Al Matthews

Before actor Alexander Basil Matthews appeared on stage and screen he served in the United States Marine Corps.  Born in Brooklyn, New York, Matthews served in the Vietnam War and served as a Marine for six years. Upon returning to the United States, Matthews embarked upon his acting and musical career. His film debut came in 1977 when he played himself in the film "The Butterfly Ball."  In 1979 he appeared in a small part in the movie "Yanks." The next year he appeared as Ferguson in "Rough Cut" (1980). Throughout the early 1980s Matthews appeared in a number of action movies and epic pieces such as "Ragtime" (1981), "Funny Money" (1983) and "Superman III" (1983).  In 1986 he appeared as Gunnery Sergeant Apone in the James Cameron movie "Aliens." The movie was a huge hit and it was one of the most notable roles of Matthews career. In 2013 Matthews again inhabited the character of Sergeant Apone for the video game Aliens: Colonial Marines. His character inspired the character of Sergeant Avery Johnson in the video game Halo. Matthews also appeared in a number of British television shows and worked as a presenter on BBC Radio 1. Matthews embarked on a musical career in the 1970s and released the single "Fool," which shot to #16 on the UK Singles charts. In 2018 Matthews was pronounced dead at age 75 after being discovered by a neighbor in his home in Spain.