Date of Birth:
March 25, 1970
Place of Birth:
Spalding, Saskatchewan, Canada
Biography:
Starring on ABC’s highly anticipated, supernatural, one-hour drama “Invasion,” Canadian beauty Kari Matchett (pronounced Kah’-ree Match’-it), is one of this season’s hottest television stars. The striking blonde, Gemini Award-winner is destined to be the next “it” girl, having already proven her acting muscle opposite Timothy Hutton, Jane Seymour, Charles Bronson, Brian Dennehey, Joe Montegna and Jennifer Lopez, to name a few.
With the premiere of “Invasion,” Matchett is truly the “eye of the storm” as the sexy, smart and very mysterious “Dr. Mariel Underlay,” who is as intriguing as the activities that transpire around her. Married to the local sheriff (in addition to being the former wife of the town’s park ranger), Matchett’s character is front and center after she is found unconscious on the beach in this alien-attack adventure.
“I am honored to be a part of ‘Invasion,' Matchett explains. “The script has a lot of power and I am thrilled to work with Thommy Schlamme and Shaun Cassidy. Right after my audition, Shaun told me that I rocked. I maintained composure and stepped out of the room, at which point I did a little happy dance and had one of those moments where it felt like everything in my life made perfect sense."
With all the hype centered around Cassidy’s newest creation, Matchett is excited to relocate to Los Angeles and take her career to the next level. And if her successful career in Canada is any indication of what is yet to come in America, Matchett’s life will mirror the whirlwind of intrigue that surrounds this new show.
Matchett was born in the small rural town of Spalding, Saskatchewan where passing motorists can now see a sign welcoming them to her birthplace. Her childhood was spent riding horses and running around on the prairies. With the nearest city almost two hours away, Spalding was the ideal place for a young girl to foster the imagination and creativity indicative of a talented artist. At the age of 7, she moved to Lethbridge, Alberta where she was drawn to dance, acting and music classes.
By the age of 12, Matchett’s talent and striking looks blossomed, and soon she decided that she wanted to be an actor when she grew up. Her commitments to making this dream come true led her to Red Deer, Alberta where she attended Red Deer College. She then got accepted to the prestigious National Theater School in Montreal where only 13 students are accepted annually out of over 1000 applicants. Kari furthered her education studying Chekhov at the Moscow Theater School in Russia.
As soon as Matchett graduated, she immediately started working in front of the camera. She landed the role of the beautiful, savvy hockey team president on the popular TV series “Power Play” where her performance earned her a Gemini nomination. After her second Gemini nomination for her performance in “A Colder Kind of Death,” Matchett landed a role opposite Jennifer Lopez in "Angel Eyes."
She then portrayed a brittle wife in the Canadian box office smash "Men with Brooms," the great epic about the sport of curling, written and directed by Paul Gross and later starred opposite Timothy Hutton in the critically acclaimed A&E series, “Nero Wolfe.”
For her performance in “Nero Wolfe,” Matchett received an ACTRA “Best Actress” award nomination, which is the Canadian equivalent of a SAG award. Based on the Rex Stout novels, this versatile actress played a different character in nearly every episode. It was not her first time playing different roles in the same series. “Playing a different character in each episode means you are never bored or stereotyped. I read the script over and over again until the character becomes clear. Then I work on the vision, speech and walk….and the physicality emerges,” explains the dedicated actress.
Matchett recently moved to Los Angeles to shoot “Invasion” and loves living by the beach. In what little spare time she has, Matchett enjoys playing guitar, singing, traveling and reading, as she has a passionate love for classic novels and poetry. In order to maintain her great shape, Matchett is an avid runner and also enjoys practicing yoga. She enjoys volunteering at women’s shelters and dedicating her time to other causes such as the “Foster Parents Plan,” which led to her own sponsorship of a foster child in Egypt.
Matchett’s generosity, kind heart and uncompromising talent will only further her already successful career. With her role as “Dr. Mariel Underlay” on “Invasion” and her upcoming film "Civic Duty," she is sure to captivate audiences and become a household name in America.
Biography provided by Kari Matchett's publicists.
For her performance in “Nero Wolfe,” Matchett received an ACTRA “Best Actress” award nomination, which is the Canadian equivalent of a SAG award. Based on the Rex Stout novels, this versatile actress played a different character in nearly every episode. It was not her first time playing different roles in the same series. “Playing a different character in each episode means you are never bored or stereotyped. I read the script over and over again until the character becomes clear. Then I work on the vision, speech and walk….and the physicality emerges,” explains the dedicated actress.
Matchett recently moved to Los Angeles to shoot “Invasion” and loves living by the beach. In what little spare time she has, Matchett enjoys playing guitar, singing, traveling and reading, as she has a passionate love for classic novels and poetry. In order to maintain her great shape, Matchett is an avid runner and also enjoys practicing yoga. She enjoys volunteering at women’s shelters and dedicating her time to other causes such as the “Foster Parents Plan,” which led to her own sponsorship of a foster child in Egypt.
Matchett’s generosity, kind heart and uncompromising talent will only further her already successful career. With her role as “Dr. Mariel Underlay” on “Invasion” and her upcoming film "Civic Duty," she is sure to captivate audiences and become a household name in America.
Biography provided by Kari Matchett's publicists.
