Perry Mattfeld
OccupationActress
Years active2006–present
Height5 ft 10 in (178 cm)

Perry Mattfeld is an American actress and producer. She is best known for her roles as Mel in Shameless and FrankenGirl in Wizards of Waverly Place, and her leading role as Murphy Mason in The CW crime drama In the Dark.[1]

Early life

Mattfeld grew up in Long Beach, California.[2] Her mother is of Mexican descent. Her grandparents and great-grandparents were entertainers.[3]

Career

Mattfeld began her career as a ballet dancer from the age of five and studied for the following nine years under the guidance of Debbie Allen. By the age of 12, she was a full-fledged employee of Mattel when she played Kirsten Larson and Kit Kittredge as part of Mattel's American Girl Dolls musical theater troupe.[2]

She stopped acting after graduating from Long Beach Poly high school to attend the University of Southern California School of Dramatic Arts where she earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts in acting in 2016.[4][5]

In the Dark

In her first starring role, in The CW crime comedy-drama, In the Dark (2019–2022), she plays a blind woman. For this part, she learned skills for coping with blindness such as using a guide dog and sending text messages with voice commands. She shadowed a blind person, on whose life the show is based, to observe how she did ordinary things.[5] Fans have reportedly believed that she was blind herself.[6][7] Although the show has received criticism for not using an actual blind actress, the producer says she was "best for the role" despite having auditioned blind actresses.[7]

Personal life

Mattfeld and former New York Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez got engaged in May 2022.[8] The couple married in Oaxaca, Mexico on May 28, 2023. [9]

Filmography

Film

List of films and roles
Year Title Role Notes
2007 AmazoBoy! Samantha Short film
2011 The Girl in the Flammable Skirt Aimee Short film
2012 My Mind the Love Story Alex Short film
2022 A Little White Lie Layla Feature film
Mending the Line Lucy Feature film

Television

List of television appearances and roles
Year Title Role Notes
2008 The Norton Avenue All-Stars Amanda Hammerschmidt

'The Hammer'

Television film
2009 Wizards of Waverly Place[2] FrankenGirl (Frankie Stein) 2 episodes
2011 4th and Forever Herself - Cheerleader 4 episodes
2012 Secret Diary of an American Cheerleader[2] Suzie Episode: "Angels in the Area"
2013 Escape from Polygamy[2] Bonnielee Television film
2017 Stitchers[2] Monica Chamberlain Episode: "Kill It Forward"
2017-2018 Shameless[2] Mel Recurring Role
2018 Homecoming Makeover Associate Episode: "Helping"
2019 Carrier Pam 2 Episodes
2019–2022 In The Dark Murphy Mason Lead Role

References

  1. ^ Browning, Justine (June 23, 2021). "'In the Dark' star Perry Mattfeld on portraying blindness — and saying no to lip gloss". EW.com.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g "Perry Mattfeld Goes "In The Dark"". www.goldenglobes.com. 12 May 2020. Archived from the original on October 19, 2020. Retrieved 2021-01-30.
  3. ^ "ViacomCBS Press Express | in the Dark".
  4. ^ Bokan, Medeleine (June 25, 2020). "How Perry Mattfeld Went From USC Student To CW TV Star". Her Campus. Retrieved April 18, 2021.
  5. ^ a b Raga, Pippa (July 17, 2019). "For What It's Worth, 'In the Dark' Auditioned Plenty of Actresses with Visual Impairments Before Landing on Perry Mattfeld". Distractify. Retrieved April 18, 2021.
  6. ^ "Perry Mattfeld finds ways to handle demands of 'In the Dark'". June 22, 2021.
  7. ^ a b Leland, Andrew (July 1, 2021). "Is There a Right Way to Act Blind?". The New York Times.
  8. ^ Jakiel, Olivia (May 13, 2022). "In the Dark Star Perry Mattfeld and Mark Sanchez Are Engaged — See the Stunning Photos!". people.com.
  9. ^ [https//people.com/shameless-actress-perry-mattfeld-marries-mark-sanchez-in-romantic-wedding-exclusive-7506737 https//people.com/shameless-actress-perry-mattfeld-marries-mark-sanchez-in-romantic-wedding-exclusive-7506737]. ((cite web)): Check |url= value (help); Missing or empty |title= (help)

External links

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