Matt Letscher

Letscher was born on June 26, 1970 in Grosse Pointe, Michigan.{{Cite web |date=2022-06-22 |title=Matt Letscher - Actor |url=https://www.tvinsider.com/people/matt-letscher/ |access-date=2025-05-16 |website=TV Insider |language=en-US}} 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.{{cite web|url=https://smtd.umich.edu/alumni/department-lists/theatre-drama-alumni/ |title=UM School of Music, Theatre & Dance - Department of Theatre & Drama - Alumni |publisher=Music.umich.edu |access-date=2014-01-07}}

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, The Beach Boys: An American Family, When Billie Beat Bobby, and Stolen Innocence. He also reunited with Daniels in Gods and Generals (the prequel of Gettysburg) 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 (Mark Feuerstein) for the affection of Dylan (Ashley Williams).{{cite magazine |last1=Karger |first1=Dave |title=Fall TV Preview |url=https://ew.com/article/2002/09/13/fall-tv-preview/ |magazine=Entertainment Weekly |access-date=December 2, 2021|date=September 13, 2002}} 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.Director's Comedy, DVD Straight-Jacket 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 Nathan Stone, the prophet'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.{{cite web |last1=Briganti |first1=Vicki |title='The Carrie Diaries' Matt Letscher Remembers the '80|url=https://cwpittsburgh.cbslocal.com/2013/02/11/the-carrie-diaries-matt-letscher-only-castmate-who-remembers-80s-learns-from-the-kids/?amp |website=The CW Pittsburgh |access-date=December 2, 2021 |date=February 11, 2013}}{{cite web|author=Michael Ausiello |url=http://tvline.com/2012/05/11/carrie-diaries-arrow-fall-tv-shows-2012-cw/ |title=The Carrie Diaries, Arrow and Beauty and the Beast TV Shows Picked Up By The CW |publisher=TVLine |date=2012-05-11 |access-date=2014-01-07}} The show ran for two seasons from 2013 until 2014.{{cite web |last1=Harp |first1=Justin |title=Carrie Diaries cancelled by The CW |url=https://www.digitalspy.com/tv/ustv/a569714/the-cw-cancels-the-carrie-diaries-passes-on-supernatural-spinoff/ |website=Digital Spy |access-date=December 2, 2021 |date=May 8, 2014}} He appeared in the 2013 films, Atom Egoyan's Devil's Knot (about The West Memphis Three) and Spike Jonze's comedy Her, opposite Amy Adams.{{cite web |url=http://www.cwtv.com/shows/the-carrie-diaries/cast/matt-letscher |title=The Carrie Diaries cast bio |access-date=2013-02-04 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130120072825/http://www.cwtv.com/shows/the-carrie-diaries/cast/matt-letscher |archive-date=2013-01-20 }} Letscher portrayed Eobard Thawne / Reverse-Flash, initially in a recurring role on The Flash and later as a regular in season two of Legends of Tomorrow,{{cite magazine |last1=Abrams |first1=Natalie |title='The Flash': Matt Letscher returning as Reverse-Flash |url=http://www.ew.com/article/2015/12/23/flash-matt-letscher-reverse-flash-return |magazine=Entertainment Weekly |access-date=December 2, 2021 |language=en |date=December 23, 2015}} and reprised the role in two episodes of its seventh season.{{cite web |last=Mitovich |first=Matt Webb |title=Legends of Tomorrow: Matt Letscher Returning as Thawne — Here's Why |url=https://tvline.com/2022/01/13/legends-of-tomorrow-matt-letscher-eobard-thawne-season-7-episode-10-11/ |website=TVLine |access-date=January 14, 2022 |date=January 13, 2022}}

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.{{Cite web|url=https://www.encoremichigan.com/2016/03/tickets-on-sale-now-for-purple-roses-gaps-in-the-fossil-record/|title=Tickets on sale now for Purple Rose's "Gaps in the Fossil Record"|last=Kiley|first=Anne|date=Mar 8, 2016|website=Encore Michigan|access-date=Sep 25, 2019}}

In 2010, he co-wrote (with Nipper Knapp and Andrew Newberg) and starred in the comedy pilot Gentrification, which won best writing at the Comedy Central New York Television Festival.

Letscher has a wife, Jennifer,{{cite web |url=http://www.broadway.com/shows/language-archive/photos/a-perfectly-scripted-opening-night-for-the-language-archive/156411/language-archive-opening-night-mark-letscher-wife-jennifer |title=A Perfectly Scripted Opening Night for The Language Archive |publisher=Broadway.com |date=October 18, 2010 |access-date=February 19, 2014}} and two children.{{cite news |last=Hoffner |first=Josh |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=2482&dat=20050101&id=IkZJAAAAIBAJ&pg=3289,613626 |title=Matt Letscher makes transition from Must See TV to theater |newspaper=The Post and Courier |date=January 2, 2005 |page=2E |access-date=February 19, 2014}}{{dead link|date=September 2023}}

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• [http://superherospeak.com/wp/175-matt-letscher/ Matt Letscher] interview with Super Hero Speak

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Category:20th-century American male actors

Category:21st-century American male actors

Category:21st-century American dramatists and playwrights

Category:American male film actors

Category:American male stage actors

Category:American male television actors

Category:Living people

Category:Male actors from Michigan

Category:University of Michigan School of Music, Theatre & Dance alumni

Category:Year of birth missing (living people)