Matthew Gray Gubler (/ˈɡuːblər/, GOOB-lər;[1] born March 9, 1980) is an American actor, best known for his role as criminal profiler Dr. Spencer Reid in the CBS television show Criminal Minds, for which he also directed several episodes. Gubler has appeared in The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou, 500 Days of Summer, Life After Beth, Suburban Gothic, and Newness. He was also the voice of Simon in Alvin and the Chipmunks and its three sequels.
Matthew Gray Gubler | |
|---|---|
 Gubler in 2017 | |
| Born | March 9, 1980 Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S. |
| Alma mater | New York University |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 2000–present |
| Website | matthewgraygubler |
Early life and education
Gubler was born on March 9, 1980, in Las Vegas, the son of Marilyn (née Kelch), a rancher and political consultant, and John Gubler, an attorney.[2] Gubler is a high school graduate of the Las Vegas Academy of the Arts, where he studied acting because the school did not offer his first choice, filmmaking.[3] He is a graduate of the New York University Tisch School of the Arts, where he majored in film directing.[4]
Career
Modeling
While studying film at NYU, Gubler was discovered by a model scout and then worked as a model with DNA Model Management for Tommy Hilfiger, Marc Jacobs, and American Eagle,[5] among others. He has been ranked 46th on models.com's list of top 50 male models.[6]
Acting
After he began modeling, Gubler had an internship with Wes Anderson, who encouraged him to audition for a part in his movie The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou. Gubler did, and landed the role of Nico (a.k.a. Intern #1). This led, in 2005, to Gubler being cast in Criminal Minds.[5] Criminal Minds ran from 2005 to 2020,[7] and Gubler performed in all 15 seasons.[8][9] Gubler played the starring role of Dr. Spencer Reid,[8] a genius FBI profiler;[10] Gubler is best known for playing this role[9] and was regarded as a fan favorite.[8][11][12] Criminal Minds won the 2017 People's Choice Award for Favorite TV Drama.[13] Gubler did not appear in the 2022 reboot of the series.[8]
Gubler played Joe Joe in the film RV (2006). He voiced Simon the chipmunk in Alvin and the Chipmunks (2007), Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel (2009), Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked (2011), and Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Road Chip (2015). He appeared as Bart, the main character, in How to Be a Serial Killer (2008), and as Paul in (500) Days of Summer (2009). He provided the voice of Winsor in Scooby-Doo! Legend of the Phantosaur (2011).
In 2014, Gubler acted in the zombie comedy Life After Beth and the film Suburban Gothic, for which he received the Screamfest Award for Best Actor.[14]
Gubler has done voice work for the DC Universe Animated Original Movies line. He played Jimmy Olsen in All-Star Superman and voices the Riddler in the animated film, Batman: Assault on Arkham (2014). Gubler has also appeared in the films Band of Robbers (2015), 68 Kill (2017), Endings, Beginnings (2019), and Horse Girl (2020). He appeared in the 2019 Hulu series Dollface.
Filmmaking and directing
While making The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou, Gubler made a documentary titled Matthew Gray Gubler's Life Aquatic Intern Journal, a behind-the-scenes view of the making of the film, which was later included in The Criterion Collection DVD release.[15] He directed and starred in a series of self-deprecating mockumentaries titled Matthew Gray Gubler: the Unauthorized Documentary[16][17] in which he parodies Hollywood behavior, which were filmed on the set of Criminal Minds. A follow-up, Matthew Gray Gubler: The Authorized Documentary, was also made.[3][16][18]
Gubler directed, edited, and co-produced the music video for "Don't Shoot Me Santa" by the rock band The Killers.[18]
Gubler directed 12 episodes of Criminal Minds.[12]
Painting
In September 2005, the Gallery of Fine Art in Ostrava, Czech Republic, held a showing of 12 watercolors by Gubler; all the works were sold.[19][20] On September 6, 2008, his art was featured in a group show entitled "Paper Cuts" at The Little Bird art gallery in Atwater Village, California.[21][22][23] Gubler contributed a painting of "Sandy The Mammoth" to the Western Heritage Museum & Lea County Cowboy Hall of Fame.[24][better source needed] In July 2010, his paintings were featured in Juxtapoz magazine.[25]
In October 2011, an original watercolor by Gubler entitled "Mushface" was sold on eBay for $10,100.[23] Gubler donated the proceeds to the Smith Center for the Performing Arts in Las Vegas.[26][27]
Gubler's paintings were highlighted in a 2013 interview with BuzzFeed.[28]
Writing
Gubler wrote and illustrated his first book, Rumple Buttercup: A Story of Bananas, Belonging and Being Yourself, which was released on April 2, 2019.[29] It is published as a children's book, but Gubler says it is for all ages, "for anyone who's ever felt like they didn't quite fit in, just to make them know that they're not alone ... My hope in writing the book was to find a way to give the world a 136-page hug." He hand-wrote or hand-drew everything in the book – "every single word, every single illustration, including the bar code and the lengthy copyright page."[30] Within weeks of its release, the book was ranked #1 in its category on the New York Times Best Seller list.[31] In 2023 The Little Kid with the Big Green Hand was published and was again ranked #1 in its category on the New York Times Best Seller list[32]
Personal life
As of 2009, Gubler divided his time between Los Angeles, Las Vegas, and New York City.[33]
In 2009, while filming (500) Days of Summer in Los Angeles, Gubler dislocated his knee while out dancing. The injury required three surgical procedures and the use of a cane for nearly a year, which was written into the script of Criminal Minds.[34]
On October 27, 2014, Gubler became a certified minister[35] and officiated at the wedding of Steve Damstra and Gubler's Criminal Minds co-star Paget Brewster on November 29, 2014.[36][37]
Filmography
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou | Intern #1 | |
| 2006 | RV | Joe Joe | |
| 2007 | Alvin and the Chipmunks | Simon Seville | Voice |
| 2008 | The Great Buck Howard | Russell | |
| How to Be a Serial Killer | Bart | ||
| 2009 | (500) Days of Summer | Paul | |
| Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel | Simon Seville | Voice | |
| 2011 | All-Star Superman | Jimmy Olsen | Voice |
| Scooby-Doo! Legend of the Phantosaur | Winsor | Voice | |
| Magic Valley | Mok | ||
| Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked | Simon Seville | Voice | |
| 2012 | Excision | Mr. Claybaugh | |
| 2014 | Life After Beth | Kyle Orfman | |
| Suburban Gothic | Raymond | Screamfest Award for Best Actor | |
| Hot Air | Lesley | ||
| Batman: Assault on Arkham | Edward Nygma / The Riddler | Voice | |
| Beautiful Girl | Ziggy | ||
| 2015 | Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Road Chip | Simon Seville | Voice |
| Band of Robbers | Joe Harper | Executive Producer | |
| 2016 | Trash Fire | Caleb | |
| 2017 | Newness | Paul | |
| 68 Kill | Chip | ||
| 2018 | Zoe | Michael | |
| 2019 | Endings, Beginnings | Adrian | |
| 2020 | Horse Girl | Darren Colt | |
| 2021 | King Knight | Thorn |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2005–2020 | Criminal Minds | Dr. Spencer Reid | Main role (324 episodes) |
| 2011 | Celebrity Ghost Stories | Himself | Season 3, Episode 4 |
| 2012 | The Beauty Inside | Alex #30 | Season 1, Episodes 3 and 4 Daytime Emmy New Approaches Original Daytime Program or Series |
| 2016 | @midnight | Himself | |
| 2019–2022 | Dollface | Wes | 7 episodes |
Miscellaneous
| Year | Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | Claude: A Symphony of Horror | Director |
| Matthew Gray Gubler's Life Aquatic Intern Journal | Editor, cinematographer, producer, writer, director | |
| The Cactus That Looked Just Like a Man | Editor, cinematographer, producer, writer, director | |
| 2006 | Matthew Gray Gubler: The Unauthorized Documentary | Producer, writer (concept), director |
| Reagan | Whirlwind Heat's music video - director | |
| 2007 | Don't Shoot Me Santa | The Killers music video - director, editor, co-producer |
| 2005–2020 | Criminal Minds | Series regular Director (12 episodes)
"Mosley Lane" (Season 5, episode 16) "Lauren" (Season 6, episode 18) "Heathridge Manor" (Season 7, episode 19) "The Lesson" (Season 8, episode 10) "Alchemy" (Season 8, episode 20) "Gatekeeper" (Season 9, episode 7) "Blood Relations" (Season 9, episode 20) "Mr. Scratch" (Season 10, episode 21) "A Beautiful Disaster" (Season 11, episode 18) "Elliott's Pond" (Season 12, episode 6) "The Capilanos" (Season 13, episode 17) "The Tall Man" (Season 14, episode 5) |
| 2014 | Desire | Short - actor |
| 2015 | Dirt Sledding | The Killers music video - director, producer |
| 2020 | Beginner's Luck | Short - actor |
| 2020 | Moonlight | Future Islands music video - actor |
References
- ^ Interview with Paget Brewster on TVLine, 2017-07-25. Brewster says Gubler's last name at 1:36 in the interview.
- ^ "Matthew Gray Gubler". Biography.com. Retrieved 2016-11-08.
- ^ a b Lawrence, Christopher (29 January 2007). "LIFE ON THE COUCH: Las Vegan Gubler enjoying his accidental acting career". Las Vegas Review-Journal. Archived from the original on 2013-01-05. Retrieved 8 July 2015.
- ^ Riley, Jenelle (2013-03-01). "Matthew Gray Gubler On His Film School Experience". Backstage. Retrieved 12 June 2021.
- ^ a b Jonathan Small, Chic geek: Ex model Matthew Gray Gubler channels his inner nerd on Criminal Minds, in TV Guide, 2007-02-26, p. 23.
- ^ models.com, Matthew Gray Gubler, former top 50 model, at models.com Archived March 4, 2016, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "See the Cast of Criminal Minds Then & Now". Peoplemag.
- ^ a b c d Garafano, Lauren (November 28, 2022). "A.J. Cook Almost Didn't Return For "Criminal Minds: Evolution" Without Matthew Gray Gubler". BuzzFeed.
- ^ a b "Why Matthew Gray Gubler Never Left Criminal Minds". The List. May 20, 2022.
- ^ "Criminal Minds: Matthew Gray Gubler's Best Moments as Dr. Spencer Reid". MovieWeb. December 23, 2022.
- ^ "Why 'Criminal Minds' Main Character Is Definitely Spencer Reid". Collider. December 18, 2022.
- ^ a b "What Matthew Gray Gubler Has Been Doing Since Criminal Minds Ended". The List. April 3, 2023.
- ^ "2017 People's Choice Awards: Winners List". Peoplemag.
- ^ "Screamfest 2014 Awards". Screamfest.
- ^ "Matthew Gray Gubler Biography". TV.com. Archived from the original on 19 April 2012.
- ^ a b "matthewgraygubler". YouTube. Retrieved 2024-10-29.
- ^ "Criminal Minds: Every Episode Matthew Gray Gubler Directed, Ranked". ScreenRant. 2022-11-10. Retrieved 2024-10-29.
- ^ a b Bornfeld, Steve (2008-03-09). "They're Gonna Live Forever". Las Vegas Review-Journal. Retrieved 12 June 2021.
- ^ "Matthew Gray Gubler-Totally Tubular". matthewgraygubler.com. Retrieved 8 July 2015.
- ^ Carter, Telisa (2018-03-08). "Things You Might Not Know About Criminal Minds Star Matthew Gray Gubler". Fame10. Retrieved 2024-10-29.
- ^ "ArtSlant - September 26th, 2008 - September 26th, 2008, LittleBird Gallery @ Grain, will bryant, yu-i chan, Thom Gastelum, hamish grieve, matthew gray gubler, james gulliver hancock, jeffrey max". ArtSlant. Retrieved 8 July 2015.
- ^ "Doodle 4 NF - Gallery - Matthew Gray Gubler #1". www.doodle4nf.org. Retrieved 2024-10-29.
- ^ a b Adler, Lana (2017-08-24). "15 Things Most Fans Don't Know About Matthew Gray Gubler". TheThings. Retrieved 2024-10-29.
- ^ "Sandy the Mammoth". nmjc.edu. Retrieved 8 July 2015.
- ^ "July 2010 with Os Gemeos". Juxtapoz Magazine. Archived from the original on November 29, 2014. Retrieved November 20, 2014.
- ^ Georgiou, Antonia (2021-10-14). "The Transformation Of Matthew Gray Gubler From Childhood To 41 Years Old". Nicki Swift. Retrieved 2024-10-29.
- ^ "Matthew Gray Gubler Biography, Life, Interesting Facts". Famous Birthdays By SunSigns.Org. 2018-01-06. Retrieved 2024-10-29.
- ^ Lange, Ariane (18 November 2013). "Matthew Gray Gubler Thinks This Is A Really Bad Interview". BuzzFeed. Retrieved 8 July 2015.
- ^ Gubler, Matthew Gray (April 2, 2019). Rumple Buttercup: A Story of Bananas, Belonging and Being Yourself. Penguin Random House. ISBN 978-0-525-70763-9.
- ^ Cohn, Paulette (April 8, 2019). "Matthew Gray Gubler on His New Book Rumple Buttercup and the Surprise in the Criminal Minds Finale". Parade. Retrieved July 10, 2019.
- ^ "The New York Times Best Sellers". The New York Times. April 20, 2019. Retrieved July 10, 2019.
- ^ Gubler, Matthew Gray. The Little Kid with the Big Green Hand Hardcover – Sept. 26 2023. ASIN 1419771221.
- ^ Wajnapel, Laetitia (21 October 2009). "Mademoiselle Robot still loves you - Catching up with Matthew Gray Gubler". Mademoiselle Robot - UK Fashion & Lifestyle Blog. Archived from the original on 8 July 2015. Retrieved 8 July 2015.
- ^ Truitt, Brian (10 February 2010). "'Criminal Minds' star Matthew Gray Gubler overcomes 'legendary' injury". USA Weekend. Archived from the original on 6 July 2013. Retrieved 6 July 2013.
- ^ Goodwin, Jess (17 December 2014). "Matthew Gray Gubler: 8 Things You Might Not Know About The 'Criminal Minds' Star". Fashion & Style. Archived from the original on 8 July 2015. Retrieved 8 July 2015.
- ^ "'Criminal Minds' Fans, Read Paget Brewster's Emotional Shoutout to Matthew Gray Gubler". Prevention. 2023-01-01. Retrieved 2024-10-29.
- ^ Staff, A. O. L. (2024-07-13). "'Criminal Minds' Star Paget Brewster Met Her Husband Thanks to Matthew Gray Gubler". www.aol.com. Retrieved 2024-10-29.
External links
