born in edmonton, alberta, of irish and russian descent, matter grew up on his parents' dairy farm. he is a third-generation oil rigger, having worked on the oil rigs in northern alberta for eight years. on the recommendation of a school teacher, he enrolled in drama classes at age thirteen, going on to win the best actor prize at a provincial drama championship in 1999. however, after getting himself in trouble at age 17, his parents sent him for a three-month stint on the oil rigs to work with his grandfather. he has acknowledged that it was this experience that helped him to focus on his studies and pass his high school exams. he continued to work on the oil rigs alongside his grandfather and brother trevor until the age of 25, while simultaneously moving to vancouver and attending vancouver film school in pursuit of his long-term goal of an acting career.