Older brother of Becki Newton, who plays Amanda on Ugly Betty (2006). Raised in Guilford, Connecticut, Matt began acting at the age of 15. He competed in state and regional theatre festivals throughout high school, and went on to study drama at Vassar College and the Eugene O'Neill Theater Center. After moving to New York to pursue theatre, he landed a role as a blind football player in a memorable episode of Comedy Central's cult hit Strangers with Candy (1999), after which he went on to guest star in over a dozen television shows. His first film role was opposite Jeremy Renner and Bruce Davison in the critically acclaimed indie film Dahmer (2002), which was nominated for three Independent Spirit Awards. Following that, he landed his first starring role opposite Karen Allen and Oscar nominee Michael Lerner in the controversial indie film Poster Boy (2004), which was released nationwide in 2006, and for which he received rave reviews. He currently lives in New York City (2008), where he continues to work steadily in film and television.
