Matt O'Leary

Matthew Joseph O'Leary (born July 6, 1987 in Chicago, Illinois) is an American actor whose career spanned nearly two decades, beginning with a leading role in the Disney Channel Original movie Mom's Got a Date with a Vampire in 2000. He quickly moved into mainstream cinema, portraying the troubled son of John Travolta’s character in the thriller Domestic Disturbance (2001) and delivering a memorable performance in the cult‑favorite horror drama Frailty the same year. O'Leary’s early teen years were marked by appearances in the Spy Kids franchise, where he appeared in Spy Kids 2: The Island of Lost Dreams (2002) and its sequel Spy Kids 3‑D: Game Over (2003), establishing him as a recognizable face among young audiences. After a brief foray into historical drama with a cameo in The Alamo (2004) and television work such as Warm Springs (2005), O'Leary achieved critical acclaim with the neo‑noir independent film Brick (2005), sharing the screen with Joseph Gordon‑Levitt and cementing his reputation as a versatile performer. The late 2000s saw him in high‑profile action and drama projects, including Live Free or Die Hard (2007) and Death Sentence (2007), where his supporting roles added depth to blockbuster ensembles. In the 2010s, O'Leary embraced more character‑driven independent cinema, earning the Breakthrough Performance award at SXSW in 2011 for his lead in Natural Selection opposite Rachael Harris, and later starring in Fat Kid Rules the World (2012). He continued to explore genre work with parts in Gore Verbinski’s The Lone Ranger (2013), the horror film Stung (2015), and the experimental romance Bokeh (2017). Although his on‑screen appearances tapered after 2019, O'Leary’s body of work reflects a steady evolution from child star to mature actor, marked by a willingness to tackle diverse roles across thriller, action, horror, and independent drama, earning him a dedicated fan base and respect within the industry.