Matt Damon Biography

In 1996, Damon was just another struggling beefcake actor with a few good supporting roles to his credit. But his unknown status changed overnight when director Francis Ford Coppola handpicked Damon to headline his adaptation of John Grisham's best-selling legal potboiler The Rainmaker. The unprepossessing Damon soon found himself engulfed by a flood of A-list scripts, directors and stars. Steven Spielberg snapped him up to star alongside Tom Hanks in World War II actioner Saving Private Ryan, and Miramax pounced on a script for a film titled Good Will Hunting that Damon and his actor pal Ben Affleck had been shopping around; Damon was cast in the lead role, and the project was propelled onto the fast track when Miramax put critical darling Gus Van Sant in the director's chair and signed box-office heavyweight Robin Williams as Damon's co-star. Damon later parlayed his indie cred into several franchises, starring in both The Bourne Identity and its sequel, The Bourne Supremacy, as well as Ocean's Eleven and Ocean's Twelve. And his 2007 The Bourne Ultimatum was not just the biggest in the franchiese but had the biggest August opening weekend of all time.


1. Damon dropped out of Harvard to pursue acting.
2. He founded Project Greenlight to help budding filmmakers produce movies.
3. He's a politically active supporter of the Democratic party.
4. His weight has been known to fluctuate by up to 30 pounds for roles.
5. He remains close friends with Ben Affleck.


On taking career risks: "Scared money never wins."
— Film Force, Aug. 22, 2005


Wife: Luciana Bozan, married Dec. 9, 2005
Daughter: Isabella, born June 11, 2006


2000: Golden Globe nomination: Best Actor in a Motion Picture (Drama), The Talented Mr. Ripley

1998: Academy Award: Best Original Screenplay, Good Will Hunting (shared with Ben Affleck); Academy Award nomination: Best Actor, Good Will Hunting; Golden Globe: Best Screenplay (Motion Picture), Good Will Hunting; Golden Globe nomination: Best Actor in a Motion Picture (Drama), Good Will Hunting



Ocean's Thirteen - (2007) - Actor
The Bourne Ultimatum - (2007) - Actor
Youth Without Youth - (2007) - Cameo
Feast - (2006) - Executive Producer
The Good Shepherd - (2006) - Actor
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