Schauspieler * (mit 14 Jahren) Kinodebüt in Over the Edge - anschließend spielt weitere jugendliche Rebellen / Helden und steigt zum Star auf (1982/83) in ambitionierten Verfilmungen dreier Romane von S.E. Hinton (Tex; The Outsiders; Rumble Fish) * Besuch der Lee Strasberg School * 1985 tritt am Broadway in The Boys of Winter auf * schafft problemlos den Übergang von jugendlichen zu erwachsenen Parts und erlebt seinen Durchbruch bei der Kritik in Drugstore Cowboy (1988) * durch sorgfältige und (manchmal) kontroverse Rollenwahl ("I don't worry about whether a character is likable, as long as the character is believable") behauptet sich sowohl in Dramen als auch in Komödien (There's Something about Mary, 1997/98) * 2001 Debüt als Regisseur (City of Ghosts) - inszeniert auch Musikvideos
# Little Darlings (Kleine Biester, 1979-USA * Ronald F. Maxwell ... Randy)
# My Bodyguard (Die Schulhofratten von Chicago, 1980-USA * Tony Bill ... Moody)
# Liar's Moon (Durchgebrannt aus Liebe, 1981-USA * David Fisher ... Jack Duncan)
# Tex (Tex, 1982-USA * Tim Hunter ... Tex McCormick)
# The Outsiders (Die Outsider, 1982-USA * Francis Ford Coppola ... Dallas Winston) (Roman von S.E. Hinton) (03-05; 8303)
# Rumble Fish (Rumble Fish, 1982-USA * Francis Ford Coppola ... Rusty James) (Roman von S.E. Hinton) (07-09; 8310)
# The Flamingo Kid (Flamingo Kid, 1984-USA * Garry Marshall ... Jeffrey Willis)
# Target (Target - Zielscheibe, 1984/85-USA * Arthur Penn ... Chris Lloyd) (10-16 Wochen; 8511)
# Rebel (Rebel, 1985-AUS * Michael Jenkins ... Rebel)
# Native Son (Native Son, 1986-USA * Jerrold Freedman ... Jan)
# The Big Town (Chicago Blues, 1986-USA * Ben Bolt ... J.C. Cullen) (Roman von Clark Howard) (09-11; 8709)
# Kansas (Kansas, 1987/88-USA * David Stevens ... Doyle Kennedy)
# Drugstore Cowboy (1988-USA * Gus Van Sant ... Bob Hughes) (Roman von James Fogle) (09-?; 8910)
# Bloodhounds of Broadway (Bluthunde am Broadway, 1988/89-USA * Howard Brookner ... Regret)
# A Kiss before Dying (Der Kuß vor dem Tode, 1990-USA * James Dearden ... Jonathan Corliss) (Roman von Ira Levin) (03-05; 9104)
# Singles (Singles - Gemeinsam einsam, 1991-USA * Cameron Crowe ... Cliff Poncier)
# The Saint of Fort Washington (Streets of New York, 1992-USA * Tim Hunter ... Matthew)
# Mr. Wonderful (Mr. Wonderful, 1992-USA; R: Anthony Minghella, B: Amy Schor, Vicki Polon, K: Geoffrey Simpson, M: Michael Gore, D: MD-Gus, Annabella Sciorra, Mary-Louise Parker, William Hurt) 98m-Liebeskomödie
# Golden Gate (Golden Gate, 1992/93-USA * John Madden ... Kevin Walker)
# To Die For (To Die For, 1994-USA * Gus Van Sant ... Larry Maretto)
# Frankie Starlight (Frankie Starlight, 1994-IRL/USA * Michael Lindsay-Hogg ... Terry Klout)
# Beautiful Girls (Beautiful Girls, 1995-USA * Ted Demme ... Tommy [Birdman] Rowland) (02-05; 9602)
# Grace of My Heart (Grace of My Heart, 1995-USA * Allison Anders ... Jay Phillips) (04-05; 9609)
# Albino Alligator (Albino Alligator, 1995-USA * Kevin Spacey ... Dova)
# In & Out (In & Out, 1996-USA; R: Frank Oz, B: Paul Rudnick, K: Rob Hahn, M: Marc Shaiman, D: Kevin Kline, Joan Cusack, Tom Selleck, MD-Cameron Drake) 90m-Komödie
# Wild Things (Wild Things, 1997-USA * John McNaughton ... Sam Lombardo) (04-07; 9803)
# There's Something about Mary (Verrückt nach Mary, 1997/98-USA * Bobby Farrelly, Peter Farrelly ... Pat Healy)
# One Night at McCool's (Eine Nacht bei McCool's, 1999-USA * Harald Zwart ... Randy) (0104)
# Deuces Wild (2000-USA * Scott Kalvert ... Fritzy)
# City of Ghosts (City of Ghosts, 2001-USA * Matt Dillon ... Jimmy Cremmins)
# Employee of the Month (You're Fired!, 2003-USA * Mitch Rouse ... David Walsh) > nur Videovertrieb
# Loverboy (Loverboy - Liebe, Wahnsinn, Tod, 2003-USA; R: Kevin Bacon, B: Hannah Shakespeare, K: Nancy Schreiber, M: Michael Bacon, D: Kyra Sedgwick, Kevin Bacon, Blair Brown, MD-Mark, Oliver Platt, Campbell Scott, Marisa Tomei & Dominic Scott Kay) 86m-Psychodrama (Roman von Victoria Redel) (10-11; 0606)
# Crash / L.A. Crash (2003/04-USA/D; R: Paul Haggis, B: Paul Haggis, Bobby/Robert Moresco, K: J. Michael Muro, M: Mark Isham, D: Sandra Bullock, Don Cheadle, MD-Officer Ryan, Jennifer Esposito, William Fichtner, Brendan Fraser, Terrence Howard, Chris Bridges=Ludacris, Thandie Newton, Ryan Phillippe, Larenz Tate) 107/12m-Episodendrama (12-01; 0505)
# Factotum (Factotum, 2004-N/USA; R: Bent Hamer, B: Bent Hamer, Jim Stark, K: John Christian Rosenlund, M: Kristin Asbjornsen, D: MD-Henry [Hank] Chinaski, Lili Taylor, Marisa Tomei) 94m-Drama (Roman von Charles Bukowski) (06-07; 0504)
# Herbie Fully Loaded (Herbie Fully Loaded - Ein Käfer startet durch, 2004-USA * Angela Robinson ... Trip Murphy)
# You, Me and Dupree (Ich, du und der Andere, 2005/06-USA * Anthony Russo & Joe Russo ... Carl) (DZ: 10-?; 0607)
# Old Dogs (Old Dogs - Daddy oder Deal, 2007-USA * Walt Becker ... Barry) (07-10/+06.08; 0911)
# Nothing But the Truth (Nichts als die Wahrheit, 2007-USA * Rod Lurie ... Patton Dubois) (10-11; 0812)
# Armored (Armored, 2008-USA * Nimród Antal ... Mike Cochrane) (01-03; 0912)
# Takers (Takers, 2008-USA * John Luessenhop ... Jack Welles) (09-11; 1008)
# Girl Most Likely (There Is No Place Like Home - Nichts wie weg aus Ocean City, 2011-USA * Shari Springer Berman & Robert Pulcini ... "George Bousch") (08-10; 1307)
# Sunlight Jr. (2011-USA * Laurie Collyer ... Richie) (10-4 Wochen; 1311 > limited release)
# The Art of the Steal (The Art of the Steal - Der Kunstraub, 2012-CDN * Jonathan Sobol ... Nicky Calhoun) (01-03; 1309)
# Pawn Shop Chronicles (Gangster Chronicles, 2012-USA * Wayne Kramer ... Richard) (06-08; 1307)
# Bad Country (Bad Country, 2012-USA * Chris Brinker ... Jesse Weiland) (08-?) > nur Videovertrieb (1404)
# Going in Style (Abgang mit Stil, 2015-USA * Zach Braff ... Hamer) (08-?; 1704)
# Running for Grace (2016-USA; R: David L. Cunningham, B: Christian Parkes, David L. Cunningham, K: Akis Konstantakopoulos, M: Elia Cmiral, D: Matt Dillon: Doc ° Jim Caviezel: Reyes & Ryan Potter: Jo) 110m-Romanze (09-11; 1808)
# The House That Jack Built (2017-DK/S/F/D; R+B: Lars von Trier, K: Manuel Alberto Claro, DFF D: Matt Dillon: Jack * Bruno Ganz: Verge, Uma Thurman: Lady 1, Siobhan Fallon Hogan: Lady 2, Sofie Gråbøl: Lady 3, Riley Keough: Simple, Jeremy Davies: Al) 154m-Splatter (03-05; 1810)
# Proxima (2018-F/D; R: Alice Winocour, B: Alice Winocour; Jean-Stéphane Bron, K: Georges Lechaptois, M: Ryūichi Sakamoto, D: Eva Green: Sarah Loreau * Matt Dillon: Mike Shannon, Zélie Boulant-Lemesle: Stella, Aleksej Fatejev: Anton, Lars Eidinger: Thomas, Sandra Hüller: Wendy) 106m-Drama (02-04; 1911)
# Capone (Capone, 2018-CDN/USA; R+B: Josh Trank, K: Peter Deming, ASC M: El-P, D: Tom Hardy: Fonse, Linda Cardellini: Mae, Jack Lowden: Crawford, Noel Fisher: Junior & Kyle MacLachlan: Dr. Karlock & Matt Dillon: Johnny) 103m-Biopicdrama (03-05; 2005, IS) > VoD (2005 # 52687)
# Head Full of Honey (2018-D; R: Til Schweiger, B: Til Schweiger, Lo Malinke, Jojo Moyes, K: René Richter, M: Martin Todsharow, Diego Baldenweg, Nora Baldenweg, Lionel Baldenweg, D: Nick Nolte: Amadeus * Matt Dillon: Nick * Emily Mortimer: Sarah * Sophie Lane Nolte: Matilda) 132m-Drama (Film Honig im Kopf von Til Schweiger, 2014) (05-07; 1903)
# Land of Dreams (2020-D/USA; R: Shirin Neshat & Shoja Azari, B: Jean-Claude Carrière, Shoja Azari, K: Ghasem Ebrahimian, M: Michael Brook, D: Sheila Vand: Simin * Matt Dillon: Alan * Christopher McDonald: Blair * William Moseley: Mark * Isabella Rossellini: Jane * Anna Gunn: Nancy) 113/8m-Komödie (10-11; 2209)
# Asteroid City (Asteroid City, 2021-USA; R+B: Wes Anderson, K: Robert Yeoman, M: Alexandre Desplat, D: Jason Schwartzman: Augie Steenbeck ° Scarlett Johansson: Midge Campbell ° Tom Hanks: Stanley Zak ° Jeffrey Wright: General Gibson ° Tilda Swinton: Dr. Hickenlooper ° Bryan Cranston: Fernsehmoderator ° Edward Norton: Conrad Earp ° Adrien Brody: Schubert Green ° Liev Schreiber: J.J. Kellogg ° Hope Davis: Sandy Borden ° Stephen Park: Roger Cho ° Rupert Friend: Montana ° Maya Hawke: June Douglas ° Steve Carell: Motelbesitzer ° Matt Dillon: Hank ° Hong Chau: Polly ° Willem Dafoe: Saltzburg Keitel ° Margot Robbie: Darstellerin/Steenbecks Frau ° Tony Revolori: Aide-de-Camp ° Jake Ryan: Woodrow ° Jeff Goldblum: Alien) 106m-Tragikomödie (08-10; 2306)
> Special Award [Filmfestival Kairo 2007]