| Matt Whelan | |
| Birth Name: | Matthew Whelan |
| Birth Date: | [1] |
| Birth Place: | Christchurch, New Zealand |
| Occupation: | Actor, comedian |
| Years Active: | 2007–present |
| Awards: | 2010 – Best Performance by a Supporting Actor |
Matt Whelan (born 1985) is a New Zealand actor and comedian. Whelan is known for his roles as Brad Caulfield in the New Zealand television comedy-drama programme Go Girls. He has also played Playboy founder Hugh Hefner in the Amazon Original series . Whelan plays DEA agent Van Ness in the Netflix original series Narcos.
Whelan was born in Christchurch, Canterbury on the South Island of New Zealand.[2] Whelan graduated from Toi Whakaari: New Zealand Drama School, one of New Zealand's most prestigious drama schools located in Wellington.[3] Completing a Bachelor of Performing Arts in acting in 2007,[4] immediately upon graduating he joined the cast of Show of Hands, performing alongside Melanie Lynskey.[5]
In April 2017, it was revealed Whelan would be playing the role as Playboy founder, Hugh Hefner, in the 2017 Amazon original docu-series, .[6] [7] The ten-episode series, chronicles the Playboy founder's life, the rise of the magazine and unveils never-before-seen footage from his private archives. Whelan met with Hefner during the filming of the show. It was released just before Hefner's 91st birthday and was partly filmed in Auckland.[8] [9] After featuring in larger acting roles and gaining popularity playing Hefner in 2017, Whelan landed a role in the third season of Netflix original series, Narcos.[10] [11] [12] Whelan played Daniel van Ness, a young DEA agent partnered with Chris Feistl (played by Michael Stahl-David), who go to Cali, Colombia after the death of Pablo Escobar under the order of Javier Peña (played by Pedro Pascal) in hopes of taking down the Cali Cartel.
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | Eagle vs Shark | Kissing Boy | ||
| 2008 | Show of Hands | Matt | ||
| 2011 | My Wedding and Other Secrets | James | ||
| 2012 | The Most Fun You Can Have Dying | Michael | ||
| 2014 | 3 Mile Limit | Richard | ||
| 2015 | 25 April | John Persson | Narrated documentary | |
| 2017 | Pork Pie | Noah | ||
| Gary of the Pacific | Nelson | |||
| 2023 | The Tank | Ben | ||
| 2024 | We Bury the Dead | Mitch | Post-production |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007–2008 | My Story | Regan | ||
| 2009–2012 | Go Girls | Brad Caulfield | 49 episodes | |
| 2013 | Top of the Lake | Little Shane | Episode: "No Goodbyes Thanks" | |
| 2014 | Coverband | Alex | 6 episodes | |
| 2016 | Of Kings and Prophets | Mattiyahu | Episode: "Offerings of Blood" | |
| Stake Out | Salesman | Episode: "Salesmans" | ||
| 2017 | Hugh Hefner | 10 episodes | ||
| Narcos | Daniel van Ness | 9 episodes | ||
| 2018 | Wanted | Alistair Poussin | 2 episodes | |
| 2019 | The Brokenwood Mysteries | Jack Rudd | Episode: "A Real Page Turner" | |
| 2020 | The Luminaries | Cowell Devlin | 6 episodes | |
| The Sounds | Tom Cabbott | Main role | ||
| 2021 | My Life Is Murder | Connor Farrow | Episode: "Wild Life" | |
| 2021–2023 | Under the Vines | Ben | 5 episodes | |
| 2023 | The Gone | Mayor Ken Armstrong | 6 episodes |