Matt William Knowles

Knowles' entertainment career began when he was discovered singing Mandarin love songs in a Chinese karaoke hall and signed with a Chengdu, China agency.^[1] Shortly afterwards, he had a small role as a Viking Warrior in the 2013 film Vikingdom. In 2014, after graduating from Beijing Film Academy, Knowles guest starred on two Chinese shows, Red Sorghum and Deng Xiao Ping at History's Crossroads. Knowles hosted the 2014 Oscars virtual simulcast for Youku to China.^[9] In 2015, Knowles was seen in the recurring role of Dr. Barnes on Shanghai Media Group's drama Love Me If You Dare as well as the American pilot, Paul Tibbets in Eastern Battlefield. In 2016, he portrayed American Marine Corps General Evans Carlson on CCTV's period military drama Red Star Over China.

He starred as the mythical Demi-god, Rawa,^[10] next to Chinese star Leo Wu in Asura, a $100 million fantasy adventure film that was directed by Peng Zhang.^[11] Knowles also stars as Jim Zwerg in the film Son of the South^[12], executive produced by Spike Lee and as Charles Harris in a short film titled Poppies.^[13] In 2023 Knowles was seen in the role of Hans in the Korean War drama Winter and Lion.^[14] In 2024, Knowles starred as Hadley in a Mandarin-language stage adaptation of The Shawshank Redemption, which toured China^[15]. He also appeared as Barrett in the 2024 espionage film Burning Stars and next to Wang Yi Bo as German weapon's expert William in the drama War of Faith.^[16]

Knowles starred as "Thor," an American football player, in the sports dramedy film Clash, which had its international premiere at the 2025 International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR).^[6]

In 2009, Knowles moved to China's impoverished Guizhou Province to do service work.^[30] Knowles lived in the town of Duyun where he taught English to over 1,500 students each week. During the weekends, he would run humanitarian projects in the surrounding mountains.^[31] Knowles is a supporter of autism awareness internationally through his support of Autism Speaks, Autism Guardian Angels,^[32] and the Lions Club International China.^[33] In December 2017, Matt returned to his childhood elementary school to give a motivational speech.^[34] In June 2018, Knowles became the 40th rotating mayor of Danzhai Wanda Village in Guizhou, China as part of their poverty alleviation program. In Danzhai, rotating mayors are chosen from a diverse field of non-political foreign applicants.^[35]

Knowles grew up in Greenville, South Carolina where he attended Sara Collins Elementary School. In 9th grade, he was cut from the C-team football team at J.L. Mann High School.^[36] In 2007, Knowles walked on to the Clemson Tigers Football team where he received the Most Improved Defensive Walk-on Award before a knee injury ended his football career.^[37] In 2008, Knowles graduated from Clemson University with a degree in Civil Engineering, and then moved to a poor region in China for humanitarian work. It was here that Knowles learned to speak fluent Mandarin Chinese.^[18] In 2013, Knowles earned a scholarship to the Beijing Film Academy, in which he became the school's first Caucasian student.^[7] In 2018, he graduated with a Master of Arts from the Theatre Lab program at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London, England.^[3]