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quotes about matthew
Mamma Mia! North American tour [Review]: "...Matthew Ashford is probably the most original and charming of all the Bill Austins I’ve encountered, substituting sly style for boorish bravado." Richard Ouzounian (April 29th, 2010) thestar.com (Toronto (CA) Edition)]
Guys and Dolls [Review]: "The romantic leads [Montego Glover as Sarah Brown and Matthew Ashford as Sky Masterson], meanwhile, exhibit a genuine chemistry, not merely a scripted one, particularly in their songs `I'll Know,' and `I've Never Been in Love Before.'" .... `Sky, who is often stiffy, here is given a wry likeability by Matthew Ashford. The Havana bar scene and subsequent `If I Were a Bell' number are hilariously staged. Watch as Sky keeps trying to catch a very drunk Sarah before she pitches over a cliff." ...."Other memorable numbers are...Ashford's `Luck Be a Lady.'" [Kathy Morrison, The Sacramento Bee (July 23rd, 2009)].
Dining Room [Review number 1]: "... perhaps "Dining Room's" best, pits Tepe against Matthew Ashford, whose sensitivity has never been used to better advantage...." [David C. Nichols, The Dining Room at Victor Theatre Center, Los Angeles Times (January 29, 2009)]

Dining Room [Review number 2]: The Dining Room is actually a series of 18 one-act plays, centered in a family dining room. There are 57 characters ranging in age from 5 to 85. They are all played by only six actors, who are obviously having a great time changing names, jobs, relationships and ages, every five minutes, even if the cast might be slightly more convincing whenever playing closer to their own age. As to how they can do it? It’s called “professionalism.” There isn’t a slouch, a mumbler, or a weak link in the chain....Every actor gets a chance to shine in this show, and they shine brightly. This is especially true when their characters are far from “glowing.” Handsome young Matthew Ashford plays a grandfather making it clear to his disaster-prone daughter that he doesn’t want her and the three kids moving back in." [Mary Burkin, Dining Room pokes at funny bone, Burbank Leader, Burbank, CA (January 27, 2009)]
Annie Get your Gun [Review number 1]: Playing off of those solid assets, this production hits the mark by casting veteran Days of Our Lives performer Matt Ashford as the likable but self-impressed Frank Butler, who struggles with the conflict between his attraction to Annie and his irritation at her growing celebrity and ability to out-perform him with a rifle. He makes his character's journey central and personal. His strong, warm voice pays homage to showbiz in his opening "There's No Business Like Show Business" solo.... The two [ Annie, Jenn Colella and Matthew Ashford] display a nice chemistry and compatible humor on "An Old Fashioned Wedding" and "Anything You Can Do." [Alice T. Carter,theater critic, "Annie Get Your Gun' hits show business bull's-eye," Pittsburgh Tribune (Thursday, July 24, 2008)]

Annie Get your Gun [Review number 2]: Matthew Ashford, best known for his soap opera credits, is a handsome, capable Frank Butler, a worthy adversary who helps (as the show requires) Annie to shine. [Christopher Rawson, "Stage review: Songs haven't lost their pop for Annie Oakley" Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (Thursday, July 24, 2008)]
Chronicles of an Exorcism DVD [Cast Interviews Ray W. Keziah (Pastor Bioill)]: It was great working with him [Matthew]. He's truly a professional. Constantly on task. On developing character all the way. It's a pleasure being able to bounce stuff off of him, 'cause he's got so much knowledge about the industry. On Broadway; he sings, you know. He's a very talented person.
1776 [Review]: Ashford, a handsome, strapping man widely known for his Jack Deveraux role on NBC's Days of Our Lives, infuses his Jefferson with stately aplomb and vulnerability, especially in the scenes leading up to the visit from his wife, Martha.... [Richard Bammer/Features Writer; The Reporter, Vacaville, CA (August 2007)]
Stephen Nichols reunting with Matt: For Nichols, it was a happy reunion with on-screen brother Matthew Ashford (Jack). "He is great in that he is not stuck in a rut. He is available to explore and find new levels; that is so important," praises Nichols. "You can't survive in this medium and feel good about what you're doing without a willingness to dig a little deeper."

Soap Opera Weekly: Outstanding performer for the week of June 26, 2006 When Days of Our Lives' Jack Deveraux returned from the grave yet again, Matthew Ashford's knock-em-dead performance turned a potentially been-there, done-that moment into an unforgttable event. Ashford played the dead man walking to perfection: his eyes were suitably glassy as he staggered into his home for the first time in months. Encountering his old bedroom strewn with rose petals, he was horrified to realize that he was looking and Frankie and Jennifer's wedding bed. Dismay washed over Jack's face as Ashford looked away, unable to hide Jack's pain and jealousy - even though he had personally orchestrated his wife moving on. When Jack finally confronted Jennifer, Ashford's eyes filled with tears in response to her admission that she had cried herself to sleep for months after Jack faked his death. But he insisted he'd never meant to hurt her, grabbing her hand, gasping for breath and shaking his head to emphasize his point. And, he claimed he never regretted setting her up with Frankie, because she needed someone to help her deal with her grief. Ashford's greatest moment came when he mustered all his vulnerability to whisper in a cracked voice to his beloved wife, "I'm afraid to die. "When Jennifer assured him that there is indeed a heaven and that they would be together again, Ashford closed his eyes tightly, Jack's pain briefly softening while he imagined their reunion. Jack was almost at peace. If only Jennifer could grant him one last request: Let him see her happy during his final days. Ashford forced a big smile as he made his plea - a grin that grew even larger when she agreed. Finally, he could be content. Viewers would be just as content if - despite Ashford's latest lively turn - this is Jack's last return from the dead.
Bruce Kimmel's Deceit [Review]: "Smooth talking Matthew Ashford is excellent as Michael, often coming off much like an early Tony Randall – a bit prissy and self indulgent." And Don Grigway, "Particularly smashing is Matthew Ashford as Michael, a close friend of the victim who returns home from England to give the victim’s wife some solace in her state of grief. Or is there something devious beneath his intent? ("Deceit" both reviewers are from Reviewplays.com, March, 2006)
Alexis Thrope: Refers to Matt as being "sexy and talented." And, "He is so well prepared and brings something extra to every scene he is in, so let me say....it was a pleasure." (Alexis' official homepage's forum board)
A Little Night Music [Review number 1]: "A supreme comic delight is the strutting peacocks duet between Fredrik and Desiree's conceited military (Matthew Ashford, in a superb turn)." ["Adept Ensemble Creates Night Music" (By PHILIP BRANDES, Special to The Times 6/8/01)]
A Little Night Music [Review number 2]: John Rubinstein understands the piece and stages gifted actors with a deftness that looks effortless. Nevertheless, this is a difficult Sondheim score that requires expert singers.... Only Matthew Ashford, as a peacock count, has the power and range to make the music his own. [LA Weekly, Valley Edition, by Tony Provenzano]
Alison Sweeney: He is funny, and so talented, he always brings a spark to each scene. Admittedly, I was a little nervous at first - before I even started on Days, I was a huge Jack & Jen fan, and I always thought Matt was such a cutie. And now, having the chance to work with him? Well, I knew Sami & Jack would never let things get boring.
Missy Reeves [Number 1]: "Working with Matt has made me so comfortable that I'm not as scared anymore," she says. "You try stuff, and if it doesn't work, it's no big deal." [SOD 6/91]
Missy Reeves [Number 2]: "I learned so much from him about acting. Talking to him every day was like talking to a professor. He brought out different sides of me that I was afraid to try. He'd be like, 'Just do it!'" [SOD '95]
Mary Beth Evans: "There were two guys that played Jack before Matt (Ashford, Tom GH), and not to knock them, but it wasn't anything that special." Ashford began work on the day that Mary Beth was leaving to have her son Daniel. The two pre-taped several episodes in one day, including the infamous spousal rape scene. "Matt walked over to the kitchen counter, turned around, and with just one look in his eye, he changed the character completely. Even on GH, he's made his character so interesting." [SOU '96]
Charlotte Ross: "I love my scenes with Matthew (Jack), too. He is so much fun. We love comedy, and we both like to adlib a lot when we work." [Daytime TV or SOD '91]
Staci Greason: "I really admire his work because he works so hard on making it work. They just couldn't get the romance between us-we were just having too much fun. We'd just make each other laugh too much. We just couldn't do it. The great Bayview escape was pretty bad." [SOD or SOU early '90s]
Lisa Rinna [Number 1]: "Matthew is such a great actor." [SOU '93]

 [Number 2]: I think that with Matthew, I don't know what goes on between us. It is so simple. We did a scene the other day, just a brief little scene. I said two lines to him. It was so funny. I react so differently to everyone else. When it comes to him, the words come out of my mouth in a certain way. I do not know where it comes from. I guess I have a real strong feeling about the relationship. I can tell him to shut up, I can be nice. You know how you can do that with your best friend? Matt is the most relaxed, most spontaneous actor that I have ever worked with. He is so in control." [Daytime TV '93]

 
quotes by matthew
 
  On his Role as Carl Magnus in The Interact Theatre's A Little Night Music: Because he writes at the speed of thought. And you have to sing it very clearly to tell the story. He also is not afraid to go into the gray area that so many actors love and that is so difficult to do in a musical. As an audience you can't always walk out of a theatre humming a song but you can feel things deep in your heart with Sondheim. "I think this show changed American musical theatre in the way we started to look at ourselves. Married relationships are not what we are pretending they are. It is not the '40s or the 50s anymore -- we cannot pretend, things are changing. This show said so clearly that people were in love but not always with the people they were with. And sometimes they were in love with the people they were with but they had no idea they were. And that's what Sondheim addresses. The danger of this play is what happens if you find your deepest love and you are in a whole different part of your life? [6/ 01]
On an Actor's Life: I was prepared for the theatre, but not for the nuts and bolts. You better be able to put food on the table and know the value of commercial theater... or commercial television... or commercials... while you're trying to get up your production of Oedipus Rex. [SOD 7/95]
On What Women Find Sexy About Him:  I have no idea, and if I did, I would probably overdo it and therefore screw it up, so it's probably just as well. [SOD 4/92]
On Insecurity: Actors worry about bad breath, weight, receding hairlines and why their leading lady looks like their daughter. They worry when a casting call suddenly goes out and the people coming in to audition look like a younger version of them. Believe me, when I hear someone say, 'I know an actor who looks just like you,' it's the last thing I want to hear. [SOD, 7/93]
On Teen Popularity: I knew I was never going to be 'with it.' Certain things were required, for instance a car and the ability to go out to functions. We were kept close to home. I had friends, but I was involved with activities more than anything. I saw people who were popular but I was protected from it. I had to study and work and as I did, I began to realize being popular wasn't going to make me happy. I always thought that the more my friends and I tried to be cool, the less we were. We definitely weren't maintstream -- big men on campus. The only times I was popular were the three days when the school play was going on. Stardom and then anonymity. It was a good experience. I began to separate stage and real life. The people who have adulation in high school have a hard time adjusting to real life. I have no regrets. [SOD 5/91]
On Family: [Describing the time Ashford and his brothers sang at a sister's wedding] [It was a] complete fiasco. I worked and worked with my brothers on it and told them they better learn their parts and get it right. Then when it came time to sing, I ended up forgetting my part and we started over from the beginning. The second time was no better and the brother struggled to finish and end their public misery. My mom was crying and then she started laughing. We ended with our heads down and just sulked off. I spent the whole reception in the bathroom. It was a wonderfully humbling experience." [SOU 5/93]
Playing a Villain: "I don't miss those days because was a little one-sided for me. I had just finished playing Cagney McCleary on Search for Tomorrow, and he was too good to be true. With Jack, I was always trying to find the positive because they always wrote the negative. I didn't have to be menacing. The music did it for me." [SOD 9/90]
"Bad Jack": Absolutely. I hate the word "nice." It's mush. I think he has a lot of faults, but that's what makes him him. I fight to maintain that. [SOD 12/90]
On Playing a Villain: I don't miss those days because was a little one-sided for me. I had just finished playing Cagney McCleary on Search for Tomorrow, and he was too good to be true. With Jack, I was always trying to find the positive because they always wrote the negative. I didn't have to be menacing. The music did it for me. [SOD 9/90]

On Cartooning [Part 1]: Cartoons have always been an enjoyment to me. . .a relaxation. . . I get my ideas from everyday events. I draw whatever hits me. When I draw a character, very often as I'm doing a face, my face mirrors the expression. " [SOW 6/90]
On Cartooning [Part 2]: For me, the joy of doing it is doodling when I want to. But if I had to do it, I'd lose the joy." [SOD 3/93]
On Fame: I'm a bigger joke than before. It's very easy for me to laugh at myself and laugh at life. It's still cliques and groups. A lot of aspects of life haven't changed; you just have bigger toys. I tried to laugh early on about ego and pride… I do something great and then I do something really dumb and then I laugh. You'll always be that kid. [SOD 5/91]
  		On Working on Soaps: The actual taping of a soap is not glamourous. You have to be awake at 6 a.m., when everyone else is asleep. When you arrive at the set, you go from one rehearsal to the next and you struggle to get your lines out correctly and hit your marks. It's really hard work, but it's worth it when everything comes together at tape time. When the actors, director, and the rest of the crew work together and everything, hopefully, comes out right, that's the best part of my day." [Daytime TV's Greatest Stories, 8/90)

On Jack & Jennifer's Unconventional Relationship: It has been a non-courtship. People from the outside say it's a courtship, but I could never approach it as that. Looking at it from the inside, Jack was just trying to get by one day at a time. He would never sit down and say, "I'm in love with her; I've got to have her." He would wonder, "Where is she?" He doesn't consider how much he loves her. It's a more active, less reflective thing. [SOD 6/91]
On Missy [Part 1]: Melissa and I have the best working relationship, and we feel that Jack and Jennifer have so much more to do." (Daydreams '92-'93) "I enjoy working with her [Melissa Brennan Reeves]. She's generous in everything she does-in her scenes, in her acting work, in helping you.... She's willing to do anything for anybody. And she likes to have fun, and try to do different things. She has a great sense of humor. [Daytime TV 90]
On Missy  [Part 2]: "I'd always watched her from afar because she was a cute girl and there's a really good vibe about her as a person," Matt explains. "The show kept allowing her to do the same thing over and over again, and it killed me to watch sometimes. I think she has unlimited potential and I'm just so glad we got the chance to work together because she pulled more out of me and I pulled more out of her. [SOD 6/91]
On Missy [Part 3]: "Melissa and I have the best working relationship, and we feel that Jack and Jennifer have so much more to do." [Daydreams 92/93]

On Jack's/Matt's Defining Moment: Storyline-wise, it would have to be the moment when Jack found out that Kayla had been sleeping with Patch the whole time she was married to Jack -- it was such a turning point for both the character and for me as an actor. The writers really launched his character and showed what he was made of; it also showed what I could do as an actor. Of course, there have been many wonderful moments since then, but that moment really was pivotal to Jack's character development. [NBC Publicity release October, 05, for Days of our Lives' 40th anniversary]

On Providing for a Family: Christina has told me she doesn't need a lot of fine things or this or that. As far as she's concerned, she'd like to just go back to St. Louis and live there. I just really hope I don't have to make artistic decisions based on having to provide. Maybe it's a totally naive hope, but tht's my hope, and we'll see." [SOD 3/93]
On His Childhood & His Role as a Father: "I think we [the Ashford siblings] were raised pretty well, so I'll probably end up doing the same things my father did. I think having eight kids evens things out a bit. You learn about the world;you learn you've got to get along. We're all -- if anything -- very adjustable." [SOD 3/93]
On The Birth of his First Child (Grace) [Part 1]: It was really kind of an amazing thing at the end, that this baby comes out--blinking, talking, squaking. Obviously, you check tht she's safe, she's clean, got all the fingers and toes, like that's going to help them through life. It'll help them walk, but you can't pull them out and check their IQ or anything.[SOD 3/93]

 On the birth of his First Child [Part 2]: [While in labor, wife Christina] was making the doctors and nurses laugh. Christina never called me names, which was very sweet. She said I was the only person there to support her, so she didn't want to alienate me. [SOD 6/93]

 On How a Child Changes One's Life [Part 1]: It's the range of emotions, realizing that your life will never be the same and trying to make it be the same. It can be sort of cataclysmic. [With a baby] you can't just say, "Okay, I'm going out to the gym now," or "I'm going to read a book." [SOD 11/92]

 On How a Child Changes One's Life [Part 2]: The first time that we were home on a Friday night, I was shocked. It was like, 'What are we doing?' But any night can be 'Friday' night, depending on the way you look at it. Now we go out to eat earlier -- at 5 p.m. instead of 9 p.m. It's better that way, especially when you have little kids who want to run around. [SOD 7/95]