Matthew Marsden

Early life

Matthew Marsden was born on 3 March 1973 at Sandwell General Hospital in Sandwell, West Midlands. He is of Irish descent. He grew up on the Yew Tree Estate in Walsall, West Midlands. His father abandoned the family when Marsden was 10 years old, and his mother Ann then raised him and his sister Leanne alone. He attended Manor High School in Wednesbury, West Midlands, before leaving to go to Dartmouth High School in Great Barr, West Midlands. During his school years, Marsden was an active member of the marching jazz band The Moorlanders and later with The Brookland Cascaders; his instrument of choice was the drum. After leaving school, he joined the National Youth Theatre.

Marsden found work as a model in London, Paris, and Milan. He was featured in commercials for products such as Jacobs Coffee, Punica, Vimto, and Impulse. He 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 find work as an actor.

Career

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 mini series. Marsden also dressed in drag when he appeared in the Jeannot Szwarc French film Les Soeurs Soleil (The Sun Sisters).

On 3 March 1997, he joined the cast of 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 British 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 Heart's Lone Desire", which reached number 13 in the UK singles chart. He followed with a second single, a cover of Hall & Oates' "She's Gone", 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, but Marsden's career as a singer stalled when he parted company with his record label due to creative differences.

Marsden returned to acting, portraying Paris in the USA networks mini-series Helen of Troy; Army Ranger Dale Sizemore in Ridley Scott's blockbuster film Black Hawk Down. He starred in John Irvin's feature Shiner, Anacondas: The Hunt for the Blood Orchid (the sequel to Anaconda) and Tamara, a supernatural thriller by Final Destination screenwriter Jeffrey Reddick. He made appearances in the films DOA: Dead or Alive and Resident Evil Extinction. He co-starred in Rambo (2008) in Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen. He won the "Best Actor" award at the Doorpost Film festival for his performance in the short film Eyes to See.

Marsden trained with United States Army Rangers prior to filming his role in Black Hawk Down. In 2008, he teamed up again with the technical adviser on that film, former United States Navy SEAL and Silver Star recipient Harry Humphries on the set of Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen.

Personal life

Marsden lives in Los Angeles, California with his wife, Nadine Micallef, a Maltese former ballerina and pilates instructor; they were married in 2005. He has five children with Micallef and one son from a previous relationship.

Marsden is a practising Roman Catholic. He appeared in Rosary Stars Praying the Gospel (2009). He and his family are frequently involved in activities with Family Theater Productions, a division of Holy Cross Family Ministries, founded by Father Patrick Peyton.

Marsden is an active supporter of the military and has parachuted with the United States Army Parachute Team. He received the title of Kentucky Colonel, the highest award that is bestowed on individuals by the state of Kentucky, in recognition of his support of the U.S. military.

Marsden is a black belt in Taekwondo, a divemaster with the Professional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI), and an avid fan of West Bromwich Albion FC.