You’ve probably seen his face a dozen times in that "hey, it's that guy" way. Matt Keeslar was everywhere in the late 90s and early 2000s. He had the jawline of a classic leading man and the kind of versatile acting chops that let him jump from a Christopher Guest mockumentary to a high-budget slasher without breaking a sweat.
But then, he just... stopped.
Most people looking for Matt Keeslar movies and tv shows are trying to figure out where he went. Honestly, his exit from Hollywood is just as fascinating as his filmography. It wasn’t a scandal or a "downward spiral" situation. He just decided he wanted to be a Physician Assistant instead.
Talk about a career pivot.
The Breakthrough: Waiting for Guffman and Cult Classics
Before he was saving lives in the medical field, Keeslar was the go-to guy for "handsome but slightly offbeat" roles. If you haven't seen Waiting for Guffman (1996), go fix that right now. He plays Johnny Savage, the local mechanic who gets roped into a community theater production. Watching him navigate Christopher Guest’s improvised world showed he could hold his own against comedy heavyweights like Eugene Levy and Catherine O’Hara.
He didn't just do comedy, though.
In 1998, he starred in Whit Stillman’s The Last Days of Disco. He played Josh, an assistant district attorney struggling with manic depression. It’s a nuanced, quiet performance that basically proved he wasn't just another pretty face from Juilliard.
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Why Scream 3 Changed Everything (Sorta)
Then came the year 2000. For a lot of actors, getting cast in a massive franchise like Scream is the "I’ve made it" moment.
In Scream 3, Keeslar played Tom Prinze. His character was the actor playing Dewey Riley in the "Stab 3" movie-within-a-movie. It’s meta, it’s ridiculous, and—spoilers for a 25-year-old movie—he ends up being a victim of the Ghostface gas leak explosion. While the movie itself got mixed reviews, it cemented him as a recognizable face in the mainstream.
Around the same time, he took a massive swing into science fiction.
He played Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen in the Frank Herbert's Dune miniseries. It was a huge departure. He had to be cruel, sleek, and dangerous. Comparing his Feyd to Austin Butler’s recent take is a fun weekend project for any sci-fi nerd. Keeslar’s version was less "alien monster" and more "lethally arrogant prince," which fit the TV format perfectly.
The Middleman: A Final Masterpiece
If you ask a hardcore TV fan about their favorite short-lived series, The Middleman (2008) always comes up. Always.
Keeslar played the titular character—a square-jawed, milk-drinking, hyper-articulate hero who fights "exotic problems." It was based on a comic book and felt like a mix of Men in Black and Gilmore Girls dialogue speed.
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It was brilliant. And it only lasted 12 episodes.
The show has a massive cult following now, but at the time, ABC Family didn't really know what to do with a show that was that smart and that weird. It’s arguably the peak of his career in terms of showing off his specific brand of deadpan charisma.
The Great Disappearing Act
By 2010, the credits started slowing down. A guest spot on Grimm in 2015 was one of the last times we saw him on screen.
So, what happened?
Keeslar went back to school. Not for "directing" or "finding himself" in Bali. He went to Reed College to study biology. He graduated Phi Beta Kappa in 2014 and then went on to get his Master of Physician Assistant Studies from Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU).
Today, he's Matthew Keeslar, PA-C.
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He specializes in urology and men's health in Oregon. He also teaches. It’s one of the most successful and grounded "second acts" in Hollywood history. He didn't wait for the industry to stop calling; he just decided he had another calling entirely.
Essential Watchlist for Matt Keeslar Fans
If you're looking to binge through his best work, don't just stick to the big hits. Mix it up to see his range:
- The Last Days of Disco (1998): For the serious acting fans.
- The Middleman (2008): For the quirky, fast-paced dialogue lovers.
- Waiting for Guffman (1996): For the pure cringe-comedy gold.
- Rose Red (2002): A Stephen King miniseries that’s actually pretty spooky.
- Splendor (1999): A weird, colorful Gregg Araki film where he plays a guy named Zed.
Why We Still Talk About Him
Hollywood is full of people who are "almost" superstars. Keeslar had all the ingredients. He worked with Robert Redford in Quiz Show and Susan Sarandon in Safe Passage. He did the Hallmark movies (Snowglobe is a guilty pleasure for many) and the gritty indies.
The reason Matt Keeslar movies and tv shows stay in the conversation is because he never felt like he was "phoning it in." Whether he was playing a Swedish exchange student in Psycho Beach Party or a 19th-century tutor in a stage production of Arcadia, there was a genuine sincerity to his work.
It’s rare to see someone walk away from the spotlight on their own terms. It makes his filmography feel like a time capsule of a specific era of American acting—the transition from the indie-darling 90s to the franchise-heavy 2000s.
If you want to dive deeper into his filmography, your best bet is to look for The Middleman on boutique streaming services or pick up the Last Days of Disco Criterion Collection. It’s worth it just to see a talented guy do exactly what he was meant to do, before he decided to go do something even more important.
Next Steps:
Go watch the pilot of The Middleman. It’s currently available on several digital platforms and remains one of the most underrated pieces of television from that decade. Once you've seen his comic timing there, revisit Dune to see how he handles the complete opposite end of the character spectrum.