Personal details
Born:
- Birthday: 1989-03-25
- Born Place: London, England, UK
Also Known As:
متیو بیرد, 马修·比尔德
Matthew Beard
Matthew Beard (born March 25, 1989) is a British actor whose career is marked by a transition from precocious child roles to becoming a cornerstone of prestige television and historical cinema. A London native, Beard first garnered major attention at the age of 18 with his performance as a teenage Blake Morrison in And When Did You Last See Your Father? (2007), which earned him a British Independent Film Award nomination. This was followed by a string of high-profile supporting roles in landmark British films, including the Oscar-nominated An Education (2009) and The Imitation Game (2014), where he played Peter Hilton. His range extends significantly to the stage; in 2015, he received a Tony Award nomination for Best Featured Actor in a Play for his performance as Edward Sergeant in the Broadway revival of David Hare's Skylight, starring alongside Bill Nighy and Carey Mulligan. In recent years, Beard has become a household name internationally through his lead role as Max Liebermann in the period crime drama Vienna Blood (2019–2025). Portraying a Freudian psychoanalyst who assists the police in 1900s Vienna, Beard has led the series through four successful seasons, with the most recent episodes airing on PBS and BBC in early 2025. His television work is prolific, including roles in the sci-fi comedy Avenue 5, the mystery series Magpie Murders and its sequel Moonflower Murders, and the Netflix miniseries Dracula. Known for his lean, expressive features and an ability to convey deep intellectual curiosity, he has carved out a niche playing complex, cerebral characters in period settings. As of January 2026, Beard is featuring prominently in the global rollout of Mona Fastvold’s The Testament of Ann Lee (2025). In this historical musical drama, he portrays James Whittaker, one of the core members of the early Shaker movement. His role required him to embrace the film’s "wild and unconventional" tone, participating in visceral musical sequences and vocal performances. Looking ahead, Beard remains a staple of the British acting landscape, continuing to balance his television commitments with challenging roles in independent film and theater, such as his recent multi-character tour de force in the play Boys on the Verge of Tears at London’s Soho Theatre.
