Sarah Schroeder-Matzkin has built a career that moves across film, music, business, and professional sports, guided by an unusual willingness to change direction when opportunity calls. Raised in Payette, Idaho, as the youngest of eight children, she discovered performing early, while her athletic ability later took her from college basketball to the professional court in Perth, Australia. With a degree in finance, she subsequently entered the business world, founding and developing her own finance company before returning to the creative ambitions that had accompanied her since childhood. A pivotal moment arrived with Man in the Chair, where her work as executive producer and appearance alongside Christopher Plummer encouraged her to pursue the arts full-time.
By Kinsley Ah-Chion
Since then, Schroeder-Matzkin has worked across acting, producing, songwriting, and recording, contributing to projects ranging from The Trial of the Chicago 7 and Bloodshot to her starring role in the award-winning feature film, Not Alone for which she won Best Actress at the LA Sun Film Fest and received a 2021 Cannes World Film Festival Nomination for Best Acting Debut. Music has become an increasingly important part of her creative work, with original releases including My Angel a very special song written by her husband when he proposed, as well as Look to the Stars, Betrayal, On the Wire, and her latest project, Tic Toc.
Her music Videos has earned her multiple honors, including 2 Global Music Awards, Los Angeles Reel film festival win, LA Sun Film Fest Best Music Video Performer. Beyond entertainment and her continued involvement in private business investments, she is the founder of FACE Foundation — Faith And Charity Every Day — supporting charitable initiatives ranging from veterans and victims of domestic violence to medical research.
In September 2026, her journey will return to where it began as she becomes one of the first ten inductees into the Payette High School Hall of Fame. In this exclusive interview with Sarah for L’Officiel Monaco, Sarah Schroeder-Matzkin shares insights into her unconventional career, the relationship between music and film in her work, the experiences that have shaped her creative decisions, and what she is preparing for next.
1. You have moved between professional basketball, finance, acting, producing, and music. When you look at these very different chapters today, what do you think connects them, and which experience shaped you the most?
What connects all these chapters is a willingness to embrace new challenges and the discipline to follow through. Whether in sports, business, film, or music, I’ve always believed in stepping outside of my comfort zone and committing to the journey. The foundation came early. Basketball taught me resilience, how to perform under pressure, and that competitive drive to keep showing up. That mindset is what I carried into business, film, and music. That’s the thread. Discipline, resilience, performing when it counts.
2. When did you first know you wanted to perform?
So it started when I was a child, raised by loving parents who encouraged me to perform early on. My parents would take us to sing at retirement homes. We performed in church choirs and at local dance halls. It was my first taste of being on stage and I loved it. It wasn’t only about performing, it was that connection with the audience that’s stayed with me ever since.
3. You played professional basketball in Perth, Australia, before building a successful career in finance. What did those years teach you about ambition, discipline, and knowing when it is time to take a completely different direction?
Playing pro basketball with the East Perth Eagles right out of college sharpened something that was already in me, the willingness to take risks and compete. Moving abroad showed me I could start fresh and still perform. That proof gave me the confidence to pivot into finance and then entertainment. The same competitive spirit, betting on myself, is what’s connected every chapter since. Moving forward and embracing each new journey.
4. What makes a role irresistible to you?
What makes a role irresistible to me is the chance to disappear into someone else. I don’t want the audience to see Sarah, I want them to forget me and get lost in the character and in the story. That’s the magic for me. It’s the freedom in both film and music videos I feel when I’m creating a character, it’s being someone I’m not and that moment when I lose myself and the story takes over, that’s when it becomes irresistible.
5. Man in the Chair became a turning point in your life and brought you alongside Christopher Plummer. What do you remember most about that experience, and why did it give you the confidence to leave the finance business and commit yourself fully to the arts?
By the time I made Man in the Chair, I’d already decided to sell my finance company, but stepping onto set with Christopher Plummer just sealed it. He was so generous and grounded, and being in that creative space made me realize, yeah, this is where I belong. It made the leap feel not only possible, but necessary.
6. You have experienced filmmaking from several perspectives — as an actress, producer, songwriter, and performer. Has working behind the camera changed the way you behave in front of it?
Working behind the camera taught me to protect the whole team and respect every moving part and the business side. But when I’m in front of it, I protect my creative space so I can stay in the zone.
7. Which comes first for you: the music or the visual idea?
For me, it’s always the music first. An example of this is Look to the Stars, the song set this emotional truth and played at the end credits of the movie Not Alone, which leaned towards sci-fi genre, but when we filmed the music video I leaned into the words of the song, which is love is the answer. The music gave the anchor and the visuals grew from that.
8. Your latest music video, Tic Toc, was filmed in Miami this June. How did the concept develop, and what does this new release reveal about where you are creatively today?
The concept for the TIC TOC music video had been evolving for a while. Once the song was done and the timing lined up, everything started to fall into place. I was fortunate to work again with an amazing Miami-based team I’ve collaborated with before, which meant we already spoke a shared creative language. Milcho directed with that film director’s eye, Pedro brought cinematic storytelling through the camera, and J.R., our fabulous stylist, helped shape the visual world. I was leaning into movement more than ever, so I pushed myself hard with dance rehearsals. Richard, our choreographer and featured dance partner, was new to this project and an absolute gift. His choreography and performance brought the song’s energy to life.
My husband, Steve Matzkin, and I have always believed that through Double Infinity Productions, the strongest projects come from surrounding ourselves with exceptional people. Whether it’s a feature film, like The Trial of the Chicago 7, which was nominated for 6 Oscars and 5 Golden Globes and won the Golden Globe For Best Screenplay- Motion Picture. In the same spirit with our latest music video, TIC TOC we invest in teams that inspire and elevate each other. Creatively, this project is about embracing movement, trusting collaborators, and taking bigger risks as an artist.
9. Your FACE Foundation supports causes including veterans, victims of domestic violence, and innovative medical research. With such a wide range of initiatives, what makes you feel personally connected to a particular cause and decide that you want to become involved?
The FACE Foundation is deeply personal to me. FACE means Faith And Charity Every day, but it’s also the nickname my late brother gave me during my basketball years. So it carries both mission and memory. The causes we support are personal. Veterans matter to me because my dad served in the Navy and because of the sacrifice that all service members make. That respect for their commitment to serve runs deep.
Supporting victims of domestic violence is close to my heart, especially through the work of Rose Advocates in my hometown of Payette. That organization’s impact on families has stayed with me. Medical research became a shared passion for Steve Matzkin, my husband, and me, inspired by his vast healthcare background. We saw firsthand how innovation can change lives. Ultimately, we take each opportunity case by case and ask where we can make the most meaningful difference. And that’s what guides every decision we make through FACE.
10. This September, you will return to Payette as one of the first ten inductees into your high school’s Hall of Fame. After everything that has happened since you left Idaho, what does coming home for this recognition mean to you?
This honor is full circle. It takes me right back to early mornings, small-town grit, and big dreams. It’s about honoring the people and places who shaped me: family, coaches, teammates, friends, and that community. And I’ll get to share it with loved ones, which makes it even sweeter. Never let the size of your hometown determine the size of your dreams. Big Dreams can start in small towns. Mine did and no matter where you go, no matter how far you go, never forget where you came from. Those roots will always anchor you.
Credits
Sarah Schroeder-Matzkin
Photographer Dina Zhulii @dinazhulii
MUAH: Kateryna Cherkasenko @katryneche
Fashion Stylist: J.R. Martinez @jrfashionista