Matt Dillon biography, age, height, girlfriend, young photos, now 2025

Biography of Matt Dillon

Matt Dillon is a famous American actor who started acting quite early and was a real teenage idol in the 80s and 90s. One of his signature roles is the tough macho with a criminal past (or present). Later, he managed to move away from this image and played many diverse roles.

Early Life

Matthew Raymond Dillon was born in New Rochelle, New York, on February 18, 1964. His mother, Mary Ellen, managed the household and raised six children—a daughter and five sons—while his father, Paul, painted portraits and worked as a sales manager. The family has Irish, German, and Scottish ancestry.

Matt spent most of his childhood in the town of Mamaroneck. He attended a Roman Catholic church with his family, although the Dillons didn't consider themselves very religious. Matt finished school while filming, returning to his trailer after scenes to do his homework.

Acting Career

Matt's debut film was the teenage drama "Over the Edge" (1979). This was followed by "Little Darlings" (1980) and "My Bodyguard" (1980). At that time, the actor caught the eye of Francis Ford Coppola, who soon invited him to shoot a film.

Matt Dillon in his youth (in the middle)

In 1983, Coppola's now-iconic film "The Outsiders" hit the screens, based on the popular American novel by S.E. Hinton. Alongside Dillon, desperate teenagers from troubled families were portrayed by Rob Lowe, Diane Lane, Patrick Swayze, and other young talents.

Following this, Dillon landed the lead role in another Coppola film, the drama "Rumble Fish," also based on a work by S.E. Hinton. Dillon once again played the leader of a youth gang, with rising Hollywood stars like Mickey Rourke and Nicolas Cage as his co-stars.

A year later, Dillon worked with another classic of American cinema, Garry Marshall, in "The Flamingo Kid" (1984).

Matt Dillon Interview (1982)

A true breakthrough in Dillon's career came with the role of drug addict Bob in Gus Van Sant's film "Drugstore Cowboy" (1989), which quickly became a cult classic. According to Matt himself, this is the best acting work of his career. His co-stars were Kelly Lynch and Heather Graham, who also became major stars of their time.

Matt Dillon in the movie 'Drugstore Cowboy'

Dillon worked with Van Sant again on the 1995 drama "To Die For." The independent director managed to gather an impressive cast, from Nicole Kidman to a young Joaquin Phoenix, and Dillon found his place too, playing the headstrong husband of Kidman's ambitious character, who unexpectedly becomes her victim.

Matt Dillon 'To Die For' Interview

By that time, it was clear to everyone that Dillon had long ceased to be the pretty boy and had transitioned from an '80s sex symbol to a versatile actor fitting seamlessly into any genre. This is confirmed by his participation in projects like "Beautiful Girls" (1996) and "There's Something About Mary" (1998).

Matt Dillon in the movie 'Beautiful Girls'

Matt Dillon's acting in the erotic thriller "Wild Things" (1998) also deserves attention, where he once again brilliantly portrayed a charismatic and ruthless macho. His co-stars included Denise Richards, Neve Campbell, Kevin Bacon, and Bill Murray, and the tense plot twists kept the audience on their toes.

In 2002, Matt Dillon tried his hand at directing, making the crime drama "City of Ghosts" and playing the lead role. The film featured Rose Byrne, Stellan Skarsgård, and Gérard Depardieu, and received decent reviews from critics.

Matt Dillon in the movie 'City of Ghosts'

Another outstanding performance by Dillon was as Henry Chinaski in the film "Factotum," based on the novel by Charles Bukowski. However, true recognition came after the release of the drama "Crash" (2004), which shocked America and the world. For his role as Officer Ryan, Matt received nominations for the most prestigious awards: the Oscars, Golden Globes, BAFTA, and others.

Crash. Behind The Scenes

Following this, Dillon participated in smaller but popular comedies like "Herbie Fully Loaded" (2005) with Lindsay Lohan and "You, Me and Dupree" (2006) with Owen Wilson and Kate Hudson.

In 2011, Matt appeared in "Modern Family" as a guest actor for one episode. In 2015, he returned to television, starring in the dystopian series "Wayward Pines."

Matt Dillon in the series 'Wayward Pines'

In 2018, the thriller "The House That Jack Built" (2018) by Lars von Trier was released, another master with whom Dillon had the chance to collaborate. Matt played a serial killer who "built" a house from the bodies of his victims.

Matt Dillon Discusses The House That Jack Built

According to Dillon himself, he didn't become a superstar but managed to maintain his identity in the acting profession. He is free to choose his roles and regrets none of the stages of his more than thirty-year career.

Matt Dillon's Personal Life

Matt always tried to keep his relationships private. It's known that he dated Cameron Diaz for three years. The couple announced their breakup in 1998.

Later, the actor called Diaz his muse and described the breakup as a natural course of events:

...Listen, I loved her, and we were very close, but everything just ran its course. We were both actors, she lived in Los Angeles, and I lived in New York, and I didn't want to commit to moving there. But I don't want to say it was because of any of that. Everything just ran its course

In a 2014 interview, Dillon said he was ready for a serious relationship and had already met "the one." He didn't mention her name but clarified that she wasn't a public figure. Soon, journalists revealed Dillon's girlfriend to be Italian actress Roberta Mastromichele.

Matt Dillon and his girlfriend Roberta Mastromichele

Matt Dillon Now

Matt Dillon rarely appears on screen: among his recent films, there's the biographical drama "Capone" (2020), where he played mobster Johnny Torrio, Al Capone's mentor, and also the movie "Asteroid City" by Wes Anderson.

Interesting Facts

Matt auditioned and got the role in "The Blue Lagoon" (1980) with Brooke Shields. Later, he refused to act due to his unwillingness to appear nude on screen. Matt also could have played roles in "Pulp Fiction" (1994) by Quentin Tarantino and in "Novocaine" (2001), where Steve Martin replaced him.
Among the actor's hobbies are baseball, Cuban music, visiting flea markets, and traveling.
Matt's brother, Kevin Dillon, is also an actor.

Nyle Doherty Content writer