Matthew Cowles

Matthew Cowles (September 28, 1944 – May 22, 2014) was an American actor and playwright born in New York City. The son of actor and theatre producer Chandler Cowles, he built a career spanning stage, television, and film across several decades.

Cowles made his Broadway debut in 1966 in the title role of Malcolm, Edward Albee's adaptation of James Purdy's comic novel, which ran at the Shubert Theatre. He went on to appear in two additional Broadway productions: The Time of Your Life, in which he played Dudley, and Sweet Bird of Youth, where he portrayed Tom Junior. His stage work extended beyond Broadway as well. In 1968, he appeared alongside Al Pacino and John Cazale in Israel Horovitz's The Indian Wants the Bronx at the Astor Place Theatre. In 1983, he joined the Mirror Repertory Company for their inaugural repertory season, performing in Paradise Lost, Rain, Inheritors, and The Hasty Heart. He also appeared in three short plays for the public radio program and podcast Playing on Air.

Cowles made his television debut in 1969 playing Joe Czernak on the series NYPD. He became best known to television audiences through his long-running role as Billy Clyde Tuggle on the daytime drama All My Children, a character he both originated and wrote. The role earned him two Daytime Emmy nominations: one in 1978 for Outstanding Actor in a Daytime Drama Series and another in 1981 for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Daytime Drama Series.

His film career began in 1969 with the comedy-drama Me, Natalie, in which he played Harvey Belman, a production that also marked Al Pacino's film debut. In 2010, he appeared in a supporting role in Martin Scorsese's Shutter Island. As a playwright, Cowles authored several works, including Mexican Standoff at Fat Squaw Springs, Our Daily Bread, and Noblesse Oblige.

In 1983, Cowles married actress Christine Baranski. The couple had two daughters, Isabel, born in 1984, and Lily, born in 1987. He was a devout Catholic and taught religious education at the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem, Connecticut. He was also an enthusiastic motorcycle rider. Cowles died of congestive heart failure on May 22, 2014.