Matthew Elam
Birthday: Born in in
Deathday: Alive
Matthew James Elam is an American stage, film, and television actor originally from Southern California. He earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Acting from DePaul University's Theatre School in Chicago, class of 2018, where he appeared in productions such as Native Son, Wig Out!, Lord of the Flies, and Romeo and Juliet. Elam began building his screen résumé with an appearance on Chicago P.D. in 2018, followed by a lead role in the digital short Good Genes in 2019. That same year, he earned critical praise onstage in Dominique Morisseau's play Pipeline at Chicago's Victory Gardens Theatre. This performance showcased his ability to portray complex and rebellious youth. In 2020, Elam was cast as Lemuel Cannon, the eldest son of Chris Rock's character in Season 4 of FX's anthology series Fargo. His portrayal of a young man torn between familial loyalty and personal aspiration caught his attention for its nuanced depth. He expanded his television presence in 2022 by joining the cast of AMC's 61st Street and made his feature-film debut as Ray Ray in HBO Max's The Many Saints of Newark. Elam is also a series regular of the Marvel Studios' Disney+ TV series Ironheart (2025).
TV Credits
Chicago P.D.
Character: Andre Thompson
A riveting police drama about the men and women of the Chicago Police Department's District 21 who put it all on the line to serve and protect their community. District 21 is made up of two distinctly different groups: the uniformed cops who patrol the beat and go head-to-head with the city's street crimes and the Intelligence Unit that combats the city's major offenses - organized crime, drug trafficking, high profile murders and beyond....
Fargo
Character: Lemuel Cannon
A close-knit anthology series dealing with stories involving malice, violence and murder based in and around Minnesota....
Ironheart
Character: Xavier
After the events of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, technology is pitted against magic when Riri Williams, a young, genius inventor determined to make her mark on the world, returns to her hometown of Chicago. Her unique take on building iron suits is brilliant, but in pursuit of her ambitions, she finds herself wrapped up with the mysterious yet charming Parker Robbins aka "The Hood."...
Movie Credits
The Many Saints of Newark
Character: Ray Ray
Young Anthony Soprano is growing up in one of the most tumultuous eras in Newark, N.J., history, becoming a man just as rival gangsters start to rise up and challenge the all-powerful DiMeo crime family. Caught up in the changing times is the uncle he idolizes, Dickie Moltisanti, whose influence over his nephew will help shape the impressionable teenager into the all-powerful mob boss, Tony Soprano....
Exhibiting Forgiveness
Character: Quentin
A Black artist on the path to success is derailed by an unexpected visit from his estranged father, a recovering addict desperate to reconcile. Together, they struggle and learn that forgetting might be a greater challenge than forgiving....