Mat Fraser

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Mat Fraser

Fraser performing a striptease that included removal of prosthetic arms
Born 1962
England, UK
Years active 1980 - present
Spouse(s) Julie Atlas Muz (2012 - present)

Mat Fraser (born 1962) is an English rock musician, actor and performance artist. Between 1980 and 1995 he was a drummer with several rock bands including Fear of Sex, The Reasonable Strollers, Joyride, The Grateful Dub, and Living in Texas.

Background

Fraser was born with phocomelia of both arms, due to his mother being prescribed thalidomide during her pregnancy. As a live artist he was a member of the performance art group The DHSS in the early 1990s. He was included in Manuel Vason's book "Exposures" and has performed at numerous internationally renowned venues. He received considerable critical acclaim for his one-man show "Seal Boy". In 1999 he worked with the Hydra Collective on an event known as "Wrong Bodies" at the Institute of Contemporary Arts.

Performing career

As an actor Fraser has performed with the "Graeae Theatre Company", Europe's leading disabled theatre company. He is the creator and main performer in a new play called Thalidomide!! A Musical. He also co-hosts the BBC's Ouch! Podcast.[1]

Fraser has appeared on television both as a presenter and as an actor, in a number of productions including Metrosexuality and Every Time You Look at Me. He is also a martial artist having studied hapkido, taekwondo, Karate.[2][3]

Fraser coined the use of term "blacking up" to describe when an able-bodied actor plays the part of a disabled person rather than the part going to a disabled actor. The term was originally used to describe the controversial practice where non-black actors take on the characters of black people.[4] Fraser illustrates his point in his song "Blacking Up".[5]

His film Kung Fu Flid was released in 2009, starring Faye Tozer (formerly of pop group Steps), Frank Harper and Terry Stone.[6]

Fraser made his Fair City debut in June 2011,[7] playing Esther's son David and impregnating Susan before fleeing to Kosovo.[8]

Fraser played the drums in a performance of Ian Dury's "Spasticus Autisticus" at the 2012 Paralympics opening ceremony,[9][10] and with Coldplay during the closing ceremony.[11][12]

Personal life

Fraser married Julie Atlas Muz, also a performer, in May 2012 in New York City.[9][10]

Film and TV

  • The Fades (TV series) (TV series) - Shopkeeper (2011)
  • Fair City (TV series) - David Osborne (2011)
  • Cast Offs (TV series) - Will (2009)
  • Holby City (TV series) - Gary Davids (2009)
  • Metrosexuality (TV series) - Marlon
  • Chemical Wedding (film) - Anton Le Fay (2008)
  • Kung Fu Flid (film) - Jimmy (2009)
  • Freak Out (TV series) - Host
  • Happy Birthday Thalidomide (TV series) - Presenter
  • Unarmed and Dangerous (TV series) - Documentary showing Fraser as a disabled cage fighter
  • Every Time You Look At Me (TV series) - Chris
  • The Culture Show (TV series) - Contributor
  • Helen of Troy (film) - Calchas
  • Sunday Morning Live (TV series) - Contributor
  • TV Dinners (TV series) - Contributor (1998)
  • Right To Reply (TV series) - (Viewer contributor)

References

  1. ↑ Ouch! It's a disability thing BBC
  2. ↑ Schillinger, Liesl (30 January 2005). "Arms and the Man: The Star of 'The Flid Show'". The New York Times. Retrieved 21 March 2012. 
  3. ↑ "I'm the Kung Fu Flid". News of the World. Retrieved 11 June 2010. 
  4. ↑ I’m a bit surprised to be referred to as “you people”… Isn’t that kind of condescending? EoinButler.com (Irish Times), 6 March 2010
  5. ↑ Just For Kicks The Independent, 7 February 1999
  6. ↑ Kung Fu Flid IMDb
  7. ↑ Man on a mission Irish Times, 7 June 2011 (subscription required)
  8. ↑ "David Osbourne played by Mat Fraser". Fair City. Raidió Teilifís Éireann. 
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 Flippers and strippers - Mat Fraser and Julie Atlas Muz Time Out London, 31 August 2012
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 From Paraphilia to Paralympics with Mat Fraser This is Cabaret, 8 September 2012
  11. ↑ Disabled drummer gets biggest gig of his life as he joins Coldplay at Games finale London Evening Standard, 10 September 2012
  12. ↑ As it happened: Paralympic closing ceremony BBC Sport, 9 September 2012

External links

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