Perry Frances Garcia Mattfeld (born March 29, 1994) is an American actress. She is best known for her roles as Mel in Shameless, FrankenGirl in Wizards of Waverly Place, and her leading role as Murphy Mason in The CW crime comedy-drama, In the Dark.
Perry Mattfeld | |
---|---|
Born | Perry Frances Garcia Mattfeld March 29, 1994 |
Occupation(s) | Actress, ballet dancer |
Years active | 2006-present |
Known for | In the Dark |
Height | 5 ft 10 in (178 cm) |
Early life
Mattfeld was born in Los Angeles County, California, United States. She grew up in Long Beach, California.[1]
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 fully-fledged employee of Mattel when she played Kirsten Larson and Kit Kittredge as part of Mattel's American Girl Dolls musical theater troupe.[1] She was encouraged by Allen to "diversity her dancing" which led to her transition to acting.[2]
She stopped acting after graduating high school to attend the University of Southern California where she earned a bachelor's degree in Fine Arts[3] in two years.[4]
In the Dark
In her first starring role, in The CW crime comedy-drama, In the Dark (2019–present), 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.[4][2] Fans have reportedly believed that she was blind herself.[2] 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.[2]
Filmography
Film
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
2007 | AmazoBoy! | Samantha | Short Film |
2011 | The Girl in the Flammable Skirt | Aimee | |
2012 | My Mind the Love Story | Alex | |
2017 | For Educational Purposes Only | TV Host 1/ TV Host 2/ Loudspeaker Voice 1 | |
TBA | Shriver | Layla | Filming |
Breeder | Ainsley | Pre-production |
Television
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
2006 | The Megan Mullally Show | Herself - American Girl | Episode: "#1.44" |
2008 | The Norton Avenue All-Stars | Amanda Hammerschmidt
'The Hammer' |
TV Movie |
Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards | Herself | TV Special | |
2009 | Wizards of Waverly Place[1] | FrankenGirl | 2 episodes |
2011 | 4th and Forever | Herself - Cheerleader | 4 episodes |
2012 | Secret Diary of an American Cheerleader[1] | Suzie | Episode: "Angels in the Area" |
2013 | Escape from Polygamy[1] | Bonnielee | TV Movie |
2016 | Conan[1] | Deon Cole's Girlfriend | Episode: "Norman Reedus/Al Madrigal/Joel Kim Booster"
Uncredited |
TV Land Icon Awards | Herself | Presenter | |
2017 | Stitchers[1] | Monica Chamberlain | Episode: "Kill It Forward" |
18 | Shameless[1] | Mel | Recurring Role |
2018 | Homecoming | Makeover Associate | Episode: "Helping" |
2019 | Carrier | Pam | 2 Episodes |
2019–present | In The Dark | Murphy Mason | Main Role |
Videos
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
2010 | Alex in Wonderland: Rehearsing Wonderland | Dancer / Tea Pot | Short Video |
2011 | Patrick Carman's Dark Eden | Kate Hollander | |
One Day | Girl | Music Video by Charice | |
Stick Together | Music Video by Mack Winston & the Reflections | ||
2012 | Cayucos | Shelly | Short Video |
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h "Perry Mattfeld Goes "In The Dark"". www.goldenglobes.com. Retrieved 2021-01-30.
- ^ a b c d Cardigu, Manuela (Jan 30, 2021). "Perry Mattfeld Is Not Blind in Real Life — More Facts about the Star of 'In the Dark'". AmoMama.com. Retrieved April 18, 2021.
- ^ Bokan, Medeleine (June 25, 2020). "How Perry Mattfeld Went From USC Student To CW TV Star". Her Campus. Retrieved April 18, 2021.
- ^ 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.