Film starring TU alumnus debuts at Inside Out, Frameline festivals
Matthew August Jeffers ’13 adds feature film “Unidentified Objects” to roles in “New Amsterdam,” “Marvelous Mrs. Maisel”
By Rebecca Kirkman on June 8, 2022
Matthew August Jeffers ’13 is finally the leading man.
His first feature-length film, “Unidentified Objects,” in which he co-stars with Golden Globe nominee Sarah Hay, debuted at the Inside Out LGBTQ+ Film Festival in Toronto on May 27. It continues the festival circuit with its U.S. debut at the Frameline San Francisco International LGBTQ+ Film Festival on June 19.
A graduate of Towson University’s theatre arts program, Jeffers’ recent credits include NBC’s “New Amsterdam,” where he will return for season five this fall as Chief Resident Dr. Mark Walsh, and a recurring role on Amazon Prime’s “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.” This summer, the New York City resident also joins the ensemble of The Public Theater’s Shakespeare in the Park production of “Richard III.”
Despite his rising success in the industry, Jeffers had never sought out a leading role until he was contacted by “Unidentified Objects” director Juan Felipe Zuleta to play Peter.
“I always kind of understood that the industry would view me as a character actor in the supporting roles,” says Jeffers, who was diagnosed with dwarfism at age 1. “One of the gifts of this film was that they gave me center stage. And I'm confident that what I did on center stage people will remember.”
In what Frameline describes as a “surreal, darkly humorous, and inventive American indie,” Peter, a curmudgeonly gay man with dwarfism, and Winona (Sarah Hay), his free-spirited, alien-obsessed neighbor, hit the road on a border-defying search for their place in the universe.
Jeffers, who is also a producer of “Unidentified Objects,” says the experience boosted his confidence.
“I'm an artist that feels both incredibly confident in my body of work at the same time extremely self-conscious, and those two ideas war in my psyche,” he says. “I now believe that I can carry a film, and it gives me confidence as my career grows that I can play both ends of the spectrum, where I can have a small supporting role on a project, or I can go and really take the reins and play the leading man.”
The most rewarding part of the work, Jeffers says, is letting people know they are not alone. In the film, Peter expresses feeling alien. After the Inside Out festival screening, an audience member approached Jeffers, saying they had felt alien their entire life, and that watching the character go through similar emotions was a powerful experience.
“It’s a really unique story that should be told,” Jeffers says of the film. “The creators are passionate about telling stories of people who live on the margins, which is great, because I think the industry at large is interested in hearing those.”
Jeffers says his confidence to take center stage started at Towson University, where he starred as Tom Wingfield in a fall 2012 production of “The Glass Menagerie.”
“It was very validating and very, very important for a young artist to have that backing and support,” he says.
Theatre arts faculty recall Matthew’s drive and passion as a student.
“From his first year through graduation, Matthew saw how his work at TU could point him toward his career,” says Professor David White. “His dedication to his craft was exemplified in his coursework, which was driven by Matt's desire to articulate and discover a place for himself in theatre and film, as well as the roles he played on stage, which were fueled by passion, precision and heart.”
Department of Theatre Arts Chair Robyn Quick adds, “Matthew possesses a deep sense of the power of storytelling to inspire others. I saw that in him as a student, and it has resonated throughout the work in his subsequent career. I am very proud of him.”
Jeffers says the best compliment he ever received was from Professor Jay Herzog after a performance of “The Glass Menagerie.” “He came up to me and told me, ‘2 minutes into the show I’d completely forgotten your stature.’”
This motivation continues to fuel Jeffers’ work.
“What I'm trying to do in this industry is to take on roles on screen and stage and just make people completely forget that it's a little person in that role,” he says. “It's just Matthew, he's telling the story.”
Last fall, Jeffers reunited with his Baltimore and TU community for a private screening of “Unidentified Objects” at the Senator Theatre. “It was really special,” he recalls. “The Senator is a stone's throw away from where they taught me and where they gave me the confidence to go out and do it, and for them to see that come to life, this really gives you goosebumps.”