Dillon was raised in a close-knitRoman Catholic family of Irish descent inMamaroneck, New York by homemaker Mary Ellen and Paul Dillon, a portrait painter and sales manager for toy bear manufacturer Union Camp.[3][4][5] Paul Dillon also was the long-time golf coach atFordham University, having been enshrined in the school's Hall of Fame in 2019.[6][7][8][9] Dillon is the second of six children with one sister and four brothers, one of whom is actorKevin Dillon. His paternal grandmother was the sister of comic strip artistAlex Raymond, the creator ofFlash Gordon.[10]
In 1978,Jane Bernstein and a friend were helping directorJonathan Kaplan cast the teen dramaOver the Edge when they found Dillon cutting class atHommocks Middle School inLarchmont. Dillon auditioned for a role and made his debut in the film.[11] The film received a regional, limited theatrical release in May 1979, and grossed only slightly over $200,000.[12] Dillon's performance was well-received, which led to his casting in two films released the following year: the teenage sex comedyLittle Darlings, in whichKristy McNichol's character loses her virginity to a boy from the camp across the lake, played by Dillon, and the more serious teendramedyMy Bodyguard, where he played a high-school bully oppositeChris Makepeace. The films, released in March and July 1980, respectively, were box office successes[13] and raised Dillon's profile among teen audiences.
Another of Dillon's early roles was in theJean ShepherdPBS specialThe Great American Fourth of July and Other Disasters.[14][15] The only available copies of this film are stored at UCLA, where a legal dispute makes it unavailable to the public. One of his next roles was inLiar's Moon, where he played Jack Duncan, a poor Texas boy madly in love with a rich banker's daughter.
Dillon appeared in several music videos during his career. He made a cameo appearance as a detective inMadonna'sBad Girl music video which also starsChristopher Walken. Dillon appeared in 1987 in the music video for "Fairytale of New York" by the Irishfolk-punk bandThe Pogues, playing a cop who escorts lead singerShane MacGowan into the "drunk tank". In 2007, the bandDinosaur Jr. hired Dillon to direct the video for their single "Been There All The Time" from the albumBeyond. That year, he guest-starred onThe Simpsons episode "Midnight Towboy". Early in 2015, he played the role of aSecret Service agent in theFOX 10-episode seriesWayward Pines.
Dillon was in a relationship withCameron Diaz from 1995 to 1998. From 2014 to 2023 he has been in a relationship with Italian actress, dancer and choreographer Roberta Mastromichele.As of 2025, he is in a relationship with Arabella Simon from Canada.Dillon is anaficionado and collector ofLatin music, with a large collection of vinyl, including a notable library of Cuban78s.[20]
^Dillon, Matt (August 6, 2005)."Behind the mask". London: The Daily Telegraph.Archived from the original on December 17, 2013. RetrievedSeptember 11, 2010.
