Matkai Burmaster is a renowned Canadian actor and director who has made significant contributions to the LGBTQ+ community and advocated for greater inclusion in the film industry. As a co-founder of the indie streaming service Fearless, he has been instrumental in promoting LGBTQ+ content.
Matkai's extensive portfolio includes performances, writing, and direction in a range of LGBTQ-themed projects, such as It's Complicated, So That Happened, Stripped, Committed, The Stamp, The Toothbrush, The Morning After, and True You. He has also spoken at various events, including TO WebFest in Toronto and Entrepreneur Week in Sudbury, and has utilized social media platforms like Instagram to spread awareness and advocate for LGBTQ+ rights.
As an advocate, Matkai has hosted workshops on LGBTQ advocacy, entrepreneurship, and masterclasses in acting for film and television. He has also been involved in various online projects, including It's Complicated, which aims to support LGBTQ+ teens and their allies.
Matkai's acting career has taken him to major networks in Canada and the US, including CTV, CBC, CityTV, CBS, Fox, Discovery Channel, Disney, and the CW. He has also directed shorts and series that have been featured at film festivals across North America and the UK. In addition, he has been an active member of the theatre scene, working with companies such as Theatre Cambrian, Sudbury Theatre Centre, Inspirato, Gay Play Day, and Awkward Owl Productions.
Matkai's early twenties were marked by the founding of Sudbury's premiere theatre and film studio, Verve, which he successfully ran until its closure in 2018. Born and raised in Sudbury, Matkai attended Sudbury Secondary School, where he triple majored in Drama, Dance, and French Immersion, and graduated with honors. He went on to study Theatre at York University and Film, TV, and Voice Over Acting at Seneca College in Toronto.
Matkai was born as Matthew-Kai Eli Richard Burmaster-Hansen, the son of Bev Burmaster, a nurse, and Patrick Hansen, a government official with the CRTC. He was a home birth in Sudbury, where he lived until the age of 18. Matkai has three sisters and was known to have a cat growing up.
