Two of Toronto’s top culinary stars — Matty Matheson and Masaki Saito — are getting the Hollywood treatment this fall — one in sprinkles, the other in sushi.
Matheson, the celebrity chef best known as Neil Fak on The Bear, is voicing a frosted feline named Cookie Bobby in Gabby’s Dollhouse: The Movie, an animated adventure hitting theatres September 26. In the film, Gabby’s dollhouse ends up in the hands of an eccentric cat lady, sparking a rescue mission across the real world. Though details about Matheson’s character are still under wraps, the visuals hint at a mischievous, sprinkle-covered cat sidekick and promises to be loads of fun.
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While this marks his first major movie role, Matheson’s no stranger to the screen. The iconic chef has starred in Vice’s It’s Suppertime, his own wildly chaotic YouTube shows (Stupid F**ing Cooking Show*, Cookin’ Somethin’ w/ Matty Matheson), and plays a beloved supporting role on the Emmy-winning The Bear. Off-screen, he runs multiple restaurants across Toronto, from the Michelin-recognized Prime Seafood Palace to pizza favourite Maker and even fronts a hardcore band called Pig Pen.
On the documentary side of the spectrum, Saito — Toronto’s only two-star Michelin chef — is the subject of Still Single, a new film making its world premiere at TIFF this September. Directed by Jamal Burger and Jukan Tateisi, the 93-minute doc offers a behind-the-scenes look at the notoriously meticulous sushi chef, revealing his charisma, precision and personal quirks.
According to TIFF Docs programmer Thom Powers in an interview with POV Magazine, the film “points out that he’s still single after all of his success,” and has the kind of commercial appeal that could excite buyers.
Whether you’re into animated cats or knife-sharp doc profiles, September is serving up some star-powered chef content — with a distinctly Toronto flavour.
