Matthew Helms, born Joseph Matthew Helms, is an actor, dancer, and martial artist who has preformed lead roles in three productions of The Nutcracker, as well as in Giselle, in 2007. Helms is known for his long, blonde hair and his martial arts abilities. He has acted in five films, and a sixth pre production film, and has appeared on Jay Leno.
Life and career
Matthew Helms was born on October 31, 1989, in Atlanta, Georgia. He attended the Watford School of Karate in Aiken, South Carolina, and Spartanburg Martial Arts in Spartanburg, South Carolina. As of August 2007, he has been training in ballet as part of a scholarship with the International Ballet School of Littleton, Colorado. Due to a cancellation by the original guest, Matthew Helms appeared on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno in 1999, during which he broke Leno's watch while demonstrating his ability to block punches, and after the taping of which he was promised a motorcycle by Leno from his collection for his eighteenth birthday. His first acting role was in the 2002 horror movie, Cabin Fever as "Dennis," a position he got after writer and director Eli Roth was impressed by his martial arts demonstration. The charater, Dennis, was rewritten to fit Helms.
Martial arts
Matthew Helms has trained under such martial artists as 6th dan black belt Andy Watford, 5th dan black belt Rick Lee, 2nd dan black belt Brain Plempel, and Keith Vitali. At age 11, he was a third degree blackbelt in TAI karate.
Filmography
1) (2000) (uncredited)- Patriot Kid
2) Ding-a-ling-Less (2001)- Got Milk Kid
3) (2001) (uncredited)- Little Rebel
4) Cabin Fever (2002)- Dennis
5) A Touch of Fate (2003) (uncredited)- Extra
6) Blood De Madam: The Fallen One (2009) (Pre-production)- Randy
In addition to the films listed here, he played himself in a short action-film in 2002 called Pancakes.
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