Matt Shakman

Biography:

American director and former child actor Matt Shakman was born on August 8, 1975. His most well-known works include The Fantastic Four: First Steps (2025) and the MCU miniseries WandaVision (2021). Additionally, he has directed episodes of Game of Thrones, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, The Great, and Fargo. From 2017 until 2023, he served as the artistic director of the Geffen Playhouse in Los Angeles, California.

Shakman grew up in Ventura, California, where he was born. Shakman’s Jewish paternal grandmother was at odds with his Jewish father and Catholic mother, who had a “relatively secular household” because to their interfaith marriage. He took a break to attend The Thacher School in Ojai after acting as a child, beginning with commercials and securing a series regular part on Just the Ten of Us.

Shakman continued on to Yale University, where he was a member of Skull and Bones and graduated with a double major in theatre and art history.  Shakman had an interest in theatre while attending Yale, and he went on to direct several stage shows.