Matt Ryan

The Trench Coat That Stuck to His Skin

Matt Ryan didn't come up through American television. His training at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School gave him a technical foundation that few of his Arrowverse castmates could match. In his early professional years, he worked with the Royal Shakespeare Company under director Gregory Doran.

He's a Welshman who learned to lose his accent to survive in the industry.

In 2014, NBC handed him the keys to John Constantine. The series barely lasted thirteen episodes before being canceled due to low ratings. But fans of the Hellblazer comic launched a rescue campaign unlike anything seen in modern television.

And the pressure paid off.

In 2015, he returned to the role in season four of Arrow. What was supposed to be a one-off cameo turned into a regular contract on Legends of Tomorrow starting in 2017. For years, Ryan inhabited the character in both live-action and animated productions. He voiced the character in Justice League Dark (2017) and in the web series Constantine: City of Demons (2018).

A Home on the Stage

Before television came theater. In 2009 he shared the stage with Jude Law in a production of Hamlet that traveled from London to Broadway. That experience taught him that prestige doesn't always pay the bills (but it helps you choose better scripts).

In 2015, he played Laurent in Thérèse Raquin alongside Keira Knightley. Nine shows a week for months can wear down any actor. But Ryan prefers the sweat of live theater to the green screens of Vancouver studios.

Because theater is where a performer's true pulse is measured. There, no editing can save you.

In 2017, he took part in the play Knives in Hens at the Donmar Warehouse. His career choices often steer away from Hollywood's spotlight in favor of more dramatic projects in the UK. But the video game industry came calling too. In 2013, he starred in Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag, lending his voice and movements to Edward Kenway.

Stats and Voice Roles

In 2021, the creators of Legends of Tomorrow decided to end Constantine's arc. It was a drastic creative decision. Ryan didn't leave the series (he simply changed skins). He played Dr. Gwyn Davies during the seventh season, bringing a nervous, vulnerable energy that had nothing to do with the occult detective's cynicism.

And the change was total.

In 2024 he appeared in the series Knuckles voicing a supporting character. Voice work is one of his most steady sources of income. Between 2020 and 2023 he lent his voice to several DC Comics projects, maintaining a professional bond that has now lasted a decade.

In 2024, his profile with British talent agencies still highlighted his baritone range and advanced stage combat training. His contract for The Last Ship in 2017 required him to perform physical action scenes with barely any stunt doubles. The production of that season cost roughly five million dollars per episode.