Matt Dillon

Actor, also director, producer and writer · Born February 18, 1964 (62) · New Rochelle, New York, USA

Matthew Raymond "Matt" Dillon (born February 18, 1964) is an American actor and film director. He began his acting career in the late 1970s and quickly rose to fame as a teenage idol in the 1980s. Dillon made his feature film debut in Over the Edge (1979) and gained recognition with roles in My Bodyguard (1980), Little Darlings (1980), and The Outsiders (1983). As his career progressed, he took on more diverse roles, starring in critically acclaimed films such as Drugstore Cowboy (1989), Singles (1992), There's Something About Mary (1998), and Crash (2004), for which he received an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor. Beyond acting, Dillon made his directorial debut with City of Ghosts (2002) and has continued to work in film and television, including starring in the series Wayward Pines (2015). His career spans decades, showcasing his versatility in both dramatic and comedic roles.

Biography from TMDB.

Born: February 18, 1964 (62)
From: New Rochelle, New York, USA
Works as: Actor, also director, producer and writer
Titles: 70 on MovieCove · 82 credits in all
Links: IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 155 days to Oct 26Down 29% in 30 days

What are Matt Dillon's films like?

Across their 65 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Self and Bonds.

Genres

Comedy22 titles52^nd

Crime13 titles74^th

Drama9 titles32^nd

Documentary5 titles88^th

Action4 titles33^rd

Biography3 titles47^th

Adventure2 titles38^th

Short2 titles56^th

Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.

Themes

share of theme weight

Self

27%

Bonds

25%

Morality

15%

Survival

12%

Society

10%

Power

Ideas

Family bonds16 Romantic love11 Identity12 Deception9 Coming of age10 Survival8 Friendship8 Ambition7

What they feel like to watch

their average across 63 films

ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category

Earnest

Tone · Sincerity

ironicearnest

Ironic 7 · Wry 2 · Earnest 54

Serious

Tone · Weight

lightdark

A split, not a type: Light 26 · Serious 17 · Dark 20

Stylized

Tone · Style

naturalisticheightened

A split, not a type: Grounded 39 · Stylized 17 · Heightened 7

Charged

Feel · Intensity

gentleintense

Gentle 21 · Charged 26 · Intense 16

Shifting

Feel · Swings

steadyswings

A split, not a type: Steady 31 · Shifting 25 · Whiplash 7

Some laughs

Feel · Humor

noneconstant

A split, not a type: Straight-faced 35 · Some laughs 16 · Funny 12

Even-paced

Demand · Pace

slowrelentless

Slow burn 29 · Even-paced 33 · Relentless 1

Engaged

Demand · Attention

casualfull focus

A split, not a type: Casual 32 · Engaged 26 · Full focus 5

Affecting

Demand · Emotional cost

easyheavy

A split, not a type: Easy watch 25 · Affecting 18 · Heavy 20

Resolved

Demand · Resolution

resolvedambiguous

Resolved 48 · Open-ended 10 · Ambiguous 5

Roles they play

52 analyzed roles

Usually the Hero: 22 of 52 analyzed roles.

Hero

22 of 52

Shadow

17 of 52

Trickster

4 of 52

Threshold guardian

4 of 52

Ally

2 of 52

Herald

1 of 52

Shapeshifter

1 of 52

Mentor

1 of 52

Show the 52 roles

Tricksteras Ritchie in Over the Edge (1979)
Shadowas Moody in My Bodyguard (1980)
Heroas Jack in Liar's Moon (1981)
Heroas Tex McCormick in Tex (1982)
Shadowas Dallas Winston in The Outsiders (1983)
Heroas Rusty James in Rumble Fish (1983)
Heroas Jeffrey Willis in The Flamingo Kid (1984)
Heroas Chris Lloyd in Target (1985)
Heroas J.C. Cullen in The Big Town (1987)
Shadowas Doyle Kennedy in Kansas (1988)
Heroas Regret in Bloodhounds of Broadway (1989)
Heroas Bob in Drugstore Cowboy (1989)
Shadowas Jonathan Corliss in A Kiss Before Dying (1991)
Heroas Eddie Megeffin in Women & Men 2: In Love There Are No Rules (1991)
Tricksteras Cliff Poncier in Singles (1992)
Heroas Gus in Mr. Wonderful (1993)
Heroas Matthew in The Saint of Fort Washington (1993)
Heroas Kevin David Walker in Golden Gate (1994)
Shadowas Kevin David Walker in Golden Gate (1994)
Threshold guardianas Larry Maretto in To Die For (1995)
Heroas Dova in Albino Alligator (1996)
Allyas Tommy 'Birdman' Rowland in Beautiful Girls (1996)
Heraldas Cameron Drake in In & Out (1997)
Shadowas Sam Lombardo in Wild Things (1998)
Shapeshifteras Healy in There's Something About Mary (1998)
Heroas Randy in One Night at McCool's (2001)
Heroas Jimmy in City of Ghosts (2002)
Heroas David Walsh in Employee of the Month (2004)
Tricksteras David Walsh in Employee of the Month (2004)
Shadowas Officer Ryan in Crash (2004)
Heroas Hank Chinaski in Factotum (2005)
Shadowas Trip Murphy in Herbie: Fully Loaded (2005)
Heroas Carl in You, Me and Dupree (2006)
Shadowas Patton Dubois in Nothing But the Truth (2008)
Shadowas Mike Cochrane in Armored (2009)
Heroas Jack Welles in Takers (2010)
Tricksteras George Bousche in Girl Most Likely (2012)
Allyas Richie in Sunlight Jr. (2013)
Shadowas Nicky Calhoun in The Art of the Steal (2013)
Heroas Jesse Weiland in Bad Country (2014)
Heroas Ethan Burke in Wayward Pines (2015)
Threshold guardianas FBI Agent Arlen Hamer in Going in Style (2017)
Mentoras Doc in Running for Grace (2018)
Threshold guardianas Doc in Running for Grace (2018)
Shadowas Jack in The House That Jack Built (2018)
Shadowas Mike Shannon in Proxima (2019)
Heroas Father in Nimic (2019)
Threshold guardianas Alan in Land of Dreams (2021)
Shadowas Denny in High Desert (2023)
Shadowas Max in Haunted Heart (2024)
Shadowas Marlon Brando in Being Maria (2024)
Shadowas Horn in The Fence (2025)

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense

Melancholic

Warm

Hopeful

Contemplative

Other

How their films linger

Bittersweet26 Feel-good20 Hopeful20 Thought-provoking17 Unsettling16 Haunting14

How their films end · 8 with a twist

Happy17
Bittersweet29
Tragic4
Ambiguous13
Cyclical2

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Matt Dillon's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 47 of their 70 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (25).

Also on these channels

Howdy4 titles, show their 4 titles on Howdy
Lionsgate+4 titles, show their 4 titles on Lionsgate+
Sony Pictures Core3 titles, show their 3 titles on Sony Pictures Core
ViX3 titles, show their 3 titles on ViX
Sundance Now2 titles, show their 2 titles on Sundance Now
Cineverse1 title, show their title on Cineverse
Dove Channel1 title, show their title on Dove Channel
FOX One1 title, show their title on FOX One
Kino Film Collection1 title, show their title on Kino Film Collection
ScreenPix1 title, show their title on ScreenPix

Subscription and free streaming for Matt Dillon's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

82 credits, 70 with a MovieCove page; 30 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

I Play Rocky(2026)
as Frank Stallone Sr.
Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all films
The Fence(2025)
as Horn
Midcredits score: 32nd percentile of all films
Haunted Heart(2024)
Executive Producer · as Max
Midcredits score: 12th percentile of all films
Being Maria(2024)
as Marlon Brando
Midcredits score: 47th percentile of all films
Asteroid City(2023)
as The Mechanic
Midcredits score: 65th percentile of all films
High Desert(2023)
Show 8 episodes · as Denny
Midcredits score: 25th percentile of all shows
American Dreamer(2022)
as Dell
Midcredits score: 40th percentile of all films
Land of Dreams(2021)
as Alan
Midcredits score: 18th percentile of all films
Mickey Rourke: Just Like a Man (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2022)
Actor
El Gran Fellove (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2020)
Director
Capone(2020)
as Johnny
Midcredits score: 8th percentile of all films
Roy's World: Barry Gifford's Chicago(2020)
Actor
Midcredits score: 89th percentile of all films
Nimic(2019)
as Father
Midcredits score: 65th percentile of all films
Proxima(2019)
as Mike Shannon
Midcredits score: 59th percentile of all films
Head Full of Honey(2018)
as Nick
Midcredits score: 48th percentile of all films
The House That Jack Built(2018)
as Jack
Midcredits score: 74th percentile of all films
Running for Grace(2018)
as Doc
Midcredits score: 53rd percentile of all films
The Man Who Built Cambodia (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2017)
as Narrator (voice)
Going in Style(2017)
as Arlen Hamer
Midcredits score: 66th percentile of all films
Rock Dog(2016)
as Trey (voice)
Midcredits score: 46th percentile of all films
Wayward Pines(2015)
Show 10 episodes · as Ethan Burke
Midcredits score: 62nd percentile of all shows
Bad Country(2014)
as Jesse Weiland
Midcredits score: 30th percentile of all films
The Art of the Steal(2013)
as Nicky Calhoun
Midcredits score: 50th percentile of all films
Pawn Shop Chronicles(2013)
as Richard
Midcredits score: 38th percentile of all films
Sunlight Jr.(2013)
as Richie
Midcredits score: 29th percentile of all films
Going Attractions: The Definitive Story of the American Drive-in Movie(2013)
Actor
Midcredits score: 75th percentile of all films
Girl Most Likely(2012)
as George
Midcredits score: 28th percentile of all films
Takers(2010)
as Jack Welles
Midcredits score: 47th percentile of all films
Armored(2009)
as Mike Cochrane
Midcredits score: 27th percentile of all films
Old Dogs(2009)
as Yancy Devlin
Midcredits score: 19th percentile of all films
Modern Family(2009)
Show 1 episode · as Robbie Sullivan
Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all shows
Nothing But the Truth(2008)
as Patton Dubois
Midcredits score: 83rd percentile of all films
Once in a Lifetime: The Extraordinary Story of the New York Cosmos(2006)
as Narrator (Voice)
Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all films
You, Me and Dupree(2006)
as Carl
Midcredits score: 23rd percentile of all films
Herbie: Fully Loaded(2005)
as Trip Murphy
Midcredits score: 17th percentile of all films
Crash(2004)
as Officer John Ryan
Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all films
Factotum(2005)
as Henry Chinaski
Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all films
Loverboy(2005)
as Mark
Midcredits score: 23rd percentile of all films
Employee of the Month(2004)
as David Walsh
Midcredits score: 43rd percentile of all films
Abby Singer(2003)
as Matt Dillon (uncredited)
Midcredits score: 24th percentile of all films
City of Ghosts(2002)
Director · Screenplay · as Jimmy
Midcredits score: 42nd percentile of all films
Deuces Wild(2002)
as Fritzy
Midcredits score: 24th percentile of all films
One Night at McCool's(2001)
as Randy
Midcredits score: 44th percentile of all films
Madonna: The Video Collection 93:99 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1999)
as Detective (segment "Bad Girl")
The Making of Drugstore Cowboy (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1999)
Camera Operator · Actor
There's Something About Mary(1998)
as Pat Healy
Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all films
Wild Things(1998)
as Sam Lombardo
Midcredits score: 61st percentile of all films
In & Out(1997)
as Cameron Drake
Midcredits score: 63rd percentile of all films
Oz(1997)
Show 1 episode · Director
Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all shows
Albino Alligator(1996)
as Dova
Midcredits score: 38th percentile of all films
Grace of My Heart(1996)
as Jay Phillips
Midcredits score: 72nd percentile of all films
Beautiful Girls(1996)
as Tommy "Birdman" Rowland
Midcredits score: 81st percentile of all films
To Die For(1995)
as Larry Maretto
Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all films
Frankie Starlight(1995)
as Terry Klout
Midcredits score: 59th percentile of all films
Golden Gate(1994)
as Agent Kevin David Walker
Midcredits score: 18th percentile of all films
The Saint of Fort Washington(1993)
as Matthew
Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all films
Mr. Wonderful(1993)
as Gus
Midcredits score: 39th percentile of all films
Singles(1992)
as Cliff Poncier
Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all films
The Tonight Show with Jay Leno (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1992)
Show 2 episodes · Actor
Women & Men 2: In Love There Are No Rules(1991)
as Eddie Megeffin (segment 'Return to Kansas City')
Midcredits score: 24th percentile of all films
A Kiss Before Dying(1991)
as Jonathan Corliss
Midcredits score: 27th percentile of all films
The Simpsons(1989)
Show 1 episode · as Louie (voice)
Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all shows
Bloodhounds of Broadway(1989)
as Regret
Midcredits score: 31st percentile of all films
Drugstore Cowboy(1989)
as Bob
Midcredits score: 89th percentile of all films
Kansas(1988)
as Doyle Kennedy
Midcredits score: 20th percentile of all films
Dear America: Letters Home from Vietnam(1987)
as Mike (voice)
Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all films
The Big Town(1987)
as J.C. Cullen
Midcredits score: 32nd percentile of all films
Native Son (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1986)
as Jan
Rebel (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1985)
as Rebel
Target(1985)
as Chris Lloyd
Midcredits score: 35th percentile of all films
The Flamingo Kid(1984)
as Jeffrey Willis
Midcredits score: 53rd percentile of all films
Rumble Fish(1983)
as Rusty James
Midcredits score: 85th percentile of all films
The Outsiders(1983)
as Dallas Winston
Midcredits score: 83rd percentile of all films
Tex(1982)
as Tex McCormick
Midcredits score: 64th percentile of all films
The Great American Fourth of July and Other Disasters (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1982)
as Ralph
Liar's Moon(1981)
as Andrew Jackson "Jack" Duncan
Midcredits score: 40th percentile of all films
American Playhouse (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1982)
Show 1 episode · as FBI Agent Kevin David Walker · as Jan Erlone · as Ralph · as Regret
My Bodyguard(1980)
as Melvin Moody
Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all films
Little Darlings(1980)
as Randy
Midcredits score: 64th percentile of all films
Over the Edge(1979)
as Richie
Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all films
An Ocean Apart (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)
Actor
The Magnificent Seven (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)
Show 8 episodes · Executive Producer · as Chris Adams

Career shape

Star power in the 99^th percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 81 titles, 78 of them dated from 1979 to 2026; peak year 2019.

Biggest box office

There's Something About Mary (1998)

$370M worldwide

Highest rated

I Play Rocky (2026)

Midcredits 95^th

Film career

19792026

Peak 2019 · steadily prominent in film for years. Top draw in 38 MovieCove titles. Film roles by billing, audience size and rating; 25+ votes. A show carries a single first-air date, so shows are not on the curve.

1979Screen debut· Over the Edge
1982First top-billed film· Tex
2015Career best· Wayward Pines
2018Career best· The House That Jack Built

By role

only this rolewith another role

Acting79 of 81 · 49^thDirecting3 of 81Writing1 of 81Producing2 of 81Other crew1 of 81

81 titles, 4 with more than one role — acting and directing overlap on 1 of them.

By decade

1970s1 · acting1980s18 · acting1990s18 · 17 acting · 2 crew2000s15 · 15 acting · 1 crew2010s14 · acting2020s12 · 11 acting · 2 crew

Billing

usually 2nd · top billed in 36% of 53 roles

33%

60%

14%

40%

29%

33%

29%

79849499091419

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored. Billing is TMDB cast order for roles with 25+ votes, billed in the top 30; the columns are the share of top-billed roles in each era, 5-year spans from the year on the label, merged until each holds at least 5 roles.

How do Matt Dillon's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 48^th percentile, the median of all 65; across their 63 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 53^rd percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

53^rdpercentile

Typical film, the median of 63

Approval · how many liked their films

49^thpercentile

Typical film, the median of 63

Reach · how many have seen their films

84^thpercentile

Typical film, the median of 63

Midcredits score across 70 titles, by percentile

75^th and up19
50^th to 74^th17
25^th to 49^th22
Below 25^th12

Shape of the crowd

28 of their 70 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

Universally Loved6
Divisive1
Cult Classic2
Crowd Pleaser28
Broadly Agreed13
Mixed20

Most divisive · actor

Abby Singer (2003)

97^th percentile spread · 42% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · director

Oz (1997)

Midcredits 96^th · 90% liked

Reviewers score the acting 72/100 in their films, across 58 reviewed titles; fans 81, detractors 49. The element that speaks to their work as an actor.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Is Matt Dillon's work okay for kids?

Across up to 37 MovieCove titles with content scores, profanity runs heavier than most films.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles

Violence & Gore25 titles19–83 · median 49 · moderatenear the median of all films

Sex & Nudity37 titles22–65 · median 38 · moderatenear the median of all films

Profanity26 titles25–85 · median 57 · moderateheavier than most films

Alcohol & Drugs23 titles21–68 · median 40 · moderatenear the median of all films

Frightening / Intense20 titles18–73 · median 45 · moderatenear the median of all films

Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted. The band's colour is the severity of their median, named beside it.

Who does Matt Dillon work with?

People who share at least 2 of Matt Dillon's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Diane Lane shares the most, 5.

Directors

Matt Dillon

What are Matt Dillon's films like?

Genres

Themes

What they feel like to watch

Roles they play

Moods and endings

Where can I watch Matt Dillon's films?

Filmography

Career shape

Film career

By role

By decade

Billing

How do Matt Dillon's films land?

Shape of the crowd

Is Matt Dillon's work okay for kids?

Who does Matt Dillon work with?

Directors

Writers

Actors

Composers, cinematographers and editors

Producers

Mixed roles