Matthew George Frewer (born January 4, 1958) is an American-Canadian actor and comedian. He portrayed the 1980s icon Max Headroom in the 1985 TV film and 1987 television series of the same name.
He became prominent when playing roles in films, like Russell Thompson Sr. in Honey, I Shrunk the Kids (1989), Jobe Smith in Lawnmower Man 2: Beyond Cyberspace (1996), Sherlock Holmes in a 2001 film adaptation of The Sign of Four, Frank in Dawn of the Dead (2004), Moloch in Watchmen (2009), Mitch in 50/50 (2011), and Archibald Stanley in Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb (2014).
His television credits include Dr. Mike Stratford in Doctor Doctor (1989–1991), Bob in Shaky Ground (1992–1993), Trashcan Man in The Stand (1994), Matt Prager in Psi Factor: Chronicles of the Paranormal (1997–1999), Dr. Jim Taggart in Eureka (2006–2012) and Doctor Leekie in the Canadian science fiction drama Orphan Black (2013–2017).
Frewer's more recent performances include a portrayal of "General #2" in the Steven Spielberg picture The BFG (2016), the character Carnage in the Netflix series Altered Carbon in 2018 and Logan in Fear the Walking Dead (2019). Also, he portrayed The Binder in three episodes of The Magicians and Peter Morton in eight episodes of The Order (2019−2020).
His voice roles include Panic in Hercules and its 1998 television series, Inspector 47 in The Magic School Bus, the Pink Panther in the 1993 television series of the same name, Lloyd Christmas in the Dumb and Dumber animated series, Jackal in Gargoyles and Dedgar Deadman in Toonsylvania.
Early life Frewer was born in Washington, D.C., to Canadian parents, one of five children born to Gillian Anne (née German)Obituary: Gillian Frewer, ottawacitizen.remembering.ca. Accessed December 29, 2022. and Captain Frederick Charlesley Frewer, a Royal Canadian Navy officer.Obituary: Frederick Frewer, ottawacitizen.remembering.ca. Accessed December 29, 2022. He was raised in Peterborough, Ontario, where he graduated from Lakefield College School. He went on to train at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School, graduating from its three-year acting course in 1980.
Career
Frewer portrayed the artificial intelligence character Max Headroom in the 1980s, starring in the 1985 eponymous science fiction television film; Frewer also played award-winning Network 23 journalist Edison Carter in the film. This led to a series on the UK Channel 4 network with the Max Headroom character as a video jockey and interviewer. This ran for two seasons, the second of which featured a studio audience with whom Max interacted. In 1987, an American series based upon the 1985 film aired, titled Max Headroom (1987–1988). From 1993 to 1995, Frewer voiced the Pink Panther for the television series. Frewer guest-starred in the fifth-season Star Trek: The Next Generation episode "A Matter of Time". He also portrayed Max Headroom in other media, including a series of television commercials for "New Coke" and "Radio Rentals", as well as the single and music video for "Paranoimia" by Art of Noise. He reprised this role in the science fiction comedy film Pixels (2015).
Frewer starred as Mike Stratford in Doctor Doctor (1989–1991). He also appeared as Trashcan Man in the television miniseries The Stand. Frewer has also appeared in such films as The Fourth Protocol (1987), Honey, I Shrunk the Kids (1989), National Lampoon's Senior Trip (1995), and the 2004 remake of Dawn of the Dead.
Frewer was nominated for two Gemini Awards in 2000, one for a guest appearance on Da Vinci's Inquest and another for his work on the series Mentors. He was a regular on Eureka during the series' first two seasons, playing Jim Taggart. He has done voice-over work on several animated projects, including Batman: The Animated Series (1993) and The Incredible Hulk (1996–1997). Frewer portrayed Matt Praeger in Psi Factor: Chronicles of the Paranormal from 1997 to 2000.
In 2009, Frewer portrayed the retired villain Moloch the Mystic in Watchmen and appeared as the White Knight in the December 2009 Syfy two-part miniseries Alice, based upon Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. He starred as Pestilence in two episodes of Season 5 of Supernatural. He has appeared in several adaptations of Stephen King stories, such as The Stand. Quicksilver Highway, Riding the Bullet, Desperation and Bag of Bones.
He played Dr. Aldous Leekie in the first two seasons of Orphan Black.
In 2018, Frewer portrayed Carnage in the Netflix series Altered Carbon. In the same year, Frewer was cast in the Netflix horror-drama series The Order.
Personal life
Frewer has been married to Amanda Hillwood since 1984 and the couple have a daughter."Max heads for the Hills: Matt Frewer brings hearth, home and family to the Gatineau Hills -- and hints he just might be ready to resurrect Max Headroom" by Tony Atherton, The Hamilton Spectator (7 Feb, 1998) [Final Edition] Retrieved from "Horror to the Max; Creator of legendary mid-'80s cyber-character tackles the awful drama of Darfur" by Michael D Reid, The Times Colonist (4 Feb, 2010) Retrieved from In 1989, they bought a house in Marina del Rey, California.
Filmography Film Year Title Role Notes 1983 The Lords of Discipline Senior The Crimson Permanent Assurance Very Big Corporation of America Yuppie Short filmSegment: Monty Python's The Meaning of Life 1984 Supergirl Eddie the Truck Driver 1985 Spies Like Us Soldier #2 1987 The Fourth Protocol Tom McWhirter Ishtar CIA Agent #3 1989 Speed Zone Alec Stewart Honey, I Shrunk the Kids Russell 'Russ' Thompson, Sr. Far from Home Charlie Cox 1990 Short Time Ernie Dills 1991 The Taking of Beverly Hills Ed Kelvin 1993 Twenty Bucks Receding Bingo Winner 1995 Return to Two Moon Junction Cleo, Leo Uncredited Driving Mr. Pink The Pink Panther (voice) Short film National Lampoon's Senior Trip Principal Todd Moss BugHunt Edward Schulze (voice) 1996 Lawnmower Man 2: Beyond Cyberspace Jobe Smith 1997 Hercules Panic (voice) A green check mark indicates that a role has been confirmed using a screenshot (or collage of screenshots) of a title's list of voice actors and their respective characters found in its credits or other reliable sources of information. 1998 Heartwood Frank Burris (voice) Uncredited 1999 6ix Satan, Nathan, Lucy, Mother, Father Short film Hercules: Zero to Hero Panic (voice) Direct-to-video 2000 Cyberworld Frazzled (voice) Short film 2004 Dawn of the Dead Frank A Home at the End of the World Ned Glover Going the Distance Farmer Joseph Intern Academy Dr. Anton Keller Geraldine's Fortune Cameron Geary Riding the Bullet Mr. Clarkson 2007 Weirdsville Jason Taylor 2009 Watchmen Moloch Rampage Mr. Williamson Darfur Ted Duncan 2010 Frankie and Alice Dr. Strassfield 2011 Wushu Warrior Lord Edward Lindsey 50/50 Mitch Foreverland Mr. Steadman 2014 Rampage: Capital Punishment Mr. Williamson (voice) Uncredited Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb Archibald Stanley Cameo 2015 Pixels Max Headroom (voice) 2016 The BFG General #2 2017 Residue Mr. Fairweather TBA Casket Girls Post-production
Television YearTitleRoleNotes 1984 The First Olympics: Athens 1896 Francis Lane Television miniseries 1985 Max Headroom: 20 Minutes Into The Future Max Headroom, Edison Carter Television film 1986 Robin of Sherwood Roger de Carnac Episode "The Betrayal" 1987 St. Elsewhere Pee-Wee, Walter Sandler Episode: "No Chemo, Sabe?" 1987–1988 Max Headroom Max Headroom, Edison Carter 14 episodes 1988 Miami Vice Cliff King Episodes: "Hostile Takeover" and "Redemption in Blood" Sesame Street Max Headroom 2 episodes 1989–1991 Doctor Doctor Dr. Mike Stratford Lead role, 40 episodes 1991 Star Trek: The Next Generation Berlinghoff Rasmussen Episode: "A Matter of Time" 1992 Tiny Toon Adventures Mac Duff (voice) 2 episodes 1992–1993 Shaky Ground Bob Moody 17 episodes 1992 Eerie, Indiana Howard Paymer Episode: "Tornado Days" 1993 Batman: The Animated Series Sid the Squid / Sidney Debris (voice) Episode: "The Man Who Killed Batman" Bonkers Peter Blaine (voice) Episode: "Trains, Toons, and Toon Trains" 1993–1996 The Pink Panther The Pink Panther (voice) Main role 1993 The Day My Parents Ran Away Bob Miller Television film 1994 In Search of Dr. Seuss The Cat in the Hat American Playhouse Ambassador Edwin Reischauer Episode: "Long Shadows" 1994–1996 Gargoyles Jackal (voice) 7 episodes Itsy Bitsy Spider The Exterminator (voice) 26 episodes 1994 The Stand Trashcan Man Miniseries, 4 episodes Aladdin Chaos (voice) Episode: "When Chaos Comes Calling" 1995 Captain Planet and the Planeteers Adolf Hitler (voice) Episode: "A Good Bomb Is Hard To Find" 1995–1996 Dumb and Dumber Lloyd Christmas (voice) 13 episodes 1996 Generation X Russel Tresh Television film 1996–1997 The Incredible Hulk The Leader (voice) 10 episodes 1996 Iron Man Episode: "Hulk Buster" Bruno the Kid Bobby Vicious (voice) Episode: "Searching for Bobby Vicious" Quack Pack Additional voices Episode: "Tasty Paste" Mighty Ducks: The Animated Series Dr. Wally Pretorius (voice) Episode: "The Human Factor" The Outer Limits Norman Glass Episode: "First Anniversary" Apollo 11 Gene Kranz Television film The Magic School Bus Inspector 47 (voice) Episode: "In the Rainforest" Late Night with Conan O'Brien Himself 1 Episode 1997 Quicksilver Highway Dr. Charles "Charlie" George Television film Dead Man's Gun Norbert Datry Episode: "Fool's Gold - Pilot #2" Tracey Takes On... Bob Episode: "Supernatural" Desert's Edge Greg Television film 1997–1999 Psi Factor: Chronicles of the Paranormal Matt Praeger 49 episodes 1997 Dead Fire Max Durbin Television film Breast Men Gerald Krzemien 1998 Toonsylvania Dedgar Deadman (voice) 14 episodes 1998–1999 Hercules Panic (voice) 24 episodes 1999 Mentors Frederick Banting Episode: "A Transient, Shining Trouble" Mickey Mouse Works Toymaker (voice) Episode: "#1.4" 2000 Da Vinci's Inquest Larry Williams 2 episodes Jailbait Al Fisher Television film The Hound of the Baskervilles Sherlock Holmes 2001–2002 House of Mouse Panic, Toymaker (voice) 6 episodes 2001 The Sign of Four Sherlock Holmes Television film The Royal Scandal 2002 The Case of the Whitechapel Vampire Taken Dr. Chet Wakeman 6 episodesTelevision miniseries 2004 The Eleventh Hour Dr. Lansing Episode: "Wonderland" 2005 Masters of Horror Wally Episode: "Chocolate" 2006 Desperation Ralph Carver Television film 2006–2007 Intelligence Ted Altman 26 episodes 2006–2012 Eureka Dr. Jim Taggart 18 episodes 2009 Alice White Knight Television miniseries 2010 Battle of the Bulbs Stu Jones Television film How I Met Your Mother Carriage Driver UncreditedEpisode: "Of Course" Supernatural Pestilence, Dr. Green 2 episodes 2011 Bag of Bones Sid Noonan Television miniseries 2012–2013 Falling Skies General Bressler 7 episodes 2012 Delete Arthur Bowden Television miniseries 2013–2017 Orphan Black Dr. Aldous Leekie 11 episodes 2013 Witches of East End Vidar 2 episodes 2014 The Knick Dr. J.M. Christiansen 5 episodes 2014–2015 The Librarians Dulaque, Lancelot 2015 Olympus Daedalus, Prometheus 12 episodes 2016 The Art of More Paul Rice 6 episodes 12 Monkeys Dr. Kirschner Episode: "Fatherland" 2016–2017 Timeless Anthony Bruhl 5 episodes 2016 Love in Paradise Dr. Frank Television film 2017–2018 Castlevania The Bishop (voice) 4 episodes 2018 Altered Carbon Carnage 3 episodes The Truth About the Harry Quebert Affair Reverend Kellergan Miniseries, 10 episodes 2019 The Order Peter Morton 7 episodes 2019–2020 The Magicians The Binder 3 episodes 2019 Fear the Walking Dead Logan 6 episodes 2020 Perry Mason Judge Fred Wright 3 episodes 2025 The Hunting Party Dr. Henry Dulles 4 episodes
Video games YearTitleRoleNotes1997HerculesPanic Disney's Animated Storybook: Hercules 1998 Disney's Hades Challenge 2012 Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom
Radio Tales from the Mausoleum Club: Episode 2, "Heart of Skegness"
Awards and nominations