Matt Letscher


Matthew Letscher is an American actor, director and playwright, known for his roles as Captain Harrison Love in the 1998 American swashbuckler film The Mask of Zorro and as Colonel Adelbert Ames in the 2003 American film Gods and Generals. He co-starred in the 2016 Michael Bay film , playing Ambassador J. Christopher Stevens. He has also portrayed Eobard Thawne / Reverse-Flash in The Flash and Legends of Tomorrow.

Personal life

Letscher was born in Grosse Pointe, Michigan, the older brother to actor Brian Letscher. He attended college at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan, where he was a member of the Sigma Nu fraternity and a drama major. He is married to Jennifer, with two children.

Acting

Letscher got his first professional acting job with a role in The Tropic Pickle, during the second season of Jeff Daniels' Purple Rose Theatre Company in Chelsea, Michigan. Letscher impressed Daniels enough that the veteran arranged a meeting for Letscher with Ron Maxwell, the director of Gettysburg. After appearing in a small role, Letscher took advice from Daniels and moved to Los Angeles. He quickly found work in guest roles on television.
In 1995, Letscher was cast as the naive television writer in the Nancy Travis sitcom Almost Perfect, which lasted for a season and a half. He went on to appear as series regular in Living in Captivity in 1998. The same year, he appeared in the film The Mask of Zorro as the villain Captain Harrison Love. He appeared in the miniseries Jackie, Ethel, Joan: Women of Camelot and in the television films King of Texas, , When Billie Beat Bobby, and Stolen Innocence. He also reunited with Daniels in Gods and Generals and Daniels' directorial effort Super Sucker. Letscher also returned to The Purple Rose Theatre in the world premiere of Landford Wilson's play Rain Dance.
In 2002, the comedy pilot Good Morning, Miami was picked up by NBC as part of Must See TV Thursday comedy block, but Burke Moses was replaced by Letscher and a second pilot had to be filmed. The romantic comedy sitcom featured Letscher as a smarmy former network anchor who was the primary romantic rival to main character Jake Silver for the affection of Dylan. Despite the series receiving negative reviews, Letscher and Constance Zimmer were standouts in the series and eventually paired up as a combative couple. But the show was canceled midway though its second season due to low ratings.
His performance in Good Morning, Miami led to him being cast in the lead in the film Straight-Jacket, opposite Carrie Preston, about a gay Hollywood actor forced to marry a beard in the 1950s. His flair for classical farce also led to him being cast in the leading role of Capt. Jack Absolute in the Lincoln Center theater production of Richard Brinsley Sheridan's The Rivals. Letscher was praised for his spirited performance and his costar Robert Easton referred to Letscher as "a perfect classical actor."
Letscher was in the cast of Joey, and had a recurring role on The New Adventures of Old Christine and numerous guest starring roles. After appearing as a kind neighbor in Alan Ball's Towelhead, Letscher was cast in Eli Stone, as prophet Nathan Stone's kind-hearted older brother. Despite low ratings, the dramedy series had loyal fans and critical acclaim, earning it a second season which included a larger role for Letscher. His work on Greg Berlanti's Eli Stone lead to his arc on Berlanti's Brothers & Sisters as a love interest for the married Kitty Walker.
In 2012, Letscher starred in the series Bent and Scandal, and was cast in the series The Carrie Diaries as Tom Bradshaw, Carrie Bradshaw's widowed father, which premiered in 2013. He appeared in the 2013 films, Atom Egoyan's Devil's Knot and Spike Jonze's comedy Her, opposite Amy Adams. Since 2015, Letscher has been portraying Professor Eobard Thawne / Reverse-Flash, initially in a recurring role on The Flash and reprised his role as a series regular in season two of Legends of Tomorrow.

Writing

In June 2007, Jeff Daniels' Purple Rose Theatre Company in Chelsea, Michigan, staged the world premiere of Letscher's original play Sea of Fools, a farce set in Joseph McCarthy-era Hollywood. Film director Elia Kazan is a character in the play. Daniels initially planned to direct the play but pulled out, allowing Letscher to also direct the play.
In 2009, his play Gaps in the Fossil Record was staged at the Pacific Resident Theater, then had its world premiere production at the Purple Rose Theatre in 2016.
In 2010, he co-wrote and starred in the comedy pilot Gentrification, which won best writing at the Comedy Central New York Television Festival.

Filmography

YearFilmRoleNotes
1993GettysburgYoung 2nd Maine man
1994Not This Part of the World
1995Prehysteria! 3NeedlemeyerDirect-to-video
1996Power 98EddieVoice
1997LovelifeDanny
1998'Captain Harrison LoveNominated—Blockbuster Entertainment Award for Best Villain
2000John John in the SkyJohn Clairborne
2002Super SuckerHoward Butterworth
2003Gods and GeneralsColonel Adelbert Ames
2003IdentityGreg
2004Straight-JacketGuy Stone
2005MadisonOwen
2005Heart of the BeholderMike Howard
2007TowelheadGil Hines
2010Radio Free AlbemuthMr. Brady
2013Devil's KnotPaul Ford
2013HerCharles
2014Teacher of the YearMitch Carter
2015Day Out of DaysJason
2016'Ambassador Chris Stevens
2019CountdownCharlie Harris

YearTitleRoleNotes
1993'RickEpisode: "Rush Week"
1994Silk StalkingsHarley EastlakeEpisode: "Head 'N' Tail"
1994Dr. Quinn, Medicine WomanTom JenningsEpisode: "Life and Death"
1994'Daniel PalmerEpisode: "The Fourteenth Floor"
1994EllenSteve MorganEpisode: "The Toast"
1994Long ShadowsNathanTelevision film
1995Vanishing SonEpisode: "Holy Ghosts"
1995'Episode: "Heartburned"
1995Silk StalkingsJeff ChadwickEpisode: "I Know What Scares You"
1995Stolen InnocenceEddieTelevision film
1995–1997Almost PerfectRob PaleyMain role; 34 episodes
1998Living in CaptivityWill MarekMain role; 7 episodes
1999NYPD BlueWitnessEpisode: "What's Up, Chuck?"
1999Love, American StyleNedEpisode: "Love in the Old South"
2000'Mike LoveTelevision film
2001'Ted KennedyMiniseries; 2 episodes
2001When Billie Beat BobbyLarry KingTelevision film
2002ProvidenceKevin Norris3 episodes
2002King of TexasEmmett WestoverTelevision film
2002–2003Good Morning, MiamiGavin StoneMain role; 31 episodes
2004–2005JoeyEric Garrett5 episodes
2005Criminal MindsVincent ShyerEpisode: "Broken Mirror"
2006–2007'Burton Schaefer5 episodes
2006'Peter BlakeEpisode: "Welcome to Wherever You Are"
2006SavedRobbie ColeEpisode: "Family"
2006JusticeWill BechtelEpisode: "Shark Week"
2007Boston LegalADA Adam MerselEpisode: "Angel of Death"
2007'Dr. Mike LaskerEpisode: "Broken Home |Broken Home"
2008–2009Eli StoneNathan StoneMain role; 21 episodes
2009–2010Brothers & SistersAlec Tyler5 episodes
2009EntourageDan Coakley3 episodes
2009MediumDr. Erik WestphalEpisode: "You Give Me Fever"
2010Drop Dead DivaA.J. FowlerEpisode: "Good Grief"
2010Amish GraceGideon GraberTelevision film
2011'Adam BorasEpisode: "Two Courts"
2011Pound PuppiesHunky man, ticket seller, RefVoice; episode: "Quintuplets"
2012BentBen5 episodes
2012–2013ScandalBilly Chambers8 episodes
2013–2014'Tom BradshawMain role; 26 episodes
2014Boardwalk EmpireJoseph P. Kennedy4 episodes
2014–2015CastleHenry Jenkins3 episodes
2014'Major Bernard MillsEpisode: "Angle of Attack"
2015'Charles Hayward2 episodes
2015–2016'Eobard Thawne / Reverse-FlashRecurring role; 5 episodes
2016–2017Legends of TomorrowEobard Thawne / Reverse-FlashMain role ; 12 episodes
2017Hell's KitchenHimselfGuest diner; Episode: "Tequila Shots?"
2018Will & GraceJames Wise3 episodes
2018–2020'Jaime Kuykendall11 episodes
2020The Angel of DarknessWilliam Randolph Hearstpre-production

YearTitleRoleNotes
2009DadEpisode: "Piñata Hustler"
2014–2016One & DoneMatthewMain role; 7 episodes
Also co-creator, writer, director, and producer

YearTitleRole
2010BioShock 2Additional voices – Minerva's Den

Theater

YearPlayTheater/Company
2007Sea of FoolsPurple Rose Theatre
2009Gaps in the Fossil RecordPacific Resident Theatre
2016Gaps in the Fossil RecordPurple Rose Theatre