MATT DAMON born October 8th, 1970 in Boston Massachusetts - is an American actor who plays the role of David Norris in the 2011 film The Adjustment Bureau. An actor, screenwriter, and philanthropist, Damon's break-out performance came in the success of the 1997 film "Good Will Hunting", from a screenplay he co-wrote with friend Ben Affleck. The pair won the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay and the Golden Globe Award for Best Screenplay for their work and Damon garnered multiple Best Actor nominations, including the Academy Award, for his lead performance in the film.
Biography:[]
An affable who has cultivated friendships in tandem with his showbiz career, Damon began acting professionally while attending Harvard University. His first notable role was as an anti-Semitic student in the 1992 teen drama "School Ties", costarring his childhood buddy and future collaborator Ben Affleck. After a handful of supporting parts, Damon and Affleck co-wrote and co-starred in the hit 1997 indie drama "Good Will Hunting". Not only did Damon earn an Oscar nod for his winning portrayal of a quiet genius, the duo picked up an Oscar for best screenplay. As both actors' stars continued to rise, they made cameos in each other's projects and also produced the popular filmmaking reality series "Project Greenlight". But Damon was generally viewed as the more talented of the two, delivering top-notch performances in diverse roles, such as a murderous imposter in "The Talented Mr. Ripley", a suave thief in "Ocean's Eleven" and an amnesia-stricken spy in "The Bourne Identity". Like Affleck, Damon had an eye for famous ladies (Winona Ryder, Minnie Driver) but he usually managed to keep out of the tabloids. While filming "Stuck on You" in 2003, Damon met Argentine-born Luciana Bozán Barroso in Miami, where she was working as a bartender. They married in a private civil ceremony on December 9, 2005, at the Manhattan Marriage Bureau near New York City Hall. Damon became stepfather to Barroso's young daughter, Alexia, from her previous marriage. The couple's first child together, daughter Isabella, was born in Miami, Florida on June 11, 2006. On August 20, 2008, Barroso gave birth to the couple's second child, Gia Zavala Damon. Damon and his family currently reside in Manhattan. Damon is a fan of the Boston Red Sox. After the team won the 2007 World Series, he narrated the commemorative DVD release of the event.
Education[]
Attended Harvard University, Cambridge, MA Cambridge Rindge and Latin High School, Cambridge, MA (1988)
Trivia[]
- Left Harvard University 12 credits shy of a degree in English to pursue a career in acting.
- At one time, his father was a janitor at Harvard University, and he protested for employee rights on his father's behalf.
- Bartended in Tennessee to perfect his Southern accent for a role in "The Rainmaker" (1997).
- He hired a customer to be his dialect coach.
- Worked as an extra on "Field of Dreams" (1989) with best friend Ben Affleck.
- He jumped down to Boston's Fenway Park to pick a few blades of grass as mementos for his father during the shoot.
- Announced that he and Minnie Driver broke up during a guest appearance on The Oprah Winfrey Show (1998) before telling her in person.
- Learned to play the piano for "The Talented Mr. Ripley" (1999).
Filmography[]
Year | Film | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1988 | Mystic Pizza | Steamer | |
1992 | School Ties | Charlie Dillon | |
1993 | Geronimo: An American Legend | 2nd Lt. Britton Davis | |
1996 | Glory Daze | Edgar Pudwhacker | |
Courage Under Fire | Specialist Ilario | ||
1997 | Good Will Hunting | Will Hunting | Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay with Ben Affleck Golden Globe Award for Best Screenplay
Nominated — Academy Award for Best Actor Nominated — Golden Globe Award for Best Actor Nominated — Screen Actors Guild Award for Best Cast Nominated — Screen Actors Guild Award for Best Actor Nominated — Writers Guild of America Award with Ben Affleck |
The Rainmaker | Rudy Baylor | ||
Chasing Amy | Shawn Oran | Cameo | |
1998 | Rounders | Mike McDermott | |
Saving Private Ryan | Private James Francis Ryan | Nominated — Screen Actors Guild Award for Best Cast | |
1999 | The Talented Mr. Ripley | Tom Ripley | Nominated — Golden Globe Award for Best Actor |
Dogma | Loki | ||
2000 | Finding Forrester | Steven Sanderson | Cameo |
All the Pretty Horses | John Grady Cole | ||
The Legend of Bagger Vance | Rannulph Junuh | ||
Titan A.E. | Cale Tucker | Voice | |
2001 | The Majestic | Luke Trimble | Voice only |
Ocean's Eleven | Linus Caldwell | ||
Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back | Himself | Cameo | |
2002 | Confessions of a Dangerous Mind | Matt, bachelor #2 | Cameo |
The Bourne Identity | Jason Bourne | ||
Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron | Spirit | Voice | |
Gerry | Gerry | Also co-writer | |
2003 | Stuck on You | Bob Tenor | |
2004 | Howard Zinn: You Can't Be Neutral on a Moving Train | Narrator | Voice |
Ocean's Twelve | Linus Caldwell | ||
The Bourne Supremacy | Jason Bourne | ||
Jersey Girl | PR Exec #2 | Cameo | |
Eurotrip | Donny | Cameo | |
2005 | Syriana | Bryan Woodman | |
The Brothers Grimm | Will (Wilhelm) Grimm | ||
2006 | The Good Shepherd | Edward Wilson | |
The Departed | Colin Sullivan | Nominated — Screen Actors Guild Award for Best Cast | |
2007 | Ocean's Thirteen | Linus Caldwell | |
The Bourne Ultimatum | Jason Bourne | ||
Youth Without Youth | Ted Jones, Life Magazine Reporter | Cameo | |
Arthur | Himself | Voice | |
2008 | Che: Part Two | Fr. Schwarz | Cameo |
2009 | Ponyo | Koichi | Voice (English version) |
The Informant! | Mark Whitacre | Nominated — Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Best Actor
Nominated — Detroit Film Critics Society Award for Best Actor Nominated — Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a Motion Picture Musical or Comedy Nominated — San Diego Film Critics Society Award for Best Actor Nominated — Satellite Award for Best Actor in a Motion Picture Musical or Comedy | |
Invictus | Francois Pienaar | Nominated — Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor
Nominated — Broadcast Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actor Nominated — Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture Nominated — Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role | |
2010 | Green Zone | Chief Warrant Officer Roy Miller | |
The Adjustment Bureau | David Norris | post-production | |
Hereafter | George | post-production | |
True Grit | LeBouef | filming |
List of Awards[]
Award | Wins | Nominations |
---|---|---|
|
1 | 3 |
|
0 | 1 |
|
1 | 1 |
|
1 | 4 |
|
1 | 5 |
|
0 | 5 |
|
2 | 2 |
|
0 | 5 |
|
1 | 1 |
|
19 | 52 |