One of the most memorable teen stars in contemporary Hollywood, Matt Dillon earned fame in the 1980s by starring in a series of ‘troubled youth’ films that made him America’s most lovable bad boy. Now an Oscar-nominated actor, Dillon has matured into a talented performer with distinguished credits like 2005’s “Crash”, “To Die For”, and a smattering of beloved comedies.
Dillon was born on February 18, 1964 in New Rochelle, New York, and grew up in the nearby town of Mamaroneck. He was only 14 when talent scouts spotted him at the Hommocks School in Larchmont, New York, and he was soon cast in the 1979 film “Over the Edge”. Inspired by actual events, the film depicted a suburban teenage rebellion that was deemed too controversial for major theatrical release. Now a cult classic, it was a stepping stone to Hollywood stardom for Dillon, and his next few films expanded his popularity. Among these early roles, the 1980 releases “Little Darlings” and “My Bodyguard” were his most successful, and brought him to the attention of legendary “Godfather” director Francis Ford Coppola. The famed director cast Dillon in his two S.E. Hinton adaptations, “The Outsiders” and “Rumble Fish”, which made the young actor a major teen idol. He followed by co-starring with Gene Hackman in the Arthur Penn-directed “Target” in addition to a few unmemorable films like “Rebel” and “Native Son”.
Gus Van Sant gave Dillon his major break as a serious actor, casting him in the lead role of his 1989 addiction tale “Drugstore Cowboy”. Dillon gave an unpredictable, touching, and often hilarious performance as a drug-addled drifter trying to keep his misfit band of addicts from destroying themselves. Despite the film’s critical success, Dillon entered a dry spell in the early 90s despite receiving terrific notices for films like “The Saint of Fort Washington”. Another Van Sant film revived his career in 1995, the wickedly funny “To Die For”. Playing the trashy husband of a vindictive, career-obsessed Nicole Kidman, Dillon gave another terrific performance in an against-type role. A sensitive, subtle turn in “Beautiful Girls” followed, and in 1998 he starred in the sleeper smash “Wild Things” in addition to the Farrelly Brothers gut-roller “There’s Something About Mary”. Recently Dillon has appeared in the quirky “One Night at McCool’s” with Michael Douglas and Liv Tyler and in 2005’s Best Picture Oscar winner “Crash”. The latter film saw Dillon aggressively portray a racist L.A. police officer, earning him an Oscar nomination and heaps of acclaim.
Dillon’s next film is “You, Me, and Dupree”, an anti-buddy comedy co-starring Kate Hudson, Owen Wilson, and Michael Douglas. Always unpredictable, Dillon is on a roll after his Oscar nod and remains one of Hollywood’s most versatile and charming actors.