When In the Dark first announced its cast, fans were left confused and a bit perplexed. The lead character, Murphy, who was blind, was played by a sighted actress. Perry Mattfeld had been given the job of portraying the female lead. This led fans to question the cast and the casting director, as to why the role was not given to a blind actress. However, when the series was eventually released in October 2018, fans were awe-stricken by Perry’s portrayal of Murphy. Not only did Perry portray the role to perfection, but she also took it to new heights. In this article, we will take a closer look at the wiki-bio of Perry Mattfeld.

Wiki/Bio Facts

Upbringing & Education

Perry Mattfeld was born on the 24th of March 1994 in Los Angeles County, California. Born to Shelley Garcia and Kenneth Mattfeld, Perry comes from an educated household. Her father was a lawyer who also served as the deputy city attorney for the Port of Los Angeles since 2003. Born and raised in Long Island, Perry studied at the Long Beach Polytechnic High School and took an advanced drama class at Constance Tillotson’s studio. Following her graduation, Perry went on to the University of Southern California and studied acting. Perry always wanted to pursue college and went on to graduate from USC’s School of Dramatic Arts with a BFA in acting and a BA in film theory. As she puts it, “The more educated you are and the more life experience you have, the more you can contribute to your characters.”

Diverse Interests

Perry began ballet dancing at the age of 5 and performed ballet for 9 years. She later began her tutelage under Ms. Debbie Allen in Los Angeles and broadened her portfolio. Perry was featured in Ms. Allen’s World Premiere Musical, Alex in Wonderland, and was also a part of the original musical theatre cast at Mattel’s American Girl Theater portraying American Girl Dolls, Kirsten Larson and Kit Kittredge.

During her time at USC, Perry was a member of one of the spirit groups, Song Girls. She was also featured in Sports Illustrated in 2014 as a Cheerleader of the Week.

After graduating from college, Perry also worked as a model under fashion legend Kelly Gray. While Perry has long left her days as a model, Kelly is all praises about her.

“I knew the first time I met Perry that not only is she a rare, natural beauty, but she has that star quality that only comes along every once in a while.”

Musical Theater and Acting

Under the careful tutelage of Ms. Allen, Perry went on to perform over 164 shows for American Girl at the Grove in Los Angeles. During her time at the theatre, Perry developed a strong love for acting and has been working on movies and TV series ever since.

Perry began her TV career began in 2006 with minor roles and commercials. She got her big break in 2009 when she was cast in the Disney TV series, Wizards of Waverly Place. Speaking about her audition for the show, Perry revealed,

“I showed up to the audition with my hair in two knots and a blue cheerleading uniform to make myself become Franken-Girl. I did a monster cheer at the audition and it was freaky and weird. The director told me he watches my audition tape all the time because it’s really funny.”

In the Dark

Since then, Perry has starred in several movies and TV series. Her standout role came in the 2018 TV series, In the Dark. The series features the life of Murphy, who is blind, as she sets out to uncover a murder with her trusted dog. The series is based loosely on the life of Lorri Bernson, who works at Guide Dogs of America. Talking about her role, Perry revealed that it was difficult for her to adjust to a blind character. She spent a lot of time with Lorri observing her daily schedule.

“When I first got the role, I spent quite a bit of time in her house with her. I realized what a responsibility I had, and how much I had to learn. So I spent a lot of time with her, watching her morning routine, how she got ready for bed, brushed her teeth, cooked in her kitchen, and used her guide dog. I learned how to text on an iPhone using the audio settings. It was great to be able to learn and research with her, and to have her on set as well.”

Mattfeld appeared in all four seasons of Dark which last aired in 2022 and has not since been renewed for another season. She received critical acclaim and fan appreciation for her performance as Murphy. She has been praised for her “charisma”, “depth”, “humor”, and “bravery”. She has also been recognized for her advocacy for the blind community and for raising awareness about retinitis pigmentosa.

Other Credits

In addition to Dark, Mattfeld has also starred in other movies and television roles. She played Layla, a woman who pretends to be pregnant to get out of an awkward situation, in the comedy film A Little White Lie (2023), directed by Elizabeth Banks. She also played Lucy, a journalist who uncovers a secret fishing operation that threatens the environment, in the drama film Mending the Line (2022), based on the book by John Larison. She also voiced Pam, a truck driver who transports mysterious cargo across America, in the podcast series Carrier (2019), created by Dan Blank.

Net Worth

Perry Mattfeld has an estimated net worth of $2 million as of 2023. She has earned her fortune from her professional career in the entertainment industry. She lives in Los Angeles, California, where she was born and raised. She has not revealed much information about her house or cars, but she has posted some photos of her home on her Instagram account. 

Husband and Kids

Perry Mattfeld is happily married to Mark Sanchez, a former NFL quarterback and current Fox Sports broadcaster. The couple tied the knot on May 28, 2023, in a romantic destination wedding in Oaxaca, Mexico. They exchanged their handwritten vows in front of 222 guests at a historic 16th-century colonial monastery, surrounded by lush greenery and exotic flowers. Mattfeld looked stunning in a custom Karen Sabag dress with intricate beading from Paris, while Sanchez wore a beige suit. Sanchez’s son Daniel, who was a groomsman and ring bearer, stood beside them during the ceremony. The couple met in 2017 through their mutual friend Scotty McKnight, who also played briefly on the Jets with Sanchez. They got engaged in May 2022 at the Belmond Cap Juluca on the beautiful island of Anguilla. They have not announced any plans for having children yet.

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