Matthew Cowles
| Matthew Cowles | |
|---|---|
Cowles and Jennifer West in the play Malcolm in 1966.
| |
| Born | September 28, 1944 New York City, U.S. |
| Died | May 22, 2014 (aged 69) New York City, U.S. |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1969–2014 |
| Spouses | Kathleen Dezina (m. 1980; div. 1982) Christine Baranski (m. 1983) |
| Children | 2, including Lily Cowles |
| Parent | Chandler Cowles (father) |
Matthew Cowles (September 28, 1944 – May 22, 2014) was an American actor and playwright.
Early life
The son of actor and theatre producer Chandler Cowles, he was born in New York City.[1]
Career
In 1966 Cowles played the title role in Edward Albee's short-lived adaptation of James Purdy's comic novel Malcolm on Broadway at the Shubert Theatre.[2]
In 1968, he appeared with Al Pacino and John Cazale in Israel Horovitz's The Indian Wants the Bronx.[3]
In 1983, Cowles joined The Mirror Theater Ltd's Mirror Repertory Company for their first repertory season, performing in Paradise Lost, Rain, Inheritors, and The Hasty Heart.[4]
Cowles' first television part was Joe Czernak in the series NYPD in 1969. He was nominated for a Daytime Emmy as Outstanding Actor in a Daytime Drama Series in 1978 and as Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Daytime Drama Series in 1981, both for his part as Billy Clyde Tuggle in All My Children, a role that he created and wrote.[5]
Cowles' first film was the comedy drama Me, Natalie (1969) in which he played Harvey Belman. Al Pacino also made his debut in this film.
In 2010, Cowles played a supporting role in Martin Scorsese's film Shutter Island.
Cowles also starred in three short plays for the public radio show and podcast Playing on Air.[6]
Personal life
In 1983, he married actress Christine Baranski with whom he had two daughters, Isabel (born 1984) and Lily (born 1987). In a New York Times profile of his wife, he was described as "the black sheep member of a family with ties to Cowles publishing and Drexel banking".[7] He was an enthusiastic motorcycle rider.[5]
Cowles was a devout Catholic and taught religious education at the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem, Connecticut.[8][9]
Death
Matthew Cowles died from congestive heart failure on May 22, 2014.[10]
Filmography
Film
- Me, Natalie (1969) as Harvey Belman
- The Friends of Eddie Coyle (1973) as Pete
- The Happy Hooker (1975) as Albert Ruffleson
- Slap Shot (1977) as Charlie
- The World According to Garp (1982) as O. Fecteau
- Eddie Macon's Run (1983) as Ray Banes
- The Money Pit (1986) as Marty
- Stars and Bars (1988) as Beckman Gage
- White Fang 2: Myth of the White Wolf (1994) as Lloyd Halverson
- The Cowboy Way (1994) as Popfly
- The Juror (1996) as Rodney
- Nurse Betty (2000) as Merle
- Shutter Island (2010) as Ferry Boat Captain
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1977–2011 | All My Children | Billy Clyde Tuggle | Regular cast (1977–1980, 1984, 1989–1990, 2011) | [11] |
| 1983 | As the World Turns | Lonnie | [12] | |
| 1985 | Love on the Run | Yancy | TV movie | |
| 1986, 1987 | Loving | Eban Japes | 2 episodes | |
| 1987 | The Equalizer | Rapist #2 | Episode: "Nightscape" | |
| 1989 | Lonesome Dove | Monkey John | TV miniseries | |
| 1991 | Law & Order | Christian 'Lemonhead' Tatum | Episode: "Asylum" | |
| 1997 | The Bold and the Beautiful | Curtis Love | 13 episodes | |
| 2003 | Oz | Willy Brandt | 3 episodes | |
| 2008 | Law & Order: Special Victims Unit | Cyrus Wert | Episode: "Undercover" | |
| 2008–2009 | Life on Mars | Cowboy Dan | 4 episodes |
Stage credits
- Malcolm (1966) Broadway as Malcolm.[2]
- The Indian Wants the Bronx (1968), Astor Place Theatre
- The Time of Your Life (1969) as Dudley[2]
- Sweet Bird of Youth (1975–1976) as Tom Junior[2]
- Dirty Jokes (1976) at the Academy Festival Theatre in Chicago, Illinois
Bibliography
Plays
References
- Back to citation Simonson, Robert (May 27, 2014). "Matthew Cowles, Actor and Husband of Christine Baranski, Dies". Playbill. Retrieved June 3, 2020.
- Back to citation occurrence 2.0 Back to citation occurrence 2.1 Back to citation occurrence 2.2 Back to citation occurrence 2.3 League, The Broadway. "Matthew Cowles – Broadway Cast & Staff – IBDB". www.ibdb.com.
- Back to citation Lortel Archives
- Back to citation Gussow, Mel (March 11, 1984). "THEATER: MIRROR REP, IN A REVIVAL OF 'RAIN'". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved January 20, 2023.
- Back to citation occurrence 5.0 Back to citation occurrence 5.1 Back to citation occurrence 5.2 Back to citation occurrence 5.3 Back to citation occurrence 5.4 '2004 Speaker Biographies'. Samuel Dorsky Symposium on Public Monuments (2004) Archived January 29, 2009, at the Wayback Machine
- Back to citation PlayingOnAir (December 8, 2014). "Matthew Cowles". Playing On Air. Archived from the original on August 8, 2016. Retrieved August 4, 2016; PlayingOnAir (September 28, 2015). "New Podcast! GETTING IN by Frank Gilroy". Playing On Air. Archived from the original on July 1, 2016. Retrieved August 4, 2016; "Matthew Cowles". Playing On Air. Archived from the original on February 24, 2020. Retrieved February 24, 2020; PlayingOnAir (February 21, 2016). "New Podcast! The Strangest Kind of Romance by Tennessee Williams". Playing On Air. Archived from the original on August 8, 2016. Retrieved August 4, 2016.
- Back to citation Horyn, Cathy (April 15, 2011). "Christine Baranski: 'I Was Never Beautiful'". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved January 20, 2023.
- Back to citation "Matthew Cowles was not like his evil soap character – Archives". archives.rep-am.com. June 8, 2014.
- Back to citation Salfen, Ronald P. (February 20, 2008). "An Interview with Christine Baranski". Faith in Films. Archived from the original on February 24, 2020. Retrieved October 11, 2018.
- Back to citation "Actor Matthew Cowles Passes Away". Broadway World. Retrieved May 24, 2014.
- Back to citation "SUPER VILLAIN 'BILLY CLYDE TUGGLE' RETURNS TO THE BELOVED DRAMA 'ALL MY CHILDREN'" (PDF). Retrieved May 8, 2013.
- Back to citation Kaplan, Mike (1983). "Supporting Actor - Daytime Drama Series". Variety International Show Business Reference. Garland. p. 527. ISBN 9780824090890. Retrieved July 9, 2025.
External links
- Matthew Cowles at IMDb
- Matthew Cowles at the Internet Broadway Database
- Matthew Cowles at the Internet Off-Broadway Database (archived)