Jessica Matten is a Canadian actress and producer best known as Bernadette Manuelito in AMC’s Dark Winds. Dark Winds premiered on June 12, 2022, and she has now appeared in 28 episodes across four seasons. She lives in Edmonton, Alberta, where she currently leads 7 Forward Entertainment and co-founded the Counting Coup Indigenous Film Academy.
Jessica Matten’s bio at a glance
| Field | Details |
| Full name | Jessica Matten |
| Gender | Female |
| Date of birth | November 30, 1985 |
| Age | 40 (as of November 2026) |
| Place of birth | Edmonton, Alberta, Canada |
| Current residence | Edmonton, Alberta |
| Nationality | Canadian |
| Ethnicity | Red River Métis and Saulteaux–Cree (maternal); British and Chinese (paternal) |
| Zodiac sign | Sagittarius |
| Religion | Not publicly available |
| Sexual orientation | Not publicly available |
| Height | 5 ft 10 in (178 cm) |
| Weight | 130 lbs (59 kg) (unconfirmed) |
| Hair colour | Dark brown (visual estimate) |
| Eye colour | Dark brown (visual estimate) |
| Marital status | Unmarried |
| Spouse / Partner | Brendt Thomas Diabo (linked since about 2016; unconfirmed) |
| Children | No children |
| Alma mater | University of Alberta |
| Profession | Actress and producer |
| Net worth | $2 million to $3 million (estimated) |
| Hometown | Edmonton, Alberta |
| Employer | 7 Forward Entertainment (president) |
| Social media | Instagram: @jessicamatten (verified); X: @JessicaMatten (historical) |
Who is Jessica Matten?
Jessica Matten is a Canadian actress and producer best known as Bernadette Manuelito in AMC’s Dark Winds, a role she has played since the series premiered in June 2022.
She also played Sokanon in Frontier, Sam Woodburn in Tribal and Gerrilyn Spence in Burden of Truth, and Heather Hobbs in Rez Ball. She voices Katara in Avatar Aang: The Last Airbender.
Matten was born in Edmonton, Alberta. Her mother is Red River Métis and Saulteaux–Cree, and her father is British-Chinese. She is a descendant of Cuthbert Grant, who led the Métis at the Battle of Seven Oaks in 1816. She studied human ecology at the University of Alberta.
She is the president of 7 Forward Entertainment and co-founder of the Counting Coup Indigenous Film Academy. In November 2025, AMC Networks partnered with her on an initiative for Indigenous talent. She lives in Edmonton and is not married.
Readers who follow TV drama may also like our profile of Fiona Rene, an actress best known for CBS’s Tracker.
How old is Jessica Matten? Age and Birthday
Jessica Matten is 40 years old as of November 2026. She was reportedly born on November 30, 1985, in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Her zodiac sign is Sagittarius.
She turned 40 on November 30, 2025, and turns 41 on November 30, 2026.
How tall is Jessica Matten? Height, weight and measurements
Jessica Matten is 5 ft 10 in (178 cm) tall. She states the figure herself on Instagram on December 13, 2025. Some listings give 5 ft 9 in or 5 ft 9½ in.
She has long dark brown hair and dark brown eyes (visual estimate). Her build is slim to average (visual estimate). Biography websites list her weight as 130 lbs (59 kg), though no official source has confirmed the figure; others give 125 lbs (57 kg) or 128 lbs (58 kg).
The same sites list her measurements as 34-25-35 in (86-64-89 cm), bra size 34B and dress size 6 (US), and her shoe size as 6, 7 or 8 (US).
Jessica Matten’s career
Early life and education
Matten was born and raised in Edmonton, Alberta. Her mother is Therese Ducharme, a Red River Métis and Saulteaux–Cree activist, performer and former model who founded Mystique Models. Her father is a British-Chinese businessman and marketer in London, whose name has not been made public. As a child she lived on reserves and in Hong Kong and Korea.
She started modelling at six, through her mother’s agency. She studied human ecology at the University of Alberta, with a minor in marketing, and trained at Shoreline Studios in Vancouver.
She also studied at Central Saint Martins and the London College of Fashion and did an internship at Elle UK.
Television and film
Matten made her screen debut in the short film Eddie’s Stereotype in 2010. In 2012 she played Delia in A Red Girl’s Reasoning, a short that won Best Canadian Action Short at ImagineNATIVE.
She played Gina in Blackstone (12 episodes, 2014–15), Sokanon in Frontier (18 episodes, 2016–18) and Gerrilyn Spence in Burden of Truth (14 episodes, 2018–19).
From 2020 to 2021 she played Sam Woodburn, the newly appointed interim chief, in Tribal (18 episodes), where she was also an associate producer. In 2020 she played Fiona in the film The Empty Man. In 2022 she began playing Bernadette Manuelito in Dark Winds, which premiered on June 12, 2022. She has appeared in 28 episodes.
In September 2024 she played Heather Hobbs in Rez Ball, released on Netflix on September 27, 2024. She voices Katara in Avatar Aang: The Last Airbender, released on July 25, 2026.
Producing and advocacy
Matten is the president of 7 Forward Entertainment and co-founder of the Counting Coup Indigenous Film Academy, which opened on Siksika Nation and partnered with Old Sun Community College.
In February 2026 she led the spring pilot workshop of the Indigenous Film Academy at the Institute of American Indian Arts in Santa Fe, and returned for a summer program from July 7 to August 7, 2026, making a mini television series for AMC Networks.
On November 25, 2025, AMC Networks announced a partnership with Matten on an initiative for Indigenous talent. She was associate producer of Tales from the Rez, which premiered on AMC+ in November 2025. She is the writer and executive producer of Check in Check Out, in which she plays Ella Vale, streaming on AMC+ in winter 2026.
With her family she runs Lemon Cree, an Indigenous wellness company. She supports the #N8Vgirls campaign for missing and murdered Indigenous women.
Her advocacy is personal: her cousin Jennifer McPherson was murdered in 2013. She has worked in suicide prevention and addiction counselling for Native communities, especially young people, for more than 25 years.
Career timeline
- 2010 — Screen debut in the short film Eddie’s Stereotype.
- 2016–2018 — Played Sokanon in Frontier (18 episodes).
- 2020–2021 — Played Sam Woodburn in Tribal (18 episodes), also associate producer.
- June 12, 2022 — Dark Winds premieres; Matten as Bernadette Manuelito.
- September 27, 2024 — Rez Ball released on Netflix; Matten as Heather Hobbs.
- July 25, 2026 — Avatar Aang: The Last Airbender released; Matten voices Katara.
- November 7, 2026 — Budapest scoring session for Check in Check Out, streaming on AMC+ in winter 2026.
What is Jessica Matten’s net worth and salary?
As of 2026, Jessica Matten’s net worth is estimated at $2 million to $3 million.
Net worth
Her net worth is estimated at $2 million to $3 million. Estimates range from under $1.5 million to $3 million. She earns from acting and producing.
Salary
No salary figure has been published for Matten.
Income sources
- Television acting.
- Film acting.
- Voice acting.
- Producing.
- Lemon Cree business.
- Speaking.
- Modelling.
Is Jessica Matten married?
No, Jessica Matten is not married.
She has reportedly been linked since about 2016 to Mohawk actor, artist and rock musician Brendt Thomas Diabo, her co-star on Frontier. Neither of them has publicly confirmed the relationship, and no partner appears in her Instagram posts from the last two years.
Children
She has no children.
Family
Matten’s mother is Therese Ducharme, founder of Mystique Models and of the Lemon Cree Non-Profit Society. Her father is a British-Chinese businessman in London, whose name has not been made public. Her parents are divorced.
Is Jessica Matten dead?
No. In October 2026, headlines shared online falsely claimed that Jessica Matten had died at the age of 37. The claim was false: she was alive and working, and she was 40 years old at the time, not 37. The story was debunked on October 14, 2026.
The false headlines spread while she was working on Dark Winds Season 5 and the Indigenous Film Academy, and weeks after Avatar Aang: The Last Airbender had been released. The same debunk also addressed baseless rumours that she was leaving Dark Winds; no such announcement was made.
She posted on Instagram on November 7, 2026, from a scoring session in Budapest for Check in Check Out, and appeared on a panel in Los Angeles on November 6, 2026 — both after the hoax spread.
What is Jessica Matten doing in 2026?
On November 7, 2026, Matten posted from a scoring session in Budapest for Check in Check Out, the mini television series she wrote and executive produces, in which she plays Ella Vale. It streams on AMC+ in winter 2026. On November 6, 2026, she appeared on a Dark Winds panel at the Autry Museum in Los Angeles.
On July 25, 2026, Avatar Aang: The Last Airbender was released, with Matten voicing Katara. The full film had leaked online on April 12, 2026. She appeared with the voice cast at San Diego Comic-Con on July 23, 2026, speaking about Indigenous representation. The film was released on Blu-ray and DVD on November 3, 2026.
Dark Winds returned for its fourth season on February 15, 2026, running to April 5, 2026, and was renewed for a fifth season on February 5, 2026, with eight episodes set for 2027.
Matten filmed the fifth season in spring 2026 and wrapped in June 2026. On July 4, 2026, the fourth season arrived on Netflix in the United States, reaching No. 8 on the charts.
In February 2026 she led the spring pilot workshop of the Indigenous Film Academy at the Institute of American Indian Arts in Santa Fe, and returned for the summer program from July 7 to August 7, 2026.
On November 25, 2025, AMC Networks announced its partnership with her on an initiative for Indigenous talent. On November 30, 2025, she turned 40, the same day Tales from the Rez premiered on AMC+.
Jessica Matten’s social media
As of November 2026, Jessica Matten has 91,299 followers on Instagram at @jessicamatten, where she is verified. Her bio reads “To know life in every breath” and “This is my only form of Social Media”. She has 434 following and 232 posts.
Her most recent post, on November 7, 2026, is from a scoring session in Budapest for Check in Check Out. Her most-liked recent post is an open letter to Avatar fans from July 7, 2026, with 18,853 likes.
She has no Facebook page, no personal TikTok account and no YouTube channel. Her X handle, @JessicaMatten, is historical only.
Quick facts about Jessica Matten
- 26 homes by age 21 — She had lived in 26 different homes by the time she turned 21.
- Speaking fee listed at $10,000–$20,000 — Her speaking fee is listed at $10,000–$20,000 per live event.
- Googled “how to become an actor” — As a child, she Googled “how to become an actor”.
- Ran Active Cree magazine — She ran Active Cree, a monthly magazine reaching 60,000 people in 10 communities.
- Five series in eight years — She appeared in five international/Native People’s television series in eight years.
- Guest-starred in Maid — She guest-starred in Netflix’s Maid in 2021.
- Signed with M88 — She signed with management firm M88 in September 2022.
- Wants to be first Native superhero — She told Elle in June 2022 she wants to be the first Native superhero.
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FAQs
How old is Jessica Matten?
40 years old as of November 2026. She was born on November 30, 1985, in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
Is Jessica Matten married?
No, she is not married. She has never publicly announced a marriage.
What is Jessica Matten’s net worth?
$2 million to $3 million (estimated). Her income comes from acting, producing and voice work.
Who is Jessica Matten’s boyfriend?
Brendt Thomas Diabo is the actor she has been linked to since about 2016, though neither of them has publicly confirmed the relationship.
Is Jessica Matten dead?
No, she is alive. Viral headlines in October 2026 falsely claimed she had died; the claim was debunked on October 14, 2026.
Final word on Jessica Matten
Jessica Matten has built a career that pairs roles in Dark Winds, Frontier and Tribal with producing and advocacy for Indigenous talent. She voiced Katara in Avatar Aang: The Last Airbender and led the Indigenous Film Academy at IAIA. Her net worth is estimated at $2 million to $3 million. As of November 2026, her next project is Check in Check Out, coming to AMC+ in winter 2026.
References
- Instagram. @jessicamatten
- Institute of American Indian Arts. Jessica Matten Leads the Indigenous Film Academy at IAIA, Jun 9, 2026
- Tribal TV Series. Jessica Matten (cast bio)
- All American Speakers. Jessica Matten (bio)
- Deadline. AMC Networks & Dark Winds Star Jessica Matten Team Up, Nov 2025
- Institute of American Indian Arts. IAIA Shorts Film Screening and Panel with AMC+ Dark Winds, Nov 6, 2026
- CBR. Dark Winds Season 4: Kiowa Gordon & Jessica Matten Interview, Feb 15, 2026
- Decider. Avatar Aang: The Last Airbender Paramount+ Release Date, Jul 7, 2026
- TV Series Finale. Dark Winds: Season Five Casting Revealed, Jun 14, 2026
- Chronicle Fashion. Jessica Matten of Dark Winds Is Ready to Lead, Jun 27, 2022
- Wikipedia. Jessica Matten
- MoviesNewsToday. Jessica Matten’s Sudden Death at 37, Oct 14, 2026
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