Winning an Emmy was probably not on Matthew James Matheson’s radar when he was still a culinary student at Humber College, in the year 2000.
Matheson has starred in Vice’s Munchies and It’s Suppertime, and played host to YouTube shows like Cookin’ Somethin’ w/ Matty Matheson, before he went on to become an Executive Producer on FX’s The Bear.
The hit series about the inner workings of a Chicago restaurant took home six awards in the Comedy categories at the 75th Emmy Awards. The show won the Best Comedy Series along with best writing, and secured three in the acting genres, and for writing and directing.
Matheson dropped out of college just before graduating to tour with a friend’s metal band.
He landed his first job at Le Select Bistro on Queen Street in 2004. Here, Matheson became proficient in French dishes under the guidance of Chef Rang Nguyen.
That was just the beginning of his career in the culinary arts. Matheson has since been the proprietor of numerous restaurants and authored two books of family recipes and anecdotes called Matty Matheson: A Cookbook in 2018, and Matty Matheson: Home Style Cookery in 2020.
His first restaurant, Maker Pizza started in 2015 and now has multiple outlets all across the GTA.
Matheson opened Cha Phe Rang and Prime Seafood Palace in 2022. Prime Seafood Palace was recommended in the Michelin Guide for its food and ambience, Streets of Toronto said.
Beyond his culinary talents, Matheson also owns a workwear brand called Rosa Rugosa in collaboration with Ray Natale.
He has successfully managed to combine his love for cooking with his television ventures. Matheson has since been an active part of shows like Dead Set on Life and Selena + Chef.
He has explored the roles of an actor with his portrayal of Neil Fak on The Bear since 2021.
Yash Sharma, a Culinary Management student at Humber Lakeshore campus, is a huge fan of Matheson’s character on the show.
“He is a chef, who plays a chef and that’s what makes him so special,” he said.
Matheson’s fame is attributed to his comedic persona and affable demeanour, according to his fans.