Matthew Sunderland

Matthew "Matt" Sunderland, born around 1972, is a prominent actor from New Zealand known for his compelling performances in both film and theatre. He gained significant recognition for portraying David Gray in the film *Out of the Blue*, which recounts the tragic events of the Aramoana Massacre. His portrayal earned him the Best Actor Award at the New Zealand Screen Awards in 2008.

In addition to his acclaimed performance in *Out of the Blue*, Sunderland received a nomination for Best Actor at the 2006 New Zealand Screen Awards for his role in *Natures Way*, which was showcased in competition at the Cannes Film Festival that same year.

Sunderland's filmography includes various projects, such as *A Song of Good*, *Christmas*, *Stringer*, and *Woodenhead*, alongside over twenty short films. He is a graduate of the New Zealand Drama School Toi Whakaari, completing his studies in 1997. Since then, he has focused primarily on New Zealand cinema while also engaging in theatre. His stage credits feature performances at the Silo Theatre in Auckland in productions like *Fool for Love* and *Blasted*, as well as *Trainspotting* at the Herald Theatre and *Peninsula* at the Court Theatre in Christchurch.

Notably, Sunderland appeared in the first official 90-minute episode of the popular New Zealand soap opera *Shortland Street*, portraying the character White Dragon in a storyline that concluded a three-year arc involving Kieran Mitchell.