On the Verge: Matt Angel

Matt Angel is a versatile guy. Not only is the 32-year-old Burbank native a talented actor who has been working regularly since his professional debut a decade and a half ago, but he’s also a writer-director whose career behind the camera is taking off. He was also, in his words, a legendarily good barista at Starbucks. His work as a writer-director, alongside partner Suzanne Coote — who also happens to be his wife and the mother of his 10-month-old son — has resulted in the hit indie flick The Wrath of Becky, currently one of the top VOD titles on iTunes.

As well as he’s doing behind the camera, though, it’s his work in front of it that’s getting more attention at the moment. Angel stars in the second season of the hit Netflix series The Lincoln Lawyer. The new season is based on the fourth novel in Michael Connelly’s ongoing series about LA attorney Mickey Haller, The Fifth Witness. Angel plays Henry Dahl, a sleazy podcast producer who crosses Haller and interferes with the lawyer’s defense of his client. He was at his home in Los Angeles when he chatted with us and told us the secret to a great cup of coffee.

Normally, I get to see a movie or a show before I interview the actor in it, but I did read the book, so that makes it easier. In the novel, your character Harry Dahl is actually named Herb, and he’s a movie producer.

At one point, the script supervisor looked at me and was like, Are you glad we changed his name? And I was like, what was his name in the book? She said, “Herb.” And I was like, “Yes. I’m very glad. Thank you.”

We’ll get back into the show, but first, I’m curious about how you got into acting in the first place.

I got bit by the bug, as they say, at a very early age. My dad was a producer, and I grew up on the set of Goosebumps in the 90s. So I was always on set with him, and I just loved it. I loved every facet of film and TV, so I knew I was gonna be in the industry in some capacity. I wanted to be an actor, but my parents wanted me to wait until I was old enough to really know if I wanted to do it. So I just did as much community theater as I could, which kind of confirmed for me that I knew I wanted to be an actor. When I was about to start high school, my parents said, do you still want to do it? I said “Yes,” and I jumped in. I got my first agent, actually, [when] I was a lead in my high school play; and someone was there who referred me to their agent. Their agent came and saw the show and signed me. Then the first audition I booked was The Suite Life of Zack & Cody, and that was it. I was working out of high school pretty regularly, guesting on shows here and there, and in the last 15 years, I’ve been lucky enough to just be a working actor.

Did you ever have a non-acting job?

Sure. I never had a series, so you do these guest spots, and then you have like a dry spell of six months and you’re like, “Oh, I need the job.” It’s been a while, and not since I started writing and directing, but I did work at Starbucks for about nine months. I was a really good barista. I still get frustrated when they make drinks that aren’t good.

Is there a secret to making a great cup of Starbucks coffee?

Absolutely. You have to aerate the milk properly. If you don’t do that, if you just heat the milk, it sucks. Anyone reading this who works at Starbucks, that’s my tip. Please aerate the milk properly.

Photo courtesy of Matt Angel.

And now you’re on a hit Netflix show. Did you read the book before you took the part?

Good question. Did I read the book? Well, I bought the book.

Michael Connelly didn’t even give you a free copy?

No, I had to buy the thing.

That’s a shame. But you didn’t actually read it?

I didn’t read the book, but I had a newborn son, so that’s my excuse. I got sent the first four scripts pretty early on, and I was like, “Okay, I get this guy.” He’s a little younger in the show, and he’s a podcast producer, which really brings the story to 2023.

The character as written is pretty sleazy. Does that carry over?

I wanted to make him a little less mustache-twirly sleazy. I wanted to play him as, initially, a nice guy who you’re wondering what is it about this guy that we can’t quite trust. What’s great about the way the scripts unravel is Henry is very present throughout every element of the story, and you’re getting a little bit more of who this guy is from week to week. There’s a lot of different things that are happening to Mickey Haller throughout the season, and a lot of times all signs point to Henry’s involvement.

When the strike ends, you’re set to write and direct another Becky movie, but what’s next for you on the acting front?

Well, this is the most significant television role I’ve had. So I kind of simultaneously have the most significant feature role I’ve had and a television role I have dropping three weeks apart. So that’s really great. I wish I had a more exciting answer. I assume a lot of the readers will understand that, as an actor, there is not always a “Yes, I’m doing this next.” That’s more common than not. So it remains to be seen what’s next for me in front of the camera, but I will be looking for opportunities with stuff that I am writing and directing and then just hoping that the next opportunity comes my way.

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