Thank Top by Dolce and Gabbana
Bleached up cycled Denim & Necklace by Dirty Johnny
Leather Belt by Frame
Leather Trench by Nocturne
Bracelet by Cartier

With over a decade of industry experience, Matt Shively proves to be a what some may call an industry anomaly. Growing up a child actor in Southern California and initially getting his big break on Nickelodeon’s television series True Jackson, VP, Shively embodies determination, positivity, and patience, carrying a resilient mindset that nearly defies the challenges of the entertainment industry. In his latest role as Quinten on NBC’s Lopez vs. Lopez, Shively returns to his multicam roots, learning more than ever before, and finding his voice among comedic legends. The Lopez vs. Lopez star boasts a diverse repertoire, spanning almost every genre— horror, comedy, drama, animation, mockumentary— acting in projects such as The Real O’Neals, Paranormal Activity 4, Summer of 8, and Players.

Lopez vs. Lopez is a comedic sitcom that follows George Lopez and his dysfunctional family as they reunite under one roof, featuring Lopez’s daughter, Mayan, and Selena Leyva from Orange Is the New Black. Portraying Mayan's partner and father to their son Chance, Quinten's character marks a significant 'role reversal' for Shively, as he takes on the role of a father figure for the first time in his career, guiding young actor Brice Gonzalez. With season two currently airing, the show has seen special guests such as Snoop Dogg, Cheech & Chong, and Lisa Rinna.

Leather Jacket by Akira
Leather tie by Bottega Veneta
Leather Shorts by GmbH from cultureEDIT
Necklaces by Chanel
Boots by Thursday Boots

Starting from the beginning, you began acting at a young age and early into your career, landed a leading role in the multi-camera television show, True Jackson, VP. How did you transition from aspiring actor to securing a major role on Nickelodeon? You mentioned that your mother was not the biggest fan of the industry at the time...
I knew I wanted to be an actor at 10 years old. My mother was very against it due to the amount of rejection an actor must face. For a child, that rejection can be a life lasting traumatic experience, but it was all I wanted to do. After months of convincing she finally allowed me to pursue it. Without her support I wouldn’t be where I am now. Without True Jackson I wouldn’t have learned everything I needed to know about both multicam and the industry. We were fortunate to have a team of network writers on that show due to the writers strike of ‘08. So my experience was a lot different than most in the children's television world. I will be forever grateful that that is where I started. It took 8 years and a lot of auditions to finally get the “yes” that would set me up for the rest of my life.

Are there any actors or directors that inspire you or leave you in awe of their work?
The older I get, and the more I learn about the ins and outs of actual filmmaking, the longer that list gets. It changes constantly. I love Edgar Wright. I love his style of filmmaking and the way he can tell a story no matter the material. As the years pass the more I am fascinated with directing. I had always just wanted to be an actor but through the years my passion for storytelling has grown and my attention to detail has expanded. It’s so hard to go through all the names because I’ve always seen every film and tv show as my acting class. I take something away from every actor and now every director but for the sake of putting what I want out there. This is the quick list: Judd Apatow, Edgar Wright, Yorgos Lanthimos, Christopher Nolan, Juno Temple, Bill Lawrence, Florence Pugh, Martin Scorcese, Chris Pratt, Walton Goggins... I am in awe of these people with every new project they put out and would give at least one of my fingers to work with them at some point.

Space Pants and Lycra Top with inflatable ornaments by Walter Van Beirendonck from cultureEDIT (from the collection “We Need New Eyes to See the Future.”)
Shoes by Kenneth Cole
Leather Hat by Super Kilts

Congrats on the second season of Lopez vs. Lopez, in which you star as Quinten alongside the legendary George Lopez. I can only imagine how it feels to work alongside such a comedic icon. What have you learned from working with George? Has he given you any precious nuggets of advice?
Working with George has been the most rewarding time of my career. The man is a legend in all things comedy and the more we shoot the more I see that he is a legend in all facets of creating a show. His ability to go from funny to heartbreaking within the same scene is unmatched. He is the most generous and caring person both on and off screen. He has shown me how incredible life can be when you throw your hands up to the universe and let it lead the way. Working with someone like him can be terrifying because he knows what to do better than anyone else but he has ALWAYS given me the confidence to have my own opinion and speak up. I could write a million pages on how much that man has done for me and how much working by his side has changed my life in the best way possible.

What has been your most challenging moment or role yet?
My most challenging moment is weirdly not when I’m working. It’s when I’m not working. As an actor the good moments can be the best thing ever while the bad moments can be soul crushing. Idle hands are the devil's workshop as they say and I used to hang in that workshop all the time. Finding your creativity when all odds are against you is the challenge. Not allowing the business to destroy you to the point of walking away is the challenge. The easy part is being on set. The hard part is filling the time off set. The most difficult role I have played and continue to play is that of myself. I’m 33 years old and for the first time in my life I think I’m getting a grip on that role. Patience is your own worst enemy so I’ve learned to keep that enemy close.

Shirt with Embroidered Bee by Dior
Leather Jogger Pants by Frame
Shoes by Thursday Boots
Leather Tie by Bottega Veneta
Black Waist Smoking Tuxedo Cummerbund Belt by Bottega Veneta
Vintage Leather harness by Apatico

When contemplating Quinten’s approach to certain conflicts, you have mentioned reflecting on ‘what makes a person’. Do you perceive any parallels between yourself and Quinten, and have elements of your own personality influenced your portrayal of the character?
Playing Quinten is the key to getting a grip on the role of myself. In season one he was weak. Trying to make sure everyone was happy and comfortable before himself. Never standing up and making his voice heard but rather staying quiet and taking the punches thrown at him. Season 2 is a whole new Quinten. He knows his worth and role in the family and for the first time ever he’s taking charge of that. Fighting back if you will. Art imitates life and my journey as Matt the person is exactly that of Quinten. I never knew my worth. I never trusted or loved myself. I am not the person I was the first time I stepped on that set. I’ve grown more in the last 2 years than I have in the 31 before it. I thank Quinten for that. I follow his journey and take it home with me every night.

Favorite episode to film in season 2?
Season 2 has just been so incredible it’s hard to choose a favorite episode but if you’re gonna force me it would be episode Lopez vs. Swap Meet. That was the moment Quinten really became Quinten. He stood up to George. He took as much as he could and finally let it out and from that moment on he was stronger. More outspoken. He gained his strength and independence in that episode and that lead the character to a place I wanted to see him go after season 1. However, our last two episodes of the season are so powerful and funny and the payoff is everything I and the viewer have been looking for.... Also can’t forget Cheech & Chong. Having them on our show. Together. Was the coolest moment of my career hands down.

Leather Vest by Ron Tomson
Leather Shirt by Topman
Cotton Shirt by Kenneth Cole
Leather pants by BilT
Boots by Thursday Bootss
Necklace by YSL

How was your experience shooting with PhotoBook? Any standout moments?
Oh man, shooting with Photobook took me fully out of my comfort zone.... In the best way. I haven’t done many photoshoots but when they pulled out the wardrobe I was like... I’ve never put stuff like this on... It felt like a risk I hadn’t taken and was actually pretty liberating. I love “out of the box” ideas and that was as “out of the box” as I have ever gone and I’m so happy with how it turned out. I’m very focused on doing new things and stepping out of my comfort zone and Photobook gave me the opportunity to practice that.

You have tackled several different genres — horror, animation, mockumentary, drama, comedy— which is your favorite to do? Is there one that you would like to do more of?
I am blessed to say I think I’ve done every genre there is. Multicam has a special place in my heart. As someone who comes from theater there is nothing closer to it than Multicam. I took it for granted at 18 on True Jackson, VP because I was too young and new to it that I didn’t see how incredible and fun it was, so when given another shot at it I appreciate the opportunity more and more every day. As far as other things I’d love to do more of, drama is the thing I’ve done the least and I look forward to the day where I get to show that side of my abilities a bit more. I feel the world has only seen the surface of what I am capable of so I’m excited for what the future will bring.

Do you have any advice for people trying to make their way through the industry, or ones that want to, but may think it is too late?
Patience. It’s all patience. That’s the hardest part. Through my 20’s I wanted everything RIGHT NOW and that held me back. The pressure of not getting exactly what I wanted exactly WHEN I wanted it stopped me from growing. It made me lazy and resentful towards the business. The moment I stopped and realized that I’m not gonna be where I want to be in 5 years but if I put the want of having everything right now aside and focused on creating and putting effort into making myself better... I may not have it in 5 years, but I can have it in 6. It’s very rare to succeed in this business and even more rare to do it overnight. So patience. Trust the process. Trust yourself.

Synthetic Fur Jacket by Apparis
Leather jacket by Princes Polly
Bleached Upcycle Denim by Dirty Johnny

As someone who started acting at a young age and now plays the father figure to Chance in Lopez vs. Lopez, portrayed by Brice Gonzalez, do you find yourself feeling protective? Especially considering everything that is surfacing now about the behavior on set at Nickelodeon...
I have said it before, I will say it again. Brice Gonzalez is the greatest child actor the world has ever seen. His abilities know no bounds and I can’t wait to see what the future holds for that young man and at 8 (almost 9) that kid has had to go through a lot of heartache. I’ve never played someone’s dad in any project that I’ve done, so I will always have a place in my heart for him. As a whole. Everyone protects him. We’ve all been in this industry long enough to know what it can do to a kid that age. Nickelodeon or not. It’s hard. I try to instill as much of my own knowledge on him but am surprised more and more every day how smart he is and how incredible his family is at keeping him safe. At the end of the day I don’t worry about him because he has so many loved ones around to keep him protected. I don’t think there’s a single person in our cast or crew that wouldn’t walk through fire for him to make sure he’s happy, comfortable, and safe.

What fuels your soul outside of acting and show business?
Learning. Every day is a chance to learn something new. Whether it be something physical or something internal. I spent so many years trying NOT to learn. To just stay in one place. The moment I realized learning new things about life and yourself is the most rewarding part about it all. Everything became a lot easier and more fun.

Any exciting upcoming projects you can share with us?
I am fortunate enough to have been with Lopez vs. Lopez during a very hard time in our industry. So the exciting project is the end of that season. I had a small part on a new show for Bill Lawrence that should be released this summer and after that..... A season 3 of LVL would be really nice.

What is your relationship with social media? I appreciate your love of the ‘photo dump’ and openness about your recent health and wellness journey. Could you share a bit more about this journey? From what I gathered, I can imagine many folks feel similarly in not only the entertainment industry but also in everyday life.
Social media can be so dangerous. I try to only post positive content. Everyone looks at an actor and imagines they have it all figured out. “They’re on a television show. Their life must be perfect.” That idea is so dangerous for people who aren’t exactly where they want to be in life. Just because your friend posted a picture on a yacht does not mean they have it better than you or are happier than you. Odds are they are going through something in their lives just as difficult as yours. It can all be so misleading. You’re only seeing the pictures of the good times, but those are just moments. The rest of the day could be terrible. I try to stay off of it as much as possible. The more I get sucked into it the worse I feel about myself. The more I feel like I’m not getting those things so my life must not be great. The future of technology scares me because with every new invention or platform people are taken more and more out of reality. Putting the phone down. Looking at the sunset. THAT is life. Looking at a picture your friend posted of the sunset is not. It certainly has its positive effects but I tend to think it does more harm than good. Everyone’s journey is different but when you’re constantly looking at posts of someone you think is doing better than you... It holds you back from the potential you have in yourself.

CREW CREDITS:
Talent: Matt Shively
PhotoBook Editor-In-Chief: Alison Hernon
PhotoBook Creative Director: Mike Ruiz
Photographer: River Chad
Fashion Stylist: Petar Georgiev
Groomer: Raquel Moreno
Photo Assistant: Corbin Caldwell
Tearsheets by Daniel López, Art Director, PhotoBook Magazine
Interview Questions by Romi Bachar, Contributor, PhotoBook Magazine