Remembering Richard Matthews
Reflection by Miranda Rivers, Emma Cross, Liz Tan, Teuila Field & Brigitte Yorke.
Many of you would have met Richie like I did back in 1999 on LOTR. A lot of us spent years together on those films forging friendships that are still strong today and I was lucky enough to fall in love and go on to have our two beautiful kids, Ollie & Eva, with Richie.
Other than being with the kids, Richie’s place of peace was on the waves. Getting a surf in before or after work, preferably with Byron Darling and Richard Thurston, made his day. Richie’s film career spans nearly 30 years, with 20yrs on set as an AD and the best part of the last decade at Weta Digital.
Rich was one of those natural-born ADs who seemed so at home on big sets. He was so good with large groups of extras, making everyone feel special and like they were part of something exciting, making history. He looked after people, he put them at ease. He was the only AD I knew who could move 300 people on set without breaking a sweat or raising his voice. That’s how good he was at his job.
He was a calm presence and utterly focused on set and usually saying something illicit to get a laugh on the crew channel whenever he could. We all know how hard those long days can be (especially Helms Deep night shoots under rain towers) and he kept people going with an inappropriate comment and a cheeky smile. He had a lightness of being and knew how to beguile you into laughing even if you weren’t in the mood.
I remember trying so hard on set on King Kong with the Times Square extras trying to give each extra a motivation in character and he just jumped on the loudspeaker and said “Right everyone, just imagine you’re a large group of ants, scuttling about, busy busy.” Everyone knew instantly what he meant - job done with a lot less motivation speeches! He had a way of treating everyone the same way (whether you were an extra, actor or Director), he made everyone feel welcome on set and that they belonged there, enjoying the experience together.
This led to some extras going the extra mile for him on particularly hard days. I remember one extra on 2nd Unit on LOTR had an unfortunate run in with a goat to the groin area during a take, who said to Rich he was fine to go again for another take. Only afterwards did we find he was actually bleeding and needing stitches but was holding in for his pal Rich the AD, so he didn’t ruin the take. There are many stories like this – Rich and Andy Buckley had a special bond and they dealt with many an incident on set together. After LOTR he worked on: Without A Paddle (with his doppelganger Dax Shepherd), King Kong, The Water Horse, Second Hand Wedding, Narnia, Show of Hands, Separation City, Avatar, Spartacus, The Hopes & Dreams of Gazza Snell, My Wedding & Other Secrets, The Devils Rock and the Hobbit Trilogy. Many of those shows he managed to somehow end up in costume in a shot, those drama school days in his youth really paying off.
I’ve reached out to some of his co-workers along the way here to reflect on what it was like to work with Richie….
Emma Cross
I met Richie back in 1993, I was working on Shortland St when he started as a runner. It wasn't long before he joined the AD team and began honing his skills in directing extras. He always had a ball setting the background in 'Lionel's Cafe', or the injured through the Shortland St hospital reception. He was also very fond of jumping in himself for a little cameo, eventually though he was banned as being too recognisable. But not before he got a small speaking role as an angry Rugby player in one of the episodes. I wish I could remember the characters’ name! but we laughed about it for years after.
After Shortland St, Richie headed over to Ireland for a few years before we were reunited on LOTR on 2nd Unit. Richie was in his element, Hobbits, Orcs, Rohan Soldiers, Elven extras, Richie loved them all and they loved him too. He was kind, caring and funny, he was a friend to them all. And, as always, he'd jump at the chance to get into costume so he could stay in the action. It was amazing to work with Richie on Rings - full on hard work, laughs and pranks.
I feel very lucky to have known him, he was one of a kind.
Liz Tan
Richie and I were both part of the ginormous LOTR family back in 1999-2000, although we were not on the same unit. I didn’t get to actually work with him till 2009, when we did The Hopes And Dreams of Gazza Snell. And then Middle Earth came calling, and Richie and I joined up again for 2nd Unit.
What I remember most about Richie is what a lovely man he was. He was generous and kind, and funny as hell. Our industry can be exciting and rewarding, but it can also be hellish - long hours, changing schedules, difficult personalities. We were under no illusions that it was going to be easy, but there were some days when it was really really hard work. Through it all, I can’t think of a single time Richie was mean or unkind. He never dumped his stress on me, and he cheered me up when I felt overwhelmed by it all.
The other thing I admired about Richie was his passion for surfing. I didn’t learn how to surf till I was in my 40’s, and I will probably always be a kook, but he championed my small gains, and found me the perfect starter board, which I still have today. He sent me advice and motivation, including this, which is also good advice generally…
No 1 rule in the water for today...be patient and wait for the right wave to come...
Things that flash in front of me: Richie doing his push-up challenge every day during prep; “all you can eat Friday” after sticking to his diet through the week; the way his face lit up when he was talking about Ollie and Eva; and that smile..
Richie, you beautiful soul, you are at peace now and I hope you are catching clean warm water waves every day.
Teuila Field
I knew of him before I knew him, but to actually know Richard Matthews was one of life’s greatest treasures. His sly sense of humour was one thing, but his ability to take an otherwise dull moment and mold it into an epic tale that had you in fits of laughter, was something to behold.
Looking back, it was the longest, shortest time that I got to spend with Richie. We only worked together once, back in 2011 on the Hobbit second unit, but it was an intense project filmed over a length of time and in a number of locations as epic as his stories and impersonations.
Even if you had lived the story with him, it was always funnier after being given the Richard Matthews treatment. I remember one particular 3am drive to a remote location where we came across two amorous possums in the middle of the road, caught in our headlights. Richie’s multiple retellings of that incident had me in fits of laughter for years afterwards, and to this day I still chuckle to myself when I come across a possum.
Before we started on that job, our 1st AD Liz Tan sent us both an email. In it, she wanted to convey to us that a second unit must to be reactive to the needs of main unit: “we will all need to be supple of mind and heart”. Richie was both of these things. He was kind, understanding and never judgmental.
He was the type of guy who would praise you to the boss, share every nugget of information he had and do everything he could to ensure you overcame all of set’s hurdles. His was a style of AD’ing that I respect and admire, and I am still thankful to him for always supporting me, both in work and in life.
He adored his family and loved his surfing. He inspired me to give surfing a go, but being a Samoan raised in Auckland I was simply not cut out for the cold waters of Wellington. He just told me to get a thicker wetsuit, booties and a hoodie.
I’ll miss you Richie. I wish I could give you a call one last time and have a chat. Thanks for the stories, the laughs, the unending support. You were a light to all of us lucky enough to know you.
Love, Wheels
Brigitte Yorke
Rich was a part of my film family for over 20 years starting back on Lord of the Rings, into King Kong, Avatar (the first one) and the Hobbit Trilogy, basically every job I have done at Stone Street, Richard was a part of, and I would not have had it any other way. Rich was an open, funny, cheeky, mischievous, wonderful human being and he was incredibly good at his job as well, he was someone you always wanted as part of your team. He was amazing with cast and crew, always treating people like a long lost mate. He was someone you could talk to frankly about the problems of the day and somehow he would manage to make you feel better about things.
I used to bump into Rich at the Miramar New World frequently, and as I am still working on Avatar we used to share lots of laughs and jokes about working on the first Avatar. We had a very “American” first AD on the first film who came armed with some great sayings / lingo that used to have us all in fits of laughter. Rich took great delight in impersonating our first AD and basically taking the piss all day. I went back and reread the Joshisms - which was the list collated by the AD’s and PA’s of all his sayings - to find this one that included Rich answering Josh on the radio in regards bringing some extras onset:
Josh - “Back door Richard, back door”, Richard: “I don’t do back door Josh”.
I have very few videos from onset, but oddly enough one of the ones I have is a clip shot on an actual camera back in 2003, when Liz Tan, Emma Cross and Richard and I spent 26 weeks shooting pick ups for “Return of the King”. It was only meant to be a 6 week shoot that turned into 26 weeks and it’s fair to say we all started going bit bonkers. One day I wandered back into my office to find a Rohan Extra sitting at my laptop, typing away. I freaked out and then when they looked up I realised it was Rich, dressed up as a Rohan to make up the numbers onset (and because he could never resist getting into costume) and he cracked up at the sheer panic in my eyes. Hearing his laugh now just made me smile so much, the joy on his face just sums Rich up for me and I’m glad I found that clip and was able to share it with Miranda, Ollie and Eva. I’m going to miss that smile and laugh but I’m glad to have known Rich and to have had him as part of my life.
After The Hobbit, Rich felt he needed a break from onset life and took up a position at Weta Digital where he’s been for the last 9 years. He started as a Relocations Assistant, meeting and greeting every new employee, many who were from overseas and he helped them settle into Wellington life. He was well suited to the job, making people feel at ease as they arrived in a new country and it was low key compared to the stress of working on set. He enjoyed the change and found his AD skills translated well in to managing people in the post-production setting. But naturally over time he craved more of a challenge and moved over to the Comps Department where he was currently working as the Compositing Crew Manager, looking after hundreds of people in the team.
He always had a personal way with crew, making everyone felt seen and heard. He used to hand write individual Christmas cards with personal notes every year, as he couldn’t stand the idea of a generic card for everyone. And he turned up to many a teams meeting in a silly wig and glasses, couldn’t resist a gag.
Right now, we’re still coming to terms with the fact that he’s no longer here with us. We all feel it – another good man down. There should be no shame in mental illness. It's ok to not be ok. Please keep talking, listening and checking in with each other.
When I think of him, it won’t be the way he left us that defines who he is. When I think of him I’ll remember how loving he was, his cheeky smile, the twinkle in his eye which spelt mischief. Remembering the way he said ‘hey buddy’ as he passed people in the corridor, or the way he would stare at the sea through his binoculars when the waves were up at Lyall Bay. He always had a minute in his day to see how you were and he was always so proud of Ollie & Eva.
One time Rich snapped his Achilles on The Hobbit while having a dance-off with Ravi the scale double at the Te Anau pub… then drove himself to hospital as he didn’t want bother anyone. And he convinced Ollie when he was a toddler that Tim Wong (stunt co-ordinator) was Jeff from the Wiggles. Ollie was starstruck- thank you Tim for playing along!
As I write this I just know he's up there somewhere, throwing a “blue steel” our way, followed by that beautiful smile and gentle chuckle.
Rest in Peace Richie, Rich, Richard the 3rd.
