LYCOS RETRIEVER 
Matt Dillon
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Matt Dillon was a teen screen idol in the 1980s who became a versatile character actor, earning an Oscar nomination for his performance in Paul Haggis's Crash (2004). Dillon got his start in 1979's Over the Edge, the first of many bad boy roles that brought out the usual comparisons to James Dean and young Marlon Brando. His square-jawed good looks and curled-lip attitude served him well in the film adaptations of S.E. Hinton's novels, The Outsiders and Rumble Fish (1983, both directed by Francis Ford Coppola), but he broke from the teen-rebel mold in 1984's The Flamingo Kid and proved his ability to do romantic comedy. Out of teen idol status, he starred in Target (1985, with Gene Hackman) and The Big Town (1987, with Diane Lane), and earned critical praise for playing a lowlife in Gus Van Sant's Drugstore Cowboy (1989). Since then Dillon has been a stand-out in supporting roles, in dramas including To Die For (1995, starring Nicole Kidman) and Wild Things (1998), and in the comedies In & Out (1997) and There's Something About Mary (1998, starring Dillon's then-girlfriend, Cameron Diaz).
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With roles in more than 40 films and a career spanning 25 years, Matt Dillon is a natural pick as a Gotham Awards feature tribute recipient. He's a true-blue New Yorker (born in New Rochelle) who has successfully bounced between edgy independents like 1989's "Drugstore Cowboy" and mainstream hits like 1998's "There's Something About Mary," playing tough guys and schmucks with ease. Not content to rest on his acting laurels, Dillon added director and screenwriter to his resume with the 2003 U.S. release "City of Ghosts." But 2005 could prove to be his banner year thanks to his nuanced portrayal of a racist cop in Lions Gate's "Crash" and an expected hit in Picturehouse's upcoming drama "Factotum," a standout at May's Festival de Cannes. Speaking from the set of Universal's upcoming "You, Me and Dupree," Dillon spoke recently with The Hollywood Reporter's Trisha Tucker about the Gotham tribute, his longevity and some Big Apple memories.
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Matt Dillon successfully made the leap from teen idol to mature star. One of the most diverse actors of his generation, his film credits include There's Something About Mary and Crash. Dillon was discovered by talent scouts at age 14, while cutting class and, with no previous acting experience, ended up in his first feature, Over the Edge. He made his directorial debut in '97 with an episode of HBO's Oz and, in '02, wrote, directed and starred in City of Ghosts. His latest film is the biopic, Factotum.
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Matt Dillon plays a racist cop with a chip on his shoulder in Crash, the new ensemble drama costarring Ryan Phillippe, Sandra Bullock and Don Cheadle. It's a far cry from his days as a druggie criminal (Drugstore Cowboy), a smarmy con man (There's Something About Mary) and his costarring turn opposite a Volkswagen (in Disney's lighthearted Lindsay Lohan flick Herbie: Fully Loaded). Even though his Crash character, Officer Ryan, is a bad apple, the 41-year-old actor tells PEOPLE he gained new respect for the police while taking on his latest role.
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Beginning to act in elementary school, 14-year-old Matt Dillon was discovered by casting director Vic Ramos while cutting class in junior high school. A year later, he kicked off a professional career with his big screen debut in the teenage drama Over the Edge (1979), portraying tough youngster ruffian Richie White. After the Jonathan Kaplan-helmed film, Dillon played Melvin Moody in My Bodyguard (1980), was cast as Randy in the camp drama Little Darlings (1980), starred in the short Gunmen's Blues (1981) and made his television movie debut in The Great American Fourth of July and Other Disasters (1982).
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A seemingly virtuous high school guidance counselor, Sam Lombardo (Matt Dillon), is accused of raping students Kelly (Denise Richards) and Suzie (Neve Campbell). Ken Bowden (Bill Murray), an oddball attorney, and Detective Ray Duquette (Kevin Bacon) come
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Matt Dillon