Matthew A. Cherry

Matthew Alexander Cherry was born on Dec. 14, 1981 in Chicago, IL. Cherry's first career was as wide receiver in the NFL; he played for the Jacksonville Jaguars, Cincinnati Bengals, Carolina Panthers, and Baltimore Ravens before retiring from the sport in 2007. At this time, Cherry turned his attention to the film world, getting his start as a production assistant on programs like "Girlfriends" (UPN/The CW 2000-08), "The Game" (The CW/BET 2006-09, 2011-15), and "Heroes" (NBC 2006-2010). Cherry made his directorial and screenwriting debut with the dramatic short film "This Time" (2010), following the project up with the feature film "The Last Fall" (2012). The latter film, starring Lance Gross and Nicole Beharie, proved somewhat autobiographical in telling the story of a former professional athlete seeking new meaning in a life following retirement. After a few smaller projects, Cherry returned to feature filmmaking with "9 Rides" (2016), a drama film about an Uber driver juggling a heavy workload with a personal crisis. The film, starring Dorian Missick as the driver, was heavily improvised and shot entirely on an iPhone.