Matt Damon

Early Years

Born to a retired investment banker dad, Kent, and a college professor mom, Nancy, Matt Damon and older brother, Kyle, lived in Newton, Massachusetts until their parents' divorced when Damon was only two. After the divorce, mom moved both boys to a more humble neighborhood in Cambridge so that they would grow up further away from the high society lifestyle. At the age of ten Damon met his future best friend, Ben Affleck, who only lived a couple blocks away, and the two became almost inseparable.

As a teenager, Damon attended the Cambridge Rindge and Latin School where he was adored by girls for his smile and praised by his high school drama teacher for having more than a knack for acting. Damon's potential was exhibited in several local theater productions, but he also worked as a movie extra in several major films, including Mystic Pizza and baseball movie, Field of Dreams. After graduation Damon headed off to Harvard University to pursue a degree in English, but left in 1992 to focus on his career as an actor.

Career

Though he appeared in his first film, Mystic Pizza, in 1988 at age 16, it wasn't until 10 years later in 1998 that Damon was officially recognized for his work in the entertainment industry. After he and best friend Affleck won an Oscar for the writing of their 1997 movie, Good Will Hunting, (he also received a Best Actor nomination for the same film), Damon began his ascent to mega-stardom both in the biz and with fans all over the world.

Damon had appeared in eleven other films before winning his first Oscar, but it was his role as a heroin addict veteran in 1996's Courage Under Fire that won him the respect and admiration of many powerhouse actors. For the role, Damon lost 40 pounds without the aid of a nutritionist and suffered over a year of illness regaining his metabolism. He also appeared in two films with Affleck, School Ties and Chasing Amy.

To date, Damon has 43 film-acting credits under his belt and earns upwards of $10 million per picture, but this sexy celebrity is not above accepting smaller roles and is more than happy to work for his famous friends, such as writer/director Kevin Smith, for less pay. Acting and writing, though, are not his sole talents in showbiz. Damon showed audiences watching The Talented Mr. Ripley and The Good Shepherd that he can also sing and, together with Affleck, produced three seasons of the documentary series Project Greenlight for HBO, as well as several other television shows, including ABC's Push, Nevada.

Awards and Achievements

Since 1997, Damon has been nominated for over 50 official industry awards, 15 of which he won, including his shared Best Screenplay Oscar and a Golden Globe for his work as an actor in Good Will Hunting. While most of his awards don't carry a high-profile name, Damon's contributions to the biz were officially honored when he received his star on Hollywood's Walk of Fame on July 25, 2007.

Matt Damon Facts and Trivia

Damon with wife, Luciana Barroso

Think you know everything about Matt Damon? Maybe you do, but in case you don't, here are some fun facts and trivia that you can use to stump those in your life who do think they know everything about this high-profile actor.

• Auditioned for the role Leonardo DiCaprio portrayed in 1995's The Quick and the Dead
• Worked as a bartender in Knoxville, Tennessee (for free) to help him perfect a Southern accent for his role in 1997's The Rainmaker
• Appears as "Donnie" in 2004's teen movie, EuroTrip. (Yes, that's him pretending to sing "Scottie Doesn't Know" in the beginning of the movie)
• His uncle, George Brunstad, holds the world record as oldest person to swim the English Channel as of 2004
• Quit smoking with the aid of a Los Angeles hypnotist
• Shares his birthday with Sigourney Weaver
• Opted not to play the role of Harvey Dent in 2008's Batman Begins sequel, The Dark Knight
• He resides in Florida with his wife, Luciana Barroso (born in Argentina), his step-daughter, Alexia and daughter with Barroso, Isabella (born June 11, 2006)

The Future

Continued success for Damon is pretty much a given with his track record of producing quality performances in major motion pictures. One can expect to watch him walk the red carpet towards Oscar at least a few more times in his career, but one can also count on Damon to pop-up where ever his celebrity friends like Affleck and Smith would like to see him. Whether on screen or off, Damon's dedication to his work and to the advancement of young filmmakers is sure to become part of Hollywood history.