2014, Goode co-starred in the ITV drama Downton Abbey during the Season 5 Christmas special "A Moorland Holiday" as Henry Talbot.[17] He returned to Downton Abbey in October 2015 beginning in the fourth episode of the sixth season. Goode also made a brief appearance in the Downton Abbey film which was released in 2019.[18]

After appearing in multiple films in the mid-2010s, he appeared in 2016's Allied. He began working on WGN's production of Roadside Picnic series based on the Strugatsky novel in autumn 2016, but the pilot was cancelled.[19] That year, he presented ITV's The Wine Show with Joe Fattorini and Matthew Rhys.

In 2017, Goode began production on a television adaptation of Deborah Harkness's bestselling All Souls trilogy for Sky One in the United Kingdom. The show, titled A Discovery of Witches, takes its title from the series' first book. He plays the lead role of Professor Matthew Clairmont, an Oxford molecular biologist and vampire.[20] The show was first broadcast in the UK on 14 September 2018, and has been renewed for two more series based on the strength of its first airing in the United Kingdom where it was consistently the network's most-watched show each week for its 8-episode run. Goode starred in the prequel to Matthew Vaughn's Kingsman series, entitled The King's Man, portraying Captain Morton / The Shepherd. Set in the 20th century, prefacing World War I, the film was released in December 2021.[21][22]

Personal life

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Goode is married to Sophie Dymoke. They have three children: two daughters and a son. The family live in Surrey, England.[20][23]

Filmography

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Film

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Year Title Role Notes
2003 Al sur de Granada (South of Granada) Gerald Brenan
2004 Chasing Liberty Ben Calder
2005 Match Point Tom Hewett
2006 Imagine Me & You Hector
Copying Beethoven Martin Bauer
2007 The Lookout Gary Spargo
2008 Brideshead Revisited Charles Ryder
2009 Watchmen Adrian Veidt / Ozymandias
A Single Man Jim
2010 Leap Year Declan O'Callaghan
Cemetery Junction Mike Ramsay
2011 Burning Man Tom
2013 Stoker Charlie Stoker
Belle Captain Sir John Lindsay
2014 The Imitation Game Hugh Alexander
2015 Pressure Mitchell
Self/less Dr. Jensen/Albright
2016 Allied Guy Sangster
2017 The Sense of an Ending Joe Hunt
The Hatton Garden Job XXX
The Big Bad Fox and Other Tales... Wolf (voice) English dub
2018 Birthmarked Ben Morin
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society Sidney Stark
2019 Official Secrets Peter Beaumont
Downton Abbey Henry Talbot
2020 Four Kids and It David Hartlepool
The Duke Jeremy Hutchinson
2021 Silent Night Simon
The Colour Room Colley Shorter Released as a Sky Original film
The King's Man Captain Morton / The Shepherd
2022 The House Raymond (voice)
Medieval King Sigismund
2023 Freud's Last Session C. S. Lewis
2024 Abigail Father/Kristof Lazaar

Television

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Year Title Role Notes
2002 Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister Caspar Television film
2003 Bounty Hamster Various
The Inspector Lynley Mysteries Peter Lynley Episode: "A Suitable Vengeance"
2004 He Knew He Was Right Brooke Burgess 2 episodes
2005 Agatha Christie's Marple Patrick Simmons Episode: "A Murder Is Announced"
My Family and Other Animals Larry Durrell Television film
2012 Birdsong Captain Gray Lead role, 2 episodes
The Poison Tree Rex Clarke Lead role, 2 episodes
2013 Dancing on the Edge Stanley Mitchell Lead role, 6 episodes
Death Comes to Pemberley George Wickham Lead role, 3 episodes
The Vatican Bernd Koch Television film
2014–2015 The Good Wife Finley "Finn" Polmar Main role (Seasons 5–6), 28 episodes
2014–2015 Downton Abbey Henry Talbot Guest role (Season 5), Main role (Season 6), 7 episodes
2016 The Wine Show Himself Co-host with Matthew Rhys
Roots Dr. William Waller Lead role, 2 episodes
2017 The Crown Antony Armstrong-Jones, 1st Earl of Snowdon Main role (Season 2)
3 episodes
2018 Ordeal by Innocence Philip Durrant Lead role, 3 episodes[24]
2018–2022 A Discovery of Witches Matthew de Clairmont Lead role, 25 episodes
2022 The Offer Robert Evans Miniseries
TBA Department Q Carl Morck Filming [25]

Awards

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Year Award Category Work Result
2004 Teen Choice Awards Choice Movie: Male Breakout Star Chasing Liberty Nominated
Choice Movie Liar Nominated
2012 Film Critics Circle of Australia Awards Best Actor Burning Man Nominated
2013 Australian Film Critics Association Best Actor Nominated
Australian Film Institute Best Actor Nominated
2014 Fangoria Chainsaw Awards Best Supporting Actor Stoker Won
Satellite Awards Best Actor – Miniseries or Television Film Dancing on the Edge Nominated
San Diego Film Critics Society Best Performance by an Ensemble The Imitation Game Nominated
2015 Palm Springs International Film Festival Ensemble Cast Award Won
Screen Actors Guild Awards Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture Nominated
2017 Screen Actors Guild Awards Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series Downton Abbey Nominated
2018 Primetime Emmy Awards Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series The Crown Nominated
2023 Critics' Choice Awards Best Supporting Actor in a Movie/Miniseries The Offer Nominated

References

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  1. ^ "Matthew Goode". TV Guide. Retrieved 6 March 2016.
  2. ^ Schneller, Johanna (March 2013). "Some naked truths about film nudity: Are you listening, Seth MacFarlane?". The Globe and Mail.
  3. ^ "'The Crown' Producers Cast 'Downton Abbey' Star Matthew Goode As Lord Snowdon For Series 2". HuffPost UK. 24 January 2017.
  4. ^ "Celebrity birthdays for the week of March 29 – April 4". Associated Press. 23 March 2020. Archived from the original on 8 April 2020. Retrieved 26 November 2021.
  5. ^ "TV preview: It's been a long wait, but series two of Discovery of Witches is finally here". The Herald. 8 January 2021. Archived from the original on 29 January 2021. Retrieved 26 November 2021.
  6. ^ Ouzounian, Richard (8 September 2011). "The Big Interview: Matthew Goode is burning his way to the top". Toronto Star. Retrieved 18 March 2015.
  7. ^ "Mystery man who's making all the right moves". The Independent. 22 April 2012. Archived from the original on 12 May 2022.
  8. ^ "Brideshead revitalised". The Guardian. 21 September 2008.
  9. ^ "BBC – Death Comes to Pemberley – Media Centre". BBC News.
  10. ^ Fallon, Kevin (24 November 2014). "From 'The Good Wife' to 'The Imitation Game': Matthew Goode Wages His Charm Offensive". The Daily Beast. Retrieved 24 November 2014.
  11. ^ Bierly, Mandi (27 March 2014). "'The Good Wife': Julianna Margulies explains how she negotiated Josh Charles' season 5 contract". Entertainment Weekly.
  12. ^ Gelman, Vlada (28 March 2014). "TVLine Items: Good Wife Ups Goode, Neighbours Star Books Pilot, Clinton Visits Kimmel and More". TVLine.
  13. ^ Abrams, Natalie (3 December 2013). "Matthew Goode Heads to The Good Wife". TV Guide.
  14. ^ Ausiello, Michael (3 December 2013). "The Good Wife Exclusive: Matthew Goode to 'Befriend' Alicia in Big Recurring Role". TVLine. Archived from the original on 7 February 2014. Retrieved 5 June 2014.
  15. ^ Thomas, Kaitlin (29 March 2014). "News Briefs: The Good Wife Promotes Matthew Goode to Series Regular". TVLine. Archived from the original on 1 April 2017. Retrieved 5 June 2014.
  16. ^ "Matthew Goode is Leaving the Good Wife, Crushing Our Dreams in the Process". 22 May 2015.
  17. ^ Battersby, Matilda (25 December 2014). "Downton Abbey Christmas special 2014, review: Love is everywhere, actually". The Independent.
  18. ^ "Matthew Goode confirmed for Downton Abbey movie – but he says he will only be "popping in at the end"". Radio Times. Retrieved 23 February 2019.
  19. ^ "Matthew Goode's Roadside Picnic Pilot Won't Move Forward at WGN America". TVLine.com. 25 January 2017. Archived from the original on 3 December 2020. Retrieved 25 December 2017.
  20. ^ a b Jamieson, Tom (11 January 2019). "Matthew Goode Knows How to Charm. Just Ask Lady Mary and Princess Margaret". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 25 January 2021. Retrieved 26 November 2021.
  21. ^ Shirey, Paul (29 December 2021). "The King's Man Ending Explained". Screen Rant. Archived from the original on 29 December 2021. Retrieved 29 December 2021.
  22. ^ McClintock, Pamela (26 December 2021). "Box Office: 'Spider-Man,' 'Sing 2' Top Christmas, 'Matrix' and 'King's Man' Get Sidelined". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on 26 December 2021. Retrieved 29 December 2021.
  23. ^ "10 Things You Never Knew About 'A Discovery of Witches' Star Matthew Goode". BBC America. 21 January 2021. Archived from the original on 26 November 2021. Retrieved 26 November 2021.
  24. ^ Billen, Andrew (31 March 2018). "Ordeal by Innocence: the Christie Mystery that almost got away". The Times. No. 72497. Saturday Review. pp. 4–5. ISSN 0140-0460.
  25. ^ O'Rourke, Ryan (6 February 2024). "Matthew Goode Leads Netflix's Gritty New Crime Drama 'Department Q'". Collider. Retrieved 6 February 2024.

Interviews

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