Originally a student of pre-law at Widener University, and later majoring in Criminal Justice at West Chester University, Matthew started his career by making appearances on The Howard Stern Show (1990), The Oprah Winfrey Show (1986), and music videos of Iron Maiden, Marilyn Manson, and Blondie. Matthew would later amass a cult following for memorable roles such as "Tiny" in Rob Zombie's House of 1000 Corpses (2003), and Karl the giant in Tim Burton's Big Fish (2003). In the midst of working on a biopic about André René Roussimoff, Matthew died on August 9, 2005 from natural causes. The Devil's Rejects (2005) (House of 1000 Corpses (2003)'s sequel) was dedicated to him.