In the Beginning
Matthew Chandler Fox was born July 15, 1966, and is an American actor known for a number of different roles including several high grossing television shows. He was born in Abington, Pennsylvania, the son of Loretta B. and Francis G. Fox. His family was mostly of English descent, though his mother was half Italian. At one year old, his family moved to Wyoming and settled in Crowheart on the Wind River Indian Reservation. His mother was a teacher, and his father performed multiple jobs. He raised livestock, consulted for an oil company, and even grew barley in exchange for Coors beer. When he was younger, Fox’s parents worked as caretakers for the Bitterroot Ranch outside of Dubois. His childhood was relatively normal, and he graduated from a Wyoming high school. Following high school he attended Deerfield Academy for a post-graduate year, and then moved on to Colombia University, majoring in Economics. He also played football and became a brother of the Phi Gamma Delta Fraternity.
Career Accomplishments
The first performance that Fox ever gave was in a student film which can still be viewed online, and at the age of 25, he made his television debut on an episode of the popular sitcom, Wings. His first starring role came shortly after on a television drama called Freshman Dorm, which was short-lived, to say the least. While that role might have faded, he went on to play the role of Charlie in the CBS Schoolbreak special series. Because he never spent much time in the spotlight, however, he was never actually given a recurring or starring role. He was, however, cast in more than a few supporting roles which would help to increase his fame and give him the exposure that he needed. He was eventually given a chance on the big screen with the movie ‘My Boyfriend’s Back’ in 1993. He got his big break in 1994 with the Fox show, Party of Five, a teen drama that started in 1990. He played Charlie Salinger, the eldest of five brothers and sisters who lost their parents in a car accident. He co-starred with several who would go on to become big names in the industry including Scott Wolf, Neve Campbell, Jenifer Love Hewitt, and Lacey Chabert. In 1996, People Magazine named him one of the 50 most beautiful people in the world. Party of Five was canceled after its sixth season, and Fox went to another TV series, Haunted, in 2002. In 2004 Fox played the role that he is now most known for Dr. Jack Shephard on Lost. Originally he auditioned for the role of James Ford or Sawyer, but J. J. Abrams decided he would work far better in the role of Jack, and let’s just say we’re all glad he made that decision. Originally, Jack was supposed to star in only the pilot episode, but obviously, he lasted from 2004 to 2010. In addition to that, he was nominated for a Golden Globe and won the 2005 Satellite Award in 2005 for his role in Lost. Famously, Fox stated that after Lost he was done with television and would only star in movies. So far, he has kept that promise. In 2011 he starred in a stage play, ‘In a Forest, Dark and Deep’ with Olivia Williams. On December 2, 2006, Fox served as the host for Saturday Night Live alongside several other stars, and he played a small part in the action film Smokin’ Aces. He also starred in Vantage Point in 2008, and Racer X in the movie Speed Racer based on a popular anime. He has appeared in several other movies, one of which was Alex Cross, and another being World War Z.
Most Known For
Matt Fox is currently best known for his starring role on Lost. Though there were many other actors on the show, it could be argued that he was essentially the main character.
Where Is He Now?
He is still an actor and is involved in a project called Welcome to Harmony.
