Richard Matt

Played by Benicio Del Toro

Richard Matt

Richard Matt is a shrewd and mercurial force within the maximum-security Clinton Correctional prison, equally comfortable threatening to murder a fellow inmate in his sleep or putting the finishing touches on a portrait of Julia Roberts. Matt believes in the power of positive thinking and when he catches a glimpse of the hidden place behind his cell, he knows he can escape.   

Richard Matt is a shrewd and mercurial force within the maximum-security Clinton Correctional prison, equally comfortable threatening to murder a fellow inmate in his sleep or putting the finishing touches on a portrait of Julia Roberts. Matt believes in the power of positive thinking and when he catches a glimpse of the hidden place behind his cell, he knows he can escape.   

Benicio Del Toro

Benicio Del Toro has earned critical accolades throughout his career, winning an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role in Steven Soderbergh’s TRAFFIC, as well as an Oscar nomination for his work in Alejandro Gonzales Inarritu’s 21 GRAMS. Del Toro re-teamed with Soderbergh to star in CHE, winning the 2008 Best Actor award at Cannes and Best Actor in a Leading Role at the Goya Awards in Madrid.

Earlier this year, Del Toro starred in Stefano Sollima’s SICARIO: DAY OF THE SOLDADO, the follow up to Denis Villeneuve’s SICARIO, for which he received a BAFTA Award nomination. He appeared in AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR, reprising his role from James Gunn’s 2014 action film, GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY, and he appeared in Rian Johnson’s STAR WARS: THE LAST JEDI.

Del Toro’s previous works include Fernando Leon de Aranoa’s A PERFECT DAY; Andrea Di Stefano’s ESCOBAR: PARADISE LOST; Paul Thomas Anderson’s INHERENT VICE; Arnaud Desplechin’s JIMMY P; Joe Johnston’s THE WOLFMAN; Oliver Stone’s SAVAGES; the film adaptation of Frank Miller’s graphic novel SIN CITY, directed by Robert Rodriquez; Peter Weir's FEARLESS; George Huang's SWIMMING WITH SHARKS; Mark Osborne’s animated drama THE LITTLE PRINCE; Abel Ferrara's THE FUNERAL; Guy Ritchie's SNATCH; Sean Penn's THE INDIAN RUNNER and THE PLEDGE; Christopher McQuarrie's THE WAY OF THE GUN; William Friedkin's THE HUNTED; Susanne Bier’s THINGS WE LOST IN THE FIRE; and Terry Gilliam's FEAR AND LOATHING IN LAS VEGAS.

Del Toro made his motion picture debut in John Glen's LICENSE TO KILL. His performance in TRAFFIC also garnered a Golden Globe, a Screen Actors Guild Award, a BAFTA Award, the Silver Bear Award at the Berlin International Film Festival, as well as citations from the New York Film Critics Circle, the National Society of Film Critics and the Chicago Film Critics Association. His work in 21 GRAMS also earned Del Toro the Audience Award for Best Actor at the 2003 Venice International Film Festival. He earned Independent Spirit Awards for his performances in Bryan Singer's THE USUAL SUSPECTS, in Julian Schnabel's BASQUIAT and for best ensemble in Paul Thomas Anderson’s INHERENT VICE.

Born in Puerto Rico, Del Toro grew up in Pennsylvania. He attended the University of California at San Diego, where he appeared in numerous student productions, one of which led to his performance at a drama festival at the Lafayette Theater in New York. Del Toro studied at the Stella Adler Conservatory under the tutelage of Arthur Mendoza.

Cast & Characters

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