Matt Ryan (actor)

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Matt Ryan
Matt Ryan At Wales Comic-Con Homecoming Wrexham 2022.jpg
Ryan at Wales Comic-Con Homecoming Wrexham 2022
Born
Matthew Darren Evans

(1981-04-11) 11 April 1981 (age 43)
Swansea, Wales
Alma mater Bristol Old Vic Theatre School
OccupationActor
Years active2001–present

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.

Contents

Early life

Ryan 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

When 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

Ryan at San Diego Comic-Con in 2014 Matt Ryan, Constantine, 2014 Comic Con.jpg
Ryan at San Diego Comic-Con in 2014

Film

YearTitleRoleNotes
2002Pocket MoneyJohnnyShort film
2004 Layer Cake Junkie 2
2007 Blood Monkey SethDirect-to-video
2008 Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day Gerry
2011 Flypaper Rupert Gates
2013 Armistice Edward Sterling
2014Heart of LightnessStranger
500 Miles NorthJohn Hogg
2015John 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

YearTitleRoleNotes
2001 Nuts and Bolts Gilly
2004 Mine All Mine Tonker2 episodes
2007 The Tudors Richard Pace 3 episodes
Consenting Adults Charley BullardTelevision film
2008 Torchwood DaleEpisode: "Meat"
HolbyBlue FrankieSeason 2, episode 7
2009 Wild Decembers BuglerTelevision film
Collision Dave BrownMiniseries; 5 episodes
2010 Criminal Minds Mick RawsonEpisode: "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'HaraMain role; 8 episodes [17]
2017–2022 Legends of Tomorrow John ConstantineRecurring role (season 3); [18] main role (season 4season 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 ConstantineEpisode: "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

PlayYearRoleTheatreDirector
Small Change2008Gerard Donmar Warehouse Peter Gill
Hamlet 2009HoratioDonmar production at the Wyndham's Theatre Michael Grandage
Look Back in Anger 2012Cliff Royal Court Theatre Polly Stenham
The Tempest Caliban Theatre Royal, Bath Adrian Noble
Henry V 2014Fluellen Noël Coward Theatre Michael Grandage
Therese Raquin 2015Laurent Roundabout Theatre, Broadway Evan Cabnet
Knives in Hens2017GilbertDonmar Warehouse Yaël Farber

Video games

YearTitleRoleNotes
2013 Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag Edward Kenway Voice and motion capture

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References

  1. 1 2 Price, Karen (29 June 2009). "Understudy ready to rise to the Hamlet challenge". Western Mail. Cardiff, Wales. Retrieved 2 April 2011.
  2. 1 2 3 Price, Karen (18 November 2013). "Welsh actor reunites with Jude Law for major stage drama". walesonline.co.uk. Retrieved 17 December 2017.
  3. 1 2 Cox, Gordon (10 June 2015). "Matt Ryan of Constantine, Judith Light Join Keira Knightley on Broadway". Variety .
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