Rachel Matthews

The Weight of the Landon Name

Rachel Matthews was born in Los Angeles on October 25, 1993. Her family tree carries weight in California's industry circles. She is the granddaughter of Michael Landon and the niece of Christopher Landon, but her entry into film was not a direct inheritance. She studied at the Tisch School of the Arts in New York to learn that acting required a technique the family name could not buy.

The industry values results over pedigree.

In 2017, she made her professional debut in Happy Death Day. She played Danielle Bouseman, a sorority queen with a sharp tone reminiscent of the villains in the black comedies of the 1980s. Christopher Landon directed the film, and Matthews made a supporting character stand on her own through a very dry comic rhythm. The film grossed more than $125 million worldwide.

It was the start of a creative partnership.

But her career was not limited to repeating the typical scream-queen pattern. In 2019, she played Danielle again in the franchise's sequel and sought out projects with very different profiles. Matthews has always aimed to avoid being typecast in low-budget horror.

From Teen Horror to Mass Phenomenon

In 2019, she voiced Honeymaren in Frozen II. The project called for a different kind of restraint and the ability to convey emotion through sound alone. That role tied her to one of the biggest box office hits in animation history. That same year, she appeared in the series Looking for Alaska, based on John Green's novel, where she played Fiona.

Her television work included an appearance on Batwoman during 2019. She played Magpie, a jewel thief with a strongly marked gothic style. But the actress began to take an interest in what happened behind the cameras while building up credits in front of them.

In 2022, she worked as an associate producer on the Netflix film Do Revenge. The movie paid tribute to the teen films of the late 1990s. Matthews oversaw aspects of the production that moved her decisively away from the conventional supporting actress label.

Rachel Matthews began spending more time in the production offices than in the makeup chair.

The shift toward creative control

In 2023, she appeared in the film The List. It was a minor project compared with her previous work, but it helped her maintain a presence in independent film. Her strategy then shifted toward seeking out stories where she could have a voice in both financial and artistic decision-making.

In 2024, she produced The Last Showgirl, directed by Gia Coppola. The cast included Pamela Anderson and Jamie Lee Curtis. Matthews was responsible for coordinating a production that aimed to capture the decline of the showbiz scene in Las Vegas from a raw, realistic perspective.

The film was shot in just 18 days in Las Vegas on a tight budget.