There’s an exciting new show in town from the minds behind Modern Family and Anchorman that will likely keep you in stitches during its first season: LA to Vegas. While the newest comedy in Fox‘s lineup has some recognizable TV faces, including good ol’ Dylan McDermott, there’s one star making her mark on primetime TV that you’ll want to get to know a little better.
That star is actor Kim Matula, who you’ll likely recognize if you’re a big fan of the soap opera The Bold and the Beautiful. Matula racked up her first professional screen credit back in 2008, in the TV movie Queen Sized. Since then, she’s been steadily climbing up the ladder with supporting roles on various shows and two feature films. Now, a decade later, that hard work is paying off — she’s in the big leagues.
With a major TV show on the air and a potentially star-making role in a feature film on the books for 2018, Matula is worth watching. Keep reading to learn a few things about this rising star.
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1. You probably know her from The Bold and the Beautiful
Matula’s first breakout role was on The Bold and the Beautifulas Hope Logan, the more reserved, traditional daughter of Brooke Logan and Deacon Sharpe.
2. Oh, but you might also know her from UnREAL
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If soaps are not your thing, then you might recognize Matula from her role on Season 2 of UnREAL. She played Tiffany James, a conniving dating show contestant more focused on furthering her own career goals than playing nice during the show’s sophomore year.
3. She’s a cat mom
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Matula has three cats: Alister, Indy and Buffy. Yes, they’re all adorable. Yes, they are frequent guests on her Instagram. And heck no, I will never get tired of fawning over how cute and snuggly they look!
4. She’s focused on living charitably
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When she isn’t busy at work, Matula is busy on social media, spreading messages about causes she cares about. This includes participating in the #BeKindtoElephants initiative, which raised money for the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust, raising money to help end Alzheimer’s and raising awareness about the LA Loves Puerto Rico initiative.
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5. She’s a Daytime Emmy nominee
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Although she didn’t nab the award, Matula did manage to earn herself a well-deserved Daytime Emmy nomination in 2014 for the Outstanding Younger Actress in a Drama category. The nomination came four years into her six-year tenure as Hope Logan on The Bold and the Beautiful.
6. She has no interest in playing “dumb blonde” characters
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In an interview with Glamour magazine in January, Matula talked about the one type of character she actually never wants to play: the “dumb blonde.” While connecting that stereotype to the reason she loves playing Ronnie in LA to Vegas, Matula remarked, “I typically got called in to play the dumb blonde, and then the casting director would say, ‘Oh, that’s not who you are at all.’ So to be playing someone who isn’t afraid to vocalize her opinions, go after what she wants, and be very honest about what she wants is very refreshing.”
7. In fact, she hopes her LA to Vegas role breaks some outdated stereotypes
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In that same Glamour interview, Matula talks about the ways in which she hopes LA to Vegas — and her work specifically on the show — help break down some barriers about the way women are portrayed on TV.
“Women aren’t just sex symbols. We are so much more. It’s a tide that’s turning right now, but it’s sad that that’s still something that’s being fought for,” she explained. “I’ve had very long hair my whole life, and I finally chopped it off. Immediately, I started booking strong female roles. The really upsetting part is that [there’s been this narrative for so long] that you can’t have beauty and brains; that you have to pick one. No, women can be both.”
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8. She’s dating another actor
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Matula isn’t shy when it comes to showing off her adorable actor boyfriend, Ben Goldberg. From the looks of his Instagram, he’s not only an actor but a musician as well and is currently involved with a live, in-concert adaptation of the film Love Actually.
9. She’s set to become even more of a household name in 2018
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According to the film’s IMDb page, Matula will play the role of Jeri-Lynn in Fighting With My Family, which happens to star none other than Dwayne Johnson and Game of Thrones star Lena Headey.
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