Date of Birth : Mar 3rd 1973
Matthew Marsden (born March 3, 1973) is an English actor and singer. In the UK he is widely remembered for playing the character Chris Collins in the popular soap opera, Coronation Street. However, he is best known in the USA as a film actor. He has played the roles of Dr. Jack Byron in Anacondas: The Hunt for the Blood Orchid and Bill Natolly in Tamara. He appeared in Resident Evil: Extinction and will co-star in Rambo (film).
Marsden was born in West Bromwich, West Midlands, England. His father walked out on him and his family when he was ten years old, and subsequently remarried. Marsden and his older sister, Leann, were brought up in Walsall by their mother, Ann.
Marsden was a pupil of Dartmouth High School, in Great Barr. After leaving school he tried out as a footballer for West Bromwich Albion, but was rejected. During this time he decided to take up acting and joined the National Youth Theatre. Marsden then enrolled at university where he studied music and drama.
Whilst at university, Marsden made ends meet by working on his uncle’s market stall selling shoes at Birmingham Market. He then found work as a model with “a top London agency” and became famous for featuring in an advertisement for Impulse body spray. He was very much in demand and was even asked to escort Madonna to the 1995 BRIT Awards, although he declined the invitation. Marsden has since commented “I was at college in London and when you’re a struggling student it doesn’t take a genius to work out that it’s easier to model for a few hours each week and earn thousands of pounds than work in a bar for a pittance. But I hated doing it really.” After nearly two years of modelling he decided to get an agent, and found work as an actor.
Marsden’s acting break came in 1995 when he joined the cast of the ITV soap opera, Emmerdale, playing the upper-crust Daniel Weir, lover of Linda Glover. He remained in the role for three months before the character was written out. He went on to play the role of surfer Philip Kennedy in Island—a Jersey-based ITV soap.. Marsden also dressed in drag when he appeared in the film Les Soeurs Soleil (The Sun Sisters).Marsden in the 2004 film Anacondas: The Hunt for the Blood Orchid.
On 3 March 1997 he joined the cast of the successful soap opera Coronation Street as mechanic Chris Collins and he remained with the series until 29 March 1998. Marsden quickly became one of the soap’s top pin-ups and during this time he was besieged by fan mail and was also voted Best Newcomer at the National Television Awards. Following his departure from Coronation Street, Marsden decided on a change of direction and a fleeting career as a pop star followed. He signed a £500,000 record deal with Columbia Records and released his debut single in July 1998 called The Hearts Lone Desire, which reached number 13 in the UK singles chart. He followed with a second single, She’s Gone (a cover of Daryl Hall’s soul classic) with his label-mates Destiny’s Child providing backing-vocals, which reached number 24 in the UK singles chart. A third single and an album were recorded, however Marsden and his record company parted by mutual consent and they were never released.
CAREER
Transformers: Revenge Of The Fallen ( 2009 )
Rambo ( 2008 )
DOA: Dead Or Alive ( 2006 )
Black Hawk Down ( 2002 )