Matt Cohen is already a television icon from his much heralded appearances on CW’s Supernatural. He’s also loved by General Hospital fans for his underdeveloped role of priest/doctor Griffin Munro. Matt has over a dozen other television credits, including a season on Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders and starring in South of Nowhere – where he met his future wife Mandy Musgrave. Regardless of his looks, Matt is quite happy staying off camera, too, and he is an award winning director in film, and has directed a much anticipated episode in the upcoming season of Supernatural. Finally, in between all this, Matt is a natural as correspondent/host on Entertainment Tonight.
How have you dealt with the quarantine in general?
Matt: I have no complaints about quarantine. It is the most time home with my wife and son I have ever had and I am truly enjoying it. I miss work, but I am able to film ET from my house and that has been pretty fun.
Do you feel that being stuck at home with a beautiful wife and adorable child has given you an unfair advantage?
Matt: Yes, absolutely! Anybody would be lucky to be locked up with these two. My wife was also already home schooling our son so the quarantine didn’t change anything for his school situation which has been nice. We have been gardening together everyday and just trying to fix up our house. I love it.
What have you learned about yourself during this time?
Matt: You have to be happy exactly where you are. I realized I don’t need anything else because I have everything in my family.
You were just settling in nicely at Entertainment Tonight and then Covid-19, how has that effected things?
Matt: We have not stopped filming for a minute. We have been creatively working together as a giant remote team of people to make the show continuously. It has been fun. My son tries to hijack my interviews most days. You can catch him interviewing Elmo if you search around.
Are you concerned that the more success you have at ET, the further it will take you away from acting?
Matt: Not at all. This is a new time in Hollywood, a lot is changing, and I think it is smart to be a multi dimensional entertainer. Hosting, acting, directing, podcasting, etc. they all work together. I am a maker and I love making stuff. Wether its entertainment news or directing action films, I just like to make!
During the shut down, General Hospital has aired several episodes from when you were front and center, do you miss being there?
Matt: I miss the family of cast and crew there a lot. I love those #!%$@# people! I don’t miss the chaos that is trying to make a serial TV program. I would happily pop in anytime Frank calls and he knows that.
Another casualty, at least, so far, was the broadcast of your tv debut as a director – what happens to your episode of Supernatural?
Matt: My episode will be the second episode to air when the show returns in October. I believe October 8th is the return for the last seven episodes and mine should be the following week.
You had great success with Mama Bear, your short film debut as a director, last year – do you have plans for more directing?
Matt: I am in final negotiations to direct Mama Bear and another movie called The Crash, both written by Mama Bear writer, Lee Ehlers, and I hope to have one picture completed before the end of the year – details to come.
Which was more difficult for you with Mama Bear – directing yourself or directing your wife?
Matt: Directing myself was more difficult. My wife is talented, I just tell her jump there and shoot there and she can do it with the proper emotions. Me on the other hand, it is hard to focus on character while directing. That being said, it is not impossible and it is a whole lot of fun! I hope to pull double duty and both act and direct on many future projects!
You’ve posted a lot of great videos on Instagram with your cool five year old son, Macklin – what if he wants be an actor?
Matt: If he wants to, then I will support whatever it is. Listen, nobody wants to make him an action star worse than I do! I will nudge him to try as many other things as possible though.
You did it at Supernatural, is it more difficult directing actors you’re so familiar with, in this case, say, at General Hospital?
Matt: The more familiar I am with an actor as a friend only benefits us both. If I am friendly and familiar with a person than I know what their capabilities are and I don’t have to waste a bunch of time trying to pull a performance out of them that is or isn’t there. I can just provide an environment that I know would provoke the performance and I let them work.
If you could pick any two actors to star in your next film, who would they be?
Matt: Me – and Shia LaBeouf. I just know if I had the right script for him and I, we could make something special. I see things in him that excite my creativity.
And, now that this is over, what will you do for the rest of the day?
Matt: Back to dadding!
- Jim Warren
- HollywoodHI