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Matt Craven has certainly made a name for himself in the world of film and television, even though he’s often recognized more for his strong supporting roles than headline-grabbing leads. That said, Matt Craven did step into the spotlight with some standout performances—take, for example, his leading role in K2 (1991), where he truly held his own. Over the years, Matt Craven also became a familiar face through recurring appearances on popular series like High Incident (ABC, 1996–97), NCIS (CBS, 2003–), and Resurrection (ABC, 2014–15). Born in Port Colborne, Ontario, in 1956, life wasn’t easy for Matt Craven early on—he lost his father when he was just six weeks old, which led to tough circumstances that eventually forced him to leave high school as a teenager. To help support his family, he took on a string of unfulfilling jobs before discovering his passion for acting at the age of 20 during a local production of Dracula.
That moment changed everything. Soon after, Matt Craven made his screen debut in a sketch on Saturday Night Live (NBC, 1975–), and then landed a memorable part as Hardware, the trainee counselor, in Meatballs (1979). From there, things began to pick up—he starred in the Oscar-nominated short Bravery in the Field (1979), appeared in several low-budget horror films, and took on recurring roles as Richie Messina in Tough Cookies (CBS, 1986) and Bobby Kratz in Harry (ABC, 1987), two sitcoms that, while short-lived, gave Matt Craven valuable exposure. As his career progressed, he delivered solid performances in Palais Royale (1988), Chattahoochee (1989), and Blue Steel (1990), before portraying the eerie chemist in the cult classic Jacob’s Ladder (1990).
Then came a string of notable roles: sharing top billing as mountain climber Harold in K2 (1991), and playing Lt. Dave Spradling in A Few Good Men (1992). By this point, Matt Craven was proving himself as a dependable and versatile actor. He added Indian Summer (1993), Killer (1994), Kansas (1995), and Double Cross (1995) to his growing filmography, earning particular praise for his portrayal of civic leader Seymour Weiss in Kingfish (1995). Around the same time, he appeared as Lt. Roy Zimmer in Crimson Tide (1995) and played Officer Lenny Gayer across 32 episodes of High Incident, further cementing his presence on television.
The late ‘90s saw Matt Craven staying incredibly busy—appearing in films like The Juror (1996), The Final Cut (1996), Never Too Late (1996), Masterminds (1997), and Paulie (1998)—while also taking on the regular role of Dr. Tim Lonner in L.A. Doctors (CBS, 1998–99). The 2000s brought even more variety: Matt Craven portrayed conman Beamish in Varian’s War (2001), gambler Greg in Bleacher Bums (2001), and murder suspect Dusty Wright in The Life of David Gale (2003). He also had a three-episode arc as Gordon Price on ER (NBC, 1994–2009), showed up in Dragonfly (2002), Timeline (2003), and The Statement (2003), and played lawyer George Riley in The Lyon’s Den (NBC, 2003).
In the mid-2000s, Matt Craven often took on authoritative figures—seen in The Clearing (2004), Assault on Precinct 13 (2005), Deja Vu (2006), and the short-lived series Raines (NBC, 2007). He also portrayed war criminal Hans Frank in Karol: A Man Who Became Pope (2005), and contributed to box-office successes like Disturbia (2007), Public Enemies (2009), and Devil (2010). Then came a major career surge: three high-profile roles in quick succession—Secretary of the Navy Clayton Jarvis on NCIS, Chief Deputy U.S. Marshal Dan Grant on Justified (FX, 2010–15), and Sheriff Fred Langston in Resurrection.
Even as he aged into more seasoned character roles, Matt Craven remained in demand. He appeared in X-Men: First Class (2011), The Good Lie (2012), White House Down (2013), and Stonewall (2015), as well as independent films like Unless (2016) and Awakening the Zodiac (2017). Most recently, Matt Craven was cast as small-town police officer Vickery in the HBO adaptation of Gillian Flynn’s Sharp Objects (2018–), proving once again that his presence—quietly commanding and consistently reliable—continues to resonate across genres and generations.
When it comes to Matt Craven’s filmography, one standout in terms of critical acclaim is definitely Crimson Tide from 1995—it’s widely regarded as Matt Craven’s highest rated movie. The intense submarine thriller not only made waves at the box office but also earned strong reviews, solidifying its place as a career highlight for Matt Craven. On the other end of the spectrum, Dragonfly (2002) tends to receive much more mixed reactions, often cited as Matt Craven’s lowest rated film. While opinions can vary, the general consensus places Crimson Tide at the top and Dragonfly toward the bottom when ranking Matt Craven’s body of work.
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