Photo: Tiger Aspect Productions Limited / CC BY 3.0 (source: Wikimedia Commons)
My Take
I have a deep affection for character actors like Dakin Matthews, the kind who never headline but quietly hold a scene together. A playwright, director, scholar and teacher as well as an actor, he brought gravitas to Gilmore Girls and Desperate Housewives across decades of steady work. What impresses me is the discipline of building a whole career in the margins, earning honors like the Ovation Awards without ever chasing the spotlight. Still performing past eighty, he is proof that craft, not fame, is what keeps an artist alive. He is exactly the sort of performer I respect most.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Dakin Matthews
- Name (Japanese)
- デイキン・マシューズ
- Reading
- でいきん・ましゅーず
- Born
- November 7, 1940 (age 85)
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Scorpio / Dragon
- Origin
- Oakland, California, United States
- Blood type
- Private
- Height
- Private
- Agency
- Private
- Occupation
- playwright / theatre director / teacher / stage actor / film actor
2. Background
- Elementary school
- Private
- Junior high
- Private
- High school
- Private
- University
- Private
Awards & achievements
- 2004 Drama Desk Special Award
- Ovation Awards
3. Relationships
- Spouse
- Private
- Children
- Private
- Parents
- Private
- Siblings
- Private
4. Personality
Motto
Private
5. Works & records
| Category | Title | Role | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Notable work | Waitress | — |
6. Links
Frequently asked questions
When was Dakin Matthews born?
Born November 7, 1940 (age 85).
Where is Dakin Matthews from?
Dakin Matthews is from Oakland, California, United States.
What does Dakin Matthews do?
Dakin Matthews works as playwright, theatre director, teacher, stage actor, film actor.
What is Dakin Matthews known for?
Notable works include Waitress.
Playwright — see all → · Theatre director — see all → · More people from United States →
7. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-21
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public items are marked "Private / Unknown". English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.