Matt William Knowles

Matthew William Knowles, known professionally as Matt William Knowles or Ma Tai (Chinese: 马泰), is an American actor. A graduate of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, he is known for portraying Jim Zwerg in the Spike Lee executive-produced civil rights drama Son of the South (2021), and for his work in Chinese-language film and television, including as the character of 'Rawa' in the $100 million fantasy film Asura (2018) and as 'Thor' in the sports dramedy Clash, which premiered at the 2025 International Film Festival Rotterdam. Knowles is also a graduate of Beijing Film Academy, where he became the first non-Asian student in the school's history. In 2018, he was awarded best actor at the Canada China International Film Festival in Montreal, Canada for his role as Charles Harris in Poppies.