Jessica Matten is a Canadian actress, fashion model, and film producer best known for her role as Sergeant Bernadette Manuelito in AMC’s hit crime drama Dark Winds. She gained a large fan base through her appearances in Frontier alongside Jason Momoa, Blackstone, and Tribal. Beyond acting, Matten is a vocal advocate for Indigenous communities and the president of 7 Forward Entertainment, an Indigenous-owned production company.
Jessica Matten Biography
| Field | Details |
| Full name | Jessica Matten |
| Gender | Female |
| Date of birth | November 30, 1985 |
| Age | 40 years old (as of 2026) |
| Place of birth | Edmonton, Alberta, Canada |
| Current residence | Edmonton, Alberta, Canada |
| Nationality | Canadian |
| Ethnicity | Red River Métis/Saulteaux–Cree and British-Chinese |
| Zodiac sign | Sagittarius |
| Religion | Christianity |
| Sexual orientation | Straight |
| Height | 5 ft 10 in (178 cm) |
| Weight | Approximately 130 lbs (59 kg) |
| Hair colour | Black |
| Eye colour | Brown |
| Body measurements | 34-25-35 inches |
| Marital status | Unmarried |
| Spouse | N/A |
| Children | None |
| Alma mater | University of Alberta (BS Human Ecology) |
| Profession | Actress, fashion model, film producer |
| Net worth | $3 million (estimated) |
Who is Jessica Matten?
Jessica Matten is a Canadian actress and film producer who rose to fame through her roles in several award-winning television series.
She is of Red River Métis, Saulteaux–Cree, Chinese, and British descent. Her mother, Therese Ducharme, is a Métis activist, performer, and former model. Her father has British-Chinese heritage.
Matten is a direct descendant of Cuthbert Grant, the first rebel Métis leader famously known for the Battle of Seven Oaks in Canada.
She grew up immersed in Indigenous culture, assisting her mother’s First Nations modeling agency, Mystique Models, from the age of six.
The actress first gained wide recognition through her portrayal of Sokanon on the Netflix and Discovery Canada series Frontier (2016–2018).
She later became a household name for playing Sergeant Bernadette Manuelito in Dark Winds, which premiered in 2022 and is currently airing its fourth season on AMC.
As of 2026, she is also set to voice Katara in the upcoming Avatar: Aang, The Last Airbender animated movie, releasing on October 9, 2026.
What is Jessica Matten’s net worth and salary?
As of 2026, Jessica Matten’s net worth is estimated at $3 million. She built this fortune through her acting career, production work, and business ventures over the past 16 years.
Income sources
Matten earns income from several streams:
- Television acting: Her recurring and main roles in Frontier, Blackstone, Tribal, and Dark Winds serve as her primary income source. As a series lead on Dark Winds (now in its fourth season), her salary is expected to have grown with each renewal.
- Film acting: She has earned from projects like The Empty Man (2020) and Rez Ball (2024) on Netflix.
- Voice acting: Her upcoming role as Katara in Avatar: Aang, The Last Airbender (2026) is expected to add to her earnings.
- Production company: As president of 7 Forward Entertainment, she produces Indigenous-centered content, including the AMC+ series Tales from the Rez.
- Wellness business: She co-runs Lemon Cree, an Indigenous wellness and fitness company, with her family.
- Speaking engagements: Matten is a sought-after speaker and is listed with All American Speakers for booking engagements.
While her exact annual salary from Dark Winds has not been publicly disclosed, lead actors on AMC series typically earn between $50,000 and $150,000 per episode, depending on the season and contract negotiations.
How old is Jessica Matten? Age and birthday
Jessica Matten’s exact birth date has been reported differently across multiple sources. Wikipedia and several biographical databases list her birthday as November 30, 1985, which would make her 40 years old as of March 2026.
Other sources, including IMDb, cite her date of birth as November 3, 1984, while the TUKO.co.ke profile listed November 2, 1985.
Based on the most widely cited date of November 30, 1985, Matten is estimated to be 40 years old as of 2026. She was born and raised in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Her zodiac sign would be Sagittarius if the November 30 date is accurate, or Scorpio based on the alternative early November dates.
Jessica Matten’s height, weight, and body measurements
Jessica Matten stands approximately 5 feet 10 inches (178 cm) tall. She confirmed her height on her own Instagram page, stating, “I’m 5’10” tall. I love my height.”
She weighs around 130 pounds (59 kg). Her body measurements are estimated at 34-25-35 inches, with a bra size of 34B and a shoe size of approximately 10 (US). She has black hair and brown eyes.
It is worth mentioning that some sources, including IMDb and CelebHeights, report slightly different figures, listing her height at 5 ft 9 in (175 cm) or 5 ft 9½ in (177 cm). The actress herself has publicly stated she is 5’10″.
Jessica Matten’s career
Early beginnings and modeling
Matten’s career in entertainment began at a young age. She grew up around her mother’s modeling agency, Mystique Models, and took part in modeling work as a child.
As an adult, she continued modeling on fashion runways and appeared in TV commercials for brands like Nature Valley and Nintendo Wii.
She also studied modeling at Central Saint Martins and the London College of Fashion in the UK. During her time in London, she worked in marketing for her father’s company and completed a brief internship at Elle magazine.
Breakthrough in television
Matten made her acting debut in 2010 and quickly earned recognition through the award-winning short film A Red Girl’s Reasoning (2012), directed by Elle-Máijá Tailfeathers. The film won an award at the Imagine NATIVE Film Festival.
Between 2014 and 2015, she played Gina in the APTN drama series Blackstone for 12 episodes. Her big break came in 2016 when she was cast as Sokanon, a skilled warrior and tracker, in the Discovery Canada and Netflix series Frontier, starring Jason Momoa. She appeared in all three seasons (18 episodes total).
From 2018 to 2019, she starred as Gerrilyn Spence in the CW and CBC legal drama Burden of Truth (14 episodes). In 2020, she appeared in the horror film The Empty Man for Disney/20th Century Fox.
Tribal and Dark Winds
In 2020, Matten began starring in Tribal on the APTN Network, playing Sam Woodburn, the newly appointed chief of an Indigenous police force in Alberta.
She also served as an associate producer on the show, making television history as one of few Indigenous women leading both on-screen and behind the camera.
Starting in 2022, Matten landed her most high-profile role to date: Sergeant Bernadette Manuelito in the AMC crime drama Dark Winds, based on Tony Hillerman’s Leaphorn & Chee mystery novels.
The series, produced by Robert Redford and George R.R. Martin, also stars Zahn McClarnon and Kiowa Gordon. Season 4 premiered on February 15, 2026, and is currently airing on AMC and AMC+.
Film and voice acting
In 2024, Matten starred as Heather Hobbs in Rez Ball, a Netflix sports drama about a Native American high school basketball team from Chuska Valley, New Mexico. The film also featured Julia Jones, Amber Midthunder, and Kiowa Gordon.
Matten voices Katara in the animated movie Avatar: Aang, The Last Airbender, scheduled for release on October 9, 2026, by Paramount Studios. The role was recast to better match the ethnic and racial background of the character.
Awards and recognition
Matten has received numerous accolades throughout her career:
- American Indian Film Festival Best Actress Award for A Red Girl’s Reasoning
- Variety’s Faith & Spirituality Award (December 2025), alongside Olivia Davis, Ziggy Marley, and Jay Shetty
- Bold Beacon Award (March 2026) from the Black Theatre Coalition
- BendFilm 2025 Indigenous Honoree
- Chadwick Boseman Changemaker Award (March 2026), alongside Taraji P. Henson
- Named one of Canada’s most promising talents by The Hollywood Reporter
Is Jessica Matten married? Boyfriend, dating history, and relationship status
Jessica Matten is not married as of March 2026. She does not have a husband and has no publicly known children. The actress is known for keeping her romantic life very private.
Brendt Thomas Diabo
The only man Matten has been romantically linked to is Brendt Thomas Diabo, a Mohawk actor, artist, and rock musician.
According to WhosDatedWho, the two have been linked since around 2016. Both appeared together in the Netflix series Frontier, where Diabo played Aki and Matten played Sokanon.
They have been spotted spending time together outside of work, and Matten shared social media posts suggesting a relationship. Neither Matten nor Diabo has publicly confirmed or denied being in a romantic relationship.
As of 2026, Matten appears to be focused on her career, advocacy work, and humanitarian projects. She resides in her hometown of Edmonton, Alberta.
Jessica Matten’s family and background
Matten comes from a mixed heritage family. Her mother, Therese Ducharme, is Métis and Saulteaux–Cree, and is an activist, performer, and former model who ran the First Nations modeling agency Mystique Models. Her father has British-Chinese roots.
She is a seventh-generation Canadian on the Indigenous side of her family. She is a direct descendant of Cuthbert Grant, the leader of the Métis who fought in the Battle of Seven Oaks. This heritage plays a central role in her identity and advocacy work.
The actress co-founded the Counting Coup Indigenous Film Academy (CCIFA) with the goal of training First Nations, Métis, and Inuit artists in filmmaking.
The academy has partnered with Old Sun Community College and places graduates in industry internships, including on sets like AMC’s The Vampire Lestat.
Together with her mother, Matten runs Lemon Cree, a nonprofit that travels to isolated reserves across Canada to provide fitness, wellness, and suicide prevention programs to Indigenous youth and families. She has been doing this work for over 25 years.
Social media presence
As of March 2026, Jessica Matten has approximately 80,000 followers on Instagram (@jessicamatten). She uses the platform to share updates on Dark Winds, her advocacy work, red carpet moments, and behind-the-scenes content.
Her most recent posts feature the Dark Winds Season 4 premiere, which received over 6,800 likes. She also uses the #N8Vgirls campaign to raise awareness about Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women.
Fast facts about Jessica Matten
- She is a direct descendant of Cuthbert Grant, the Métis leader known for the Battle of Seven Oaks.
- Matten studied acting at Shoreline Studios Vancouver Acting School after earning a science degree from the University of Alberta.
- She worked in marketing in London, UK, and interned at Elle magazine before becoming a full-time actress.
- She co-founded the Counting Coup Indigenous Film Academy (CCIFA), one of the first Indigenous film academies in North America.
- Matten has worked in suicide prevention and addiction counseling for Native communities for over 25 years, starting in her teens.
- She runs the viral social media campaign #N8Vgirls to raise awareness about Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women.
- In December 2025, she received Variety’s first-ever Faith & Spirituality Award.
- She appeared in TV commercials for Nature Valley and Nintendo Wii early in her career.
- She will voice Katara in the upcoming Avatar: Aang, The Last Airbender movie, set for release on October 9, 2026.
- Matten funded the Navajo Nation’s first all-matriarch skatepark through her production company and charity, 7 Forward Entertainment.
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Wrapping up
Jessica Matten has built a strong career as one of the most recognized Indigenous actresses in North America. From her early days assisting her mother’s modeling agency in Edmonton to starring in AMC’s Dark Winds and voicing Katara in the upcoming Avatar movie, her journey reflects both talent and deep commitment to Indigenous representation. Off-screen, her work through the Indigenous Film Academy, Lemon Cree, and 7 Forward Entertainment continues to create real change in Native communities across Canada and the United States.
References
- Wikipedia. “Jessica Matten”.
- TUKO.co.ke. “Is Jessica Matten married? A look into her love life and dating history”.
- Deadline. “AMC Networks & ‘Dark Winds’ Star Jessica Matten Partner To Support Indigenous Talent”.
- Santa Fe Magazine. “Jessica Takes the Light”.
- Tribal TV Series. “Jessica Matten | Tribal Cast”.
- SIE Society. “Jessica Matten – Impact + Profit Conference Speaker”.
- Women’s Wear Daily. “‘Dark Winds’ Jessica Matten: ‘My Entire Life’s Purpose Is to Empower Women’”.
- Netflix Tudum. “Rez Ball: Everything You Need to Know”.
Disclaimer: The information on Star Vistiq is collected from trusted public sources. We strive for accuracy but cannot guarantee completeness of celebrity profiles, net worth estimates, or biographical data. Readers should verify information independently. For corrections or inquiries, contact: info@starvistiq.com.
