Matthew Maurice Landers

Matthew Maurice
Landers
UTICA/ CA
Matthew Maurice Landers was born on October 21, 1952 in Utica, NY. After a long journey with cancer, he passed away peacefully on March 12th, 2015 in Los Angeles, CA at the home of his daughter, Lily Landers, and son-in-law, Kevin Davis, with daughter, Fiona Landers, and son-in-law, Joel Spence, by his side. In addition to being a father, Matt was an accomplished actor, starring in over 80 television shows and 20 major motion pictures. A 1970 graduate of Notre Dame High School, Matt worked his first professional season as an actor at the Surflight Summer Theatre in Beach Haven, New Jersey. Shortly thereafter, he studied at the Boston Conservatory of Music and appeared as Jesus in Godspell in his first Equity performance at the Wilbur Theatre in Boston. He continued as Jesus in Godspells first National Tour. Matt made his Broadway debut as the first replacement in the role of Sonny in the musical Grease at the Royale Theatre. In 1978, Matt was nominated for a New York Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical for his performance - described as brilliant in the New York Times - in the Stephen Schwartz musical, Working. In Hollywood, Matt starred in many many television shows, most notably, as Pinkerton in The George Carlin Show. On the big screen, his featured roles included 48 Hrs., Die Hard, Down Periscope and a starring role as Ray in the Academy Award-winning Best Live Action Short, Ray's Male Heterosexual Dance Hall. In 2002, Matt returned to New York and his theatre roots, performing in numerous Off-Broadway productions. Additionally, he played Picasso at the St. Louis Repertory Theatre, and traveled the country with Ann-Margret in the national tour of The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas. He also journeyed to Europe and performed in Breaking Legs at The English Theatre in Vienna, Austria. Off-stage, Matt filled the role of Girls Fastpitch Softball Coordinator for Harlem RBI: Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities. He uplifted the program and inspired excellence in all the players and coaches he worked with on and off the field. He devoted the last years of his life to caring for his mother, Mary Landers (nee Caccia) and his father Maurice Landers, both of whom still reside in North Utica and just celebrated their 73rd wedding anniversary. He is survived by his parents, Mary and Maurice; his brothers, James, William and Thomas; and his sisters-in-law, Dolores and Gail. He is also survived by the mother of his children, Murphy Cross, and his partner, Keira Keeley. Finally, he is survived by his daughters Lily and Fiona who will love him forever.