Matthew Labyorteaux

Career

Labyorteaux began working in commercials at the age of seven, having been discovered while accompanying his older brother, Patrick Labyorteaux, to a casting call. He shortly thereafter landed his first dramatic role in A Woman Under the Influence, where he played one of Peter Falk and Gena Rowlands' children.

Aside from his tenure on Little House on the Prairie, Labyorteaux also starred in the short-lived television series The Red Hand Gang (1977) and Whiz Kids (1983–84), in addition to several made-for-television movies. His most prominent film role was in Wes Craven's Deadly Friend (1986), as Paul Conway, a young genius who resurrects a dead girl using an artificial intelligence microchip from a robot he created that had previously been destroyed by a malicious neighbor.

He made guest appearances on numerous television shows, including The Rookies, The Bob Newhart Show, Mulligan's Stew, Lou Grant, Here's Boomer (spin-off of The Red Hand Gang), The Love Boat, Simon & Simon (crossover episode with Whiz Kids), Highway to Heaven, Night Court, Paradise, and Silk Stalkings.

More recently, Labyorteaux has worked as a voice actor, providing characterizations in video games and animated features, additional dialogue recording in film and television, and voice-over in advertisements.

Personal life

Labyorteaux was born in Los Angeles, the adopted son of Ronald Labyorteaux (1930–1992), an interior designer and talent agent, and actress Frances Marshall (1927–2012). He is the younger brother of Patrick (also adopted and also an actor), and Jane. According to a biography about Matthew published by A&E Television Networks, "He was diagnosed as being autistic, and experts told his parents that Labyorteaux might never lead a normal life." An article in People magazine from 1978 said he was thought to be fully autistic for the first five years of his life.

Labyorteaux is proficient in video gaming. In October 1981, he secured the tenth position in the Centipede game at the world championships hosted by Atari, Inc. By April 1982, he had won the title of United States Pac-Man champion at a tournament sponsored by People magazine, achieving a score of 1,200,000.

In 1992, Matthew and Patrick founded the Youth Rescue Fund (which was partnered with Los Angeles Youth Supportive Services), a charity organization that assists young people in crisis, and they have since engaged in fundraising for youth shelters across the U.S. This organization no longer operates.