# Perry Mattfeld

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**Perry Mattfeld** is an American actress and producer. She is known for her portrayal of a blind woman in [The CW](/source/The_CW) crime drama *[In the Dark](/source/In_the_Dark_(American_TV_series))*, as well for her role in the sports comedy *[Chad Powers](/source/Chad_Powers)*. In her early career, she played small roles as Mel in *[Shameless](/source/Shameless_(American_TV_series))* and FrankenGirl in *[Wizards of Waverly Place](/source/Wizards_of_Waverly_Place).*

## Early life

Mattfeld grew up in [Long Beach, California](/source/Long_Beach,_California).[1] Her mother is of Mexican descent. Her grandparents and great-grandparents were entertainers.[2] She participated in ballet from the age of five, studying dancing for the following nine years under the guidance of [Debbie Allen](/source/Debbie_Allen). By the age of 12, she was a full-fledged employee of [Mattel](/source/Mattel) when she played Kirsten Larson and Kit Kittredge as part of Mattel's [American Girl Dolls](/source/American_girl_dolls) musical theater troupe.[1]

She graduated from [Long Beach Poly High School](/source/Long_Beach_Polytechnic_High_School) and attended college at the [University of Southern California](/source/University_of_Southern_California) [School of Dramatic Arts](/source/USC_School_of_Dramatic_Arts), where she earned a [Bachelor of Fine Arts](/source/Bachelor_of_Fine_Arts) in [acting](/source/Acting) in 2016.[3][4] She participated in cheerleading at both schools.[5]

## Career

In her first starring role, in [The CW](/source/The_CW) crime comedy-drama, *[In the Dark](/source/In_the_Dark_(American_TV_series))* (2019–2022), she plays a blind woman. For this part, she learned skills for coping with blindness such as using a [guide dog](/source/Guide_dog) and sending text messages with voice commands. She shadowed a blind person, on whose life the show is based, to observe how she did ordinary things.[4] Fans have reportedly believed that she was blind herself.[6][7] Although the show has received criticism for not using an actual blind actress, the producer says she was "best for the role" despite having auditioned blind actresses.[7]

Mattfeld next played an assistant football coach Ricky Hudson in the comedy *[Chad Powers](/source/Chad_Powers)*, which began airing on Hulu in September 2025. She described playing Hudson a “dream role” to *[The Hollywood Report](/source/The_Hollywood_Reporter)* because of her connection to football through cheerleading and through her husband, who is a former NFL player.[8]

## Personal life

Mattfeld and former [New York Jets](/source/New_York_Jets) quarterback [Mark Sanchez](/source/Mark_Sanchez) got engaged in May 2022.[9] The couple married in Oaxaca, Mexico on May 28, 2023.[10] Mattfeld gave birth to twin daughters with Sanchez in March 2025.[11]

## Filmography

### Film

List of films and roles Year Title Role Notes 2007 AmazoBoy! Samantha Short film 2011 The Girl in the Flammable Skirt Aimee Short film 2012 My Mind the Love Story Alex Short film 2022 A Little White Lie Layla Feature film Mending the Line Lucy Feature film Who Invited Them Sasha Feature film 2024 The Idea of You Eva Feature film

### Television

List of television appearances and roles Year Title Role Notes 2008 The Norton Avenue All-Stars Amanda Hammerschmidt 'The Hammer' Television film 2009 Wizards of Waverly Place FrankenGirl (Frankie Stein) 2 episodes[1] 2011 4th and Forever Herself - Cheerleader 4 episodes 2012 Secret Diary of an American Cheerleader Suzie Episode: "Angels in the Area"[1] 2013 Escape from Polygamy Bonnielee Television film[1] 2017 Stitchers Monica Chamberlain Episode: "Kill It Forward"[1] 2017–2018 Shameless Mel Recurring role[1] 2018 Homecoming Makeover Associate Episode: "Helping" 2019 Carrier Pam 2 episodes 2019–2022 In The Dark Murphy Mason Lead role 2025-present Long Bright River Paula 2025-present Chad Powers Ricky Hudson

## References

1. ["Perry Mattfeld Goes "In The Dark""](https://www.goldenglobes.com/articles/perry-mattfeld-goes-dark). *goldenglobes.com*. May 12, 2020. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20201019215606/https://www.goldenglobes.com/articles/perry-mattfeld-goes-dark) October 19, 2020 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved January 30, 2021.

1. ["ViacomCBS Press Express | in the Dark"](https://www.viacomcbspressexpress.com/the-cw/shows/in-the-dark/bios?id=perry-mattfeld)

1. Bokan, Medeleine (June 25, 2020). ["How Perry Mattfeld Went From USC Student To CW TV Star"](https://www.hercampus.com/money-career/how-she-got-there/perry-mattfeld-cw-usc). *Her Campus*. Retrieved April 18, 2021.

1. Raga, Pippa (July 17, 2019). ["For What It's Worth, 'In the Dark' Auditioned Plenty of Actresses with Visual Impairments Before Landing on Perry Mattfeld"](https://www.distractify.com/p/is-perry-mattfield-actually-blind). *Distractify*. Retrieved April 18, 2021.

1. Radloff, Jessica (2025-09-30). ["‘Chad Powers’ Breakout Star Perry Mattfeld Was Born for This Role"](https://www.glamour.com/story/chad-powers-breakout-star-perry-mattfeld-was-born-for-this-role). *Glamour*. Retrieved 2025-10-15.

1. ["Perry Mattfeld finds ways to handle demands of 'In the Dark'"](https://www.kget.com/community/ricks-reviews/perry-mattfeld-finds-ways-to-handle-demands-of-in-the-dark/). June 22, 2021.

1. Leland, Andrew (July 1, 2021). ["Is There a Right Way to Act Blind?"](https://www.nytimes.com/2021/07/01/magazine/in-the-dark-blindness.html). *The New York Times*

1. Carson, Lexi (2025-09-30). ["For ‘Chad Powers’ Star Perry Mattfeld, Football Is a “Full-Time Job”"](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-features/perry-mattfeld-chad-powers-football-career-interview-1236387748/). *The Hollywood Reporter*. Retrieved 2025-10-15.

1. Jakiel, Olivia (May 13, 2022). ["In the Dark Star Perry Mattfeld and Mark Sanchez Are Engaged — See the Stunning Photos!"](https://people.com/tv/in-the-dark-star-perry-mattfeld-and-mark-sanchez-are-engaged-see-the-stunning-photos/). *[People](/source/People_(magazine))*

1. Esquibias, Liza & Strohm, Emily. ["'Shameless' Actress Perry Mattfeld Marries Mark Sanchez in Mexico: 'Better Than I Ever Imagined' (Exclusive)"](https://people.com/shameless-actress-perry-mattfeld-marries-mark-sanchez-in-romantic-wedding-exclusive-7506737). *People*. Retrieved February 17, 2024.

1. Graham, Matthew (2025-10-05). ["Who is Mark Sanchez's wife Perry Mattfeld?"](https://www.si.com/onsi/athlete-lifestyle/relationships/who-is-mark-sanchez-wife-perry-mattfeld). *The Athlete Lifestyle On SI*. Retrieved 2025-10-15.

## External links

- [Perry Mattfeld](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm3018183/?ref_=nmbio_bio_nm) on [IMDB](/source/IMDb)

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Perry Mattfeld](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perry_Mattfeld) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perry_Mattfeld?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.