Matt Smiley Biography: Net Worth, Ex-Wife, Height, Parents, Movies, Ethnicity, Age, Awards
Matthew Smiley, professionally known as Matt Smiley, is a Canadian actor, filmmaker, producer, writer and contemporary artist born on October 28, 1981, in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
He began his entertainment career as an actor before moving into film development, documentary filmmaking and visual art.
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His acting work includes Kamataki, Chasing Holden, Are You Afraid of the Dark?, Undressed, Kissing Strangers, Half Brothers and Book Club, while his directing work includes the documentaries Highway of Tears and For Love.
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| Wiki Facts & About Data | |
| Real Name: | Matthew Smiley |
| Stage Name: | Matt Smiley |
| Born: | October 28, 1981 (age 45 years old) |
| Place of Birth: | Montreal, Quebec, Canada |
| Nationality: | Canadian |
| Ethnicity: | Canadian |
| Height: | 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) |
| Religion: | Christianity |
| Parents: | Mr. and Mrs. Smiley |
| Spouse: | Lyndsy Fonseca (former spouse) |
| Relationship: | Not publicly confirmed |
| Occupation: | Actor, Filmmaker, Producer, Writer, Contemporary Artist |
| Net Worth: | $3 million |
Early Life and Education
Matt Smiley was born on October 28, 1981, in Montreal, Quebec, and grew up in Montreal. He was brought up by Mr. and Mrs. Smiley.
In a detailed interview about his childhood, he explained that his parents divorced when he was about one year old and described his childhood as complicated.
He spent significant time around the entertainment industry as a child because of his family’s circumstances and developed an early relationship with creative work.
Smiley has described his grandfather as a prolific painter, saying that his grandfather’s artwork was everywhere during his childhood.
He also credited a great-aunt, whom he described as a successful businesswoman who possessed a strong appreciation for art, as an important influence.
When circumstances at home became difficult, drawing and painting became a refuge for him.
His ethnic background is Canadian, His religious affiliation is Christianity.
During his teenage years, Smiley became a competitive ski racer, remaining heavily involved in the sport until approximately age 16.
Around that period he began exploring acting, initially appearing in commercials before moving into film and television.
Smiley later studied theatre in France, including training under acting coach Jack Waltzer, whose students have included major Hollywood performers.
He subsequently moved to Los Angeles, where his career expanded beyond acting into film and book development.
Career
Matt Smiley began his professional entertainment career as an actor and attracted international attention after starring in Kamataki, directed by Claude Gagnon.
His performance as Ken-Antoine became an important early career milestone, and the film received multiple festival awards.
After acting, Smiley moved into film and book development in Los Angeles. From 2007 to 2009, he worked as a writing collaborator and editor on a biography of LVMH CEO Bernard Arnault, later working in film development at 26DB Productions alongside French filmmaker and actor Dany Boon.
He subsequently moved into producing and documentary filmmaking. He produced the Rituals web series and the David Guetta and Nicky Romero music video Metropolis, then directed Highway of Tears, a documentary examining missing and murdered women along northern British Columbia’s Highway 16.
The film premiered at the TIFF Human Rights Watch Film Festival and received multiple awards.
Smiley later directed and produced For Love, a documentary examining Canada’s Indigenous child-welfare system and the effects of colonization on Indigenous families and communities.
Narrated by Shania Twain, the film was released on Netflix Canada and Amazon Prime, further establishing Smiley as a documentary filmmaker.
Awards and Nominations
- Malibu Film Festival – Best Documentary for Highway of Tears
- Vancouver International Women in Film Festival – VIWIFF Award for Best Documentary for Highway of Tears
- Mammoth Film Festival – Best Documentary for For Love
Social Media
- Instagram: @matt_smiley
- X (Twitter): @mattsmiley
- Facebook: MattSmileyEntertainment
- LinkedIn: @mrmattsmiley
Personal Life
Matt Smiley is 45 years old and stands 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) tall. He is single and Unmarried.
He is divroced, Smiley was previously married to actress Lyndsy Fonseca, best recognized for Nikita, Kick-Ass and How I Met Your Mother.
The couple married on April 16, 2009, separated in July 2012, and their divorce was finalized in January 2013.
Court records reported at the time cited irreconcilable differences, and the couple did not have children together. He does not have any children.
After his divorce, Smiley was publicly linked to Justine Wachsberger beginning around 2014, although reliable recent sources do not establish whether that relationship continued.
His current relationship status is therefore not publicly confirmed.
Smiley‘s family background has influenced his creative development. He has spoken openly about growing up after his parents’ divorce and about the difficult circumstances surrounding his childhood.
His grandfather’s painting and his great-aunt’s appreciation for art and business helped shape his eventual transition from acting into visual art.
Smiley is a contemporary artist whose work combines neo-expressionism, pop-culture imagery, symbolism, automatic writing and personal memory. His official website describes his paintings as exploring memory, emotion and cultural symbolism.
He launched his first official solo exhibition, Dreams Fizzle into Space, in 2017, featuring a collection of hand-painted “Smiley” soup-can works.
He later exhibited Lessons in History at the LA Art Show, participated in The Other Art Fair, presented work at the Aspen Institute, and created the Blocs of Love mural in Los Angeles.
Smiley has also maintained strong connections to social and humanitarian causes.
His documentary Highway of Tears focused on missing and murdered Indigenous women and received screenings across Canada and the United States.
His later documentary For Love focused on Indigenous children and family preservation, reflecting his continued interest in social-issue filmmaking.
In 2024, he continued producing short documentary projects connected to Indigenous stories, including Butterflies in Spirit, Spirit of Change: Cindy Blackstock, and Kahsennenhawe Sky-Deer: A Legacy of Strength.
His official biography also records exhibitions in Los Angeles and a New York solo exhibition in late 2025, demonstrating that his visual-art career remains active alongside filmmaking.
Net Worth
Matt Smiley‘s net worth is $3 million, generated from acting, filmmaking, documentary production, writing, visual art and film development.
Filmography
- Kamataki
- Chasing Holden
- Are You Afraid of the Dark?
- Undressed
- The Secret Pact
- Within These Walls
- 2001: A Space Travesty
- Kissing Strangers
- Half Brothers
- Book Club
What People Ask
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