Matthew Joseph Willig (born January 21, 1969) is an American actor and former professional football offensive tackle in the National Football League (NFL).

Early life Willig was born in La Mirada, California. He played football and basketball at St. Paul High School (Santa Fe Springs, California). He is of German and Lebanese descent. He played college football at the University of Southern California as a member of the 1989 Rose Bowl winning team. He was a public administration major.

Professional football career Willig played 14 years for the New York Jets, Atlanta Falcons, Green Bay Packers, St. Louis Rams, San Francisco 49ers, and Carolina Panthers, and was on the Carolina Panthers' team in Super Bowl XXXVIII.

Acting career Willig portrayed Special Agent Simon Cade in season eight of NCIS until the first episode of season nine (airdate September 20, 2011). In 2009, he had a supporting role as a brutish caveman tormenting Jack Black and Michael Cera in the motion picture Year One. He appeared as a gang member named Little Chino on the Showtime series, Dexter (2007). He has appeared as a bodyguard named Yuri on the NBC series Chuck, and also has appeared in an episode of My Name is Earl entitled "Bullies". He also appeared in a season 7 episode of Malcolm In the Middle, as Crash, a recovering alcoholic, and had a small role in the 1993 action movie, Full Contact. He appeared in a minor role in iCarly as a truckdriver named "Sledgehammer". He made another guest appearance on The Suite Life on Deck as a genie in season 2 episode 22. On Sonny with a Chance in the "Sonny Get Your Goat" episode, he appeared as "Limo", the mode of transportation to Tawni's motel room in a foreign country, and appeared in the Disney XD show Pair of Kings. Willig also had a supporting role in the second episode of Terriers. He played Mike Drake in the critically acclaimed independent thriller The Employer. He also appears in the 2013 film A Resurrection. In 2011, he was on the CBS soap opera The Young and the Restless, as Billy Abbott's bodyguard, "Tank". More recently he played One Eye, a Mexican drug dealer, in We're the Millers and Gregorek in NBC's series Grimm.

In 2014, he appeared in Season 1 of Brooklyn Nine-Nine as Brandon Jacoby (Season 1, episode 14 : "The Ebony Falcon").

In 2015, Willig had a recurring role as Lash in the third season of the science fiction television series Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. He also played former NFL player Justin Strzelczyk in the film Concussion.

In 2019, Willig played a Black Satan gang member named Creep in Rob Zombie's film 3 from Hell.

Willig voiced Juggernaut in the Marvel game Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions.

In February 2021, he appeared as André the Giant in the NBC comedy series Young Rock.

Willig has acted in numerous national commercial campaigns, including a Capital One spot with David Spade, a Bud Light spot, and as an action hero in a Halls commercial.

Personal life Willig was raised Catholic. He supported the NOH8 Campaign in opposition to California Proposition 8, which made same-sex marriage illegal in the state of California. He criticized "the complete hypocrisy that goes on with the Church, and their stance on gays", and that he had "evolved into feeling that equality and treating everyone the same is the utmost important thing". Despite his disagreement with the Church's stance on same-sex marriage, he was still a practicing Catholic as of 2012.

Willig has two daughters.

Filmography + Film roles Year Title Role Notes1993Full Contact'Hulk'2006 The BenchwarmersJock Guy2008 A Girl and a Gun'Superman'Short film2009Year OneMarlak2010Abelar: Tales of an Ancient EmpireGiant IberianSex Tax: Based on a True StoryLeather GuyUncredited2012BudsBrunoShort filmGuns, Girls and GamblingThe Indian The Reef 2: High TideBronson (voice)Direct-to-videoChristmas in ComptonCharlie2013 A ResurrectionVinceBounty KillerBob 'Big Bob' The EmployerMike DrakeWe're the Millers'One-Eye'2014StretchBoris2015Wild CardKinlawConcussionJustin Strzelczyk2016Term LifeThug #1 The HordeStoneDirect-to-VideoHappy Birthday'El Caballo' The Bounce BackVladamir2017Keep WatchingThe Terror2018Eruption: LASerge The Ballad of Buster ScruggsHard Man #320193 from HellCreep2020Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn)Happy 2024Fight Another DayVerus2026The Mandalorian and GroguHogsbreth

+ Television roles Year Title Role Notes2006Malcolm in the Middle'Crash'Episode: "A.A." The West WingHimselfEpisode: "Two Weeks Out"Everybody Hates ChrisJasonEpisode: "Everybody Hates Superstition"2007DexterAlfonso Conception / Chino 'Little Chino' Gonzales2 episodesChuckUriEpisodes: "Chuck Versus the Tango"2008SharkHank 'Buzz' BusbyEpisode: "Partners in Crime"iCarly'Sledgehammer'Episode: "iHurt Lewbert"2009HydraGunnerTV movieMy Name Is EarlWallyEpisode: "Bullies"CSI: Crime Scene InvestigationGorthEpisode: "A Space Oddity"2010Cold CaseChuck 'French' Jaworski '74Episode: "The Runaway Bunny"Sonny with a ChanceLee MoeEpisode: "Sonny Get Your Goat" The Suite Life on DeckGenieUncredited; Episode: "Rock the Kasbah"TerriersMontellEpisode: "Dog and Pony"Playing with GunsLarryTV Pilot2010–2011Pair of KingsTarantula Leader3 episodes; Uncredited in two2011ChuckYuri The GobblerEpisode: "Chuck Versus the Gobbler" The Nine Lives of Chloe KingRaoniEpisode: "Dogs of War"NCISNCIS Special Agent Simon Cade4 episodes The Young and the Restless'Tank'3 episodes2012Kickin' It'Mondo'Episode: "Rowdy Rudy" The High Fructose Adventures of Annoying OrangeCash & Smash Thug #2Episode: "C.E.O. - Chief Executive Orange"2013GrimmGregorekEpisode: "Cold Blooded"2014Brooklyn Nine-NineBrandon JacobyEpisode: "The Ebony Falcon" The Legend of KorraMuscly Man (voice)Episode: "The Stakeout"2015Battle CreekDealerEpisode: "The Battle Creek Way"2015–2016Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.LashRecurring; 6 episodes2016FlakedGranger2 episodesBlunt Talk'Tiny'3 episodes2017Type ASergeant DoddsTV Pilot2018 The Guest BookCaptain Preposterous1 episode The Loud HousePrisoner (voice)Episode: "Tripped!"2019CharmedDanteEpisode: "Keep calm and Harry on"2021Young RockAndré the Giant14 episodes 2025Wizards Beyond Waverly PlaceArchive GuardEpisode: "Raiders of the Locked Archive"2026EuphoriaArtur4 episodes

+ Video game roles Year Title Role2010Spider-Man: Shattered DimensionsJuggernaut

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