Hancock’s Big Dave Mattey – Way More Than Just Another Guy with a Head Up His Tush

Hollywood, CA, July 01, 2008 --(PR.com)-- Speaking of big, David “Big Dave” Mattey shares the big screen in two of this summer’s big blockbusters: The Steve Carell action comedy, Get Smart, also starring Anne Hathaway, and the just-released superhero saga, Hancock, starring superstar Will Smith, Jason Bateman and Charlize Theron.

Mattey's character is "Man Mountain" and yes ... he's the unfortunate prison mate of superhero Hancock in a scene that is described by the Chicago Tribune as: "The sight gag destined to be the film's talking point involving a man with his head rammed up another man's hindquarters". Indeed it's the talking point of the film, even Roger Ebert talks about it at RogerEbert.com: “... Man Mountain… must not read the papers, or he would never, ever try to make Hancock his victim.”

When asked if he minds being forever known as the first guy in film to get a head shoved up his tuchus, his response: “Naw, I’ll do just about anything for comedy. Pete assured me it would be worth it, and after seeing the reaction in the theater I’d agree.”

Big Dave has three upcoming films that also welcome his unmistakable imprint - Lonely Street, The Steamroom, and Jack and the Beanstalk with Chevy Chase, Christopher Lloyd, Katey Sagal, Wallace Shawn, and Gilbert Gottfried, with a fourth, The Taxi Bride, in pre-production.

If David, one cool cat, was ever an actual cat in a previous life, he has still lived more “lives” in his current one. He's come a long way since his birth in Greece, NY at a mere 8 lbs, 12 oz. By the time he got to university Dave was his now towering 6' 10". Aside from his Virginia Tech engineering background and a host of patents, he’s worked for NASA, crewed racing yachts as a grinder, and even swum from Alcatraz to San Francisco through shark-infested waters. Above all, though, his prowess as an actor, stunt performer and comedian helps him bring a depth to a world of characters – dramatic, comedic, demonic and horrific – making “Big Dave” simply too big to pigeonhole.

David’s characterizations are that much more impressive, considering few if any of them reflect his real life persona as a MENSA member, with an IQ approaching the stratosphere. This dichotomy has resulted in some very entertaining revelations. After David and his stunt buddies had the pleasure of knocking each other out on Toby Keith’s video, “As Good As I Once Was,” one stuntman remarked how Big Dave was “the most over-educated person to ever get hit with a chair.” He’s also one of the nicest guys you’ll meet, and according to Hancock director Peter Berg, “He’s got a heart as big as his body and the outstanding job he did for us in Hancock has won him a permanent spot in Pete Berg’s actor repertoire company. Big Dave is truly a pleasure to work with.”

David also manages to lend a brilliant presence to the stage. In New York he gave powerfully moving dual performances as Posthumus Leonatus and Cloten in the acclaimed production of Shakespeare’s Cymbeline, as The Ghost and the Gravedigger in Hamlet, and as Lenny in the classic Of Mice and Men. His versatility has been on further display these past five years in L.A., performing in the award-winning Christmas-themed sketch comedy show Santasia, in which his roles range from a polar bear papa to a mother, a sister, and the biggest elf you’ve ever seen. He is a founding member of the LA-based sketch comedy group Small, Medium, Large, and for three years appeared weekly as one of the original cast members of the NYC comedy troupe Living Room Live. His finely-honed skills took form early on with Second City/Burn Manhattan and The Groundlings.

Whether navigating the ocean on a sailboat as a grinder, or navigating the world of entertainment, David is more than up to the challenges, convincingly suffering the most gruesomely gratifying “deaths” before returning to tackle life all over again, and delighting movie and television fans in the process.

That purring sound you hear is from David Mattey, a cat who’s definitely having the time of his lives!

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