About Me
MY NAME IS MATTHEW O’NEILL AND I AM A PHILADELPHIA/NYC-BASED ACTOR. I BEGAN PERFORMING AT A YOUNG AGE, BUT IT WASN’T UNTIL I WAS PEER-PRESSURED TO JOIN MY MIDDLE SCHOOL DRAMA CLUB THAT I TRULY CAUGHT THE BUG TO BE ONSTAGE. I STARTED PERFORMING AT COMMUNITY THEATRES IN MY AREA, AND I SOUGHT OUT EVERY OPPORTUNITY I COULD TO PERFORM IN MY SMALL, RURAL, SOUTH JERSEY TOWN.
BY THE TIME I GOT TO HIGH SCHOOL, I WAS DREAMING OF ESCAPING MY SMALL TOWN FOR THE BRIGHT LIGHTS OF BROADWAY. WHENEVER I GOT THE CHANCE I WOULD HEAD TO PHILADELPHIA OR NYC TO CATCH A SHOW, AND I WOULD FANTASIZE ABOUT THE DAY THAT I WOULD BE PERFORMING ON THOSE STAGES.
THAT DREAM STARTED BECOMING A REALITY WHEN I STARTED STUDYING MUSICAL THEATRE AT MARYMOUNT MANHATTAN COLLEGE. AT MMC, I REALLY DISCOVERED AND DEVELOPED MY LOVE FOR DANCE, AND HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO PERFORM IN PRODUCTIONS OF THOROUGHLY MODERN MILLIE AND MY SON PINOCCHIO.
AFTER LEAVING MARYMOUNT, I HEADED TO THE SUNSHINE STATE WHERE I LANDED A ROLE DANCING AT WALT DISNEY WORLD RESORT. WHILE PERFORMING IN CLASSIC DISNEY SHOWS AND PARADES, LIKE THE MAGIC KINGDOM WELCOME SHOW AND DISNEY’S MAIN STREET ELECTRICAL PARADE, I ALSO HAD THE OPPORTUNITY BE A PART OF THE OPENING CASTS FOR A HANDFUL OF NEW SHOWS AND PARADES. THE MOST NOTABLE BEING THE SEASONAL TROLLEY SHOWS ON MAIN STREET USA, AND THE FESTIVAL OF FANTASY PARADE. DURING MY TIME AT DISNEY, I ALSO HAD THE PLEASURE OF PERFORMING IN SEVERAL TELEVISION SPECIALS, INCLUDING THE DISNEY PARKS CHRISTMAS DAY PARADE ON ABC.
HAVING DONE EVERYTHING I EVER DREAMED OF AND MORE WHILE WORKING AT DISNEY, I DECIDED TO HANG UP MY DANCE SHOES FOR A WHILE AND TRY MY HAND AT A NEW CAREER. I BECAME A FLIGHT ATTENDANT, AND WHILE GETTING PAID TO TRAVEL THE WORLD HAD ITS PERKS, I WASN’T EVER ABLE TO FIND THE SAME JOY IN THAT LINE OF WORK AS I DID IN PERFORMING. IN 2020 , WHEN THE WORLD SHUT DOWN, AND AIRLINES WERE LOOKING TO REDUCE THEIR STAFFING, I TOOK THE OPPORTUNITY TO SAY “GOODBYE” TO THE FRIENDLY SKIES AND START FINDING MY WAY BACK ONSTAGE.
SINCE THEN, I LEFT FLORIDA AND RELOCATED BACK TO THE NORTHEAST WITH MY HUSBAND AND OUR 17-YEAR OLD DACHSHUND, SLINKY. WHEN I’M NOT ONSTAGE, I ENJOY ROAMING THE AISLES OF HOMEGOODS, CHECKING OUT NEW BOOKS FROM THE LIBRARY, AND ENJOYING THE MANY LOCAL FESTIVALS AND EVENTS THAT ARE AVAILABLE IN MY AREA.