Matthew Dickens

Matthew Dickens (October 19, 1961 – January 8, 2013) was an American actor, writer, producer, and director whose Broadway career spanned from 1985 to 1994. He was born in an ambulance on a highway on the outskirts of Nancy, France.

Dickens received his early theatrical training at the Duke Ellington School of the Arts in Washington, D.C., where he studied under founder and director/choreographer/educator Mike Malone. He later joined Malone as a company member of the Equity Theater Company at Karamu House in Cleveland, Ohio. Among his other teachers at the school were Kenneth Daugherty and Glenda Dickerson in acting, Donal Leace in theater history, Tony Booker in voice, and Quay Barnes Truitt in costumes and makeup. His dance training included coursework at the School of the Cleveland Ballet, and after relocating to New York he studied briefly at the Ailey School before working with instructors David Howard, Finis Jhung, and Frank Hatchett.

On Broadway, Dickens appeared in the original cast of Sunset Boulevard alongside Glenn Close, having first performed in the original Los Angeles production of the show. He subsequently appeared in the Broadway company with Betty Buckley and Elaine Paige as well. He joined the Broadway company of Miss Saigon after completing the Netherlands production, in which he had performed the role of John entirely in Dutch. On Broadway he played both the roles of Chris and John in Miss Saigon at different points during the run. Additional Broadway credits include the role of C.C. White in Dreamgirls and a role in Stephen King's Carrie. Beyond Broadway, Dickens co-starred in the original Australian cast of Smokey Joe's Cafe.

His work in television included appearances on Fame, guest roles on A Different World and Quantum Leap, and several commercials. In 1989 he appeared on The Debbie Allen Special, which received two Primetime Emmy nominations. He co-starred in the opening number of the 63rd Academy Awards alongside Jasmine Guy and Steve LaChance. In 1991 he performed in the ABC special American Dance Honors, which earned an Emmy Award nomination for its choreography. His professional relationship with Debbie Allen extended across multiple projects, among them A Different World, Fame, Polly, Carrie, and The Academy Awards.

Dickens died of prostate cancer on January 8, 2013.