Matt Damon's Biography

Matt Damon was born on 8 October 1970 in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Damon studied at Harvard, but left to pursue his acting career.

He started out at the American Repertory Theatre and other theatre venues. His first film role was a small part in Mystic Pizza, made in 1988.

He has since gone on to play a variety of important roles in films such as Saving Private Ryan, Dogma and The Talented Mister Ripley.

Matt Damon also starred in The Bourne Identity, The Bourne Supremacy and The Bourne Ultimatum, which, in 2007, became the biggest August opening for a movie.

One of the most interesting things about Matt Damon is his association with Ben Affleck, which has led to Project Greenlight.

The website of Project Greenlight put it:

"Two childhood friends share an apartment in Los Angeles, struggling to break into acting. Unknown after years of hard work and tired of bit parts, they write their own script and star in it. Not only do they get recognized, they become famous and win an Oscar for Best Screenplay. A dream? Hardly. It's the true story of Matt Damon and Ben Affleck. And it is this fairy tale come true that inspired them to team up with American Pie producer Chris Moore, and Miramax Film and Television, to create a contest and community that would open the industry to aspiring writers who need a big break to jump start their dreams."

In 1997, Damon, Affleck and Moore had all been involved in the excellent Good Will Hunting. Damon won an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay with Affleck for the film. He also earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor for his acting in the title role.

In December 2005, Matt Damon married Argentinian former waitress Luciana Barroso.

When Matt Damon got engaged to Barroso, she had a 6-year-old daughter, Alexia, from a previous relationship and, in June 2006, the couple had a baby girl named Isabella.

Matt Damon and Ben Affleck are both poker players. Affleck won the Commerce Casino's California State Poker Championship. Damon, who appeared in Rounders, has also played in major Poker tournaments and has been trained by poker star, Phil Hellmuth.

In 2006 Matt Damon starred in Scorsese's The Departed alongside Leonardo DiCaprio. The Standard said of his performance: "Damon is entirely believable as an obnoxious swine".

In 2007, Matt Damon was named People magazine's sexiest man alive.

In August 2008, Matt Damon's wife Luciana gave birth to their second girl together. Luciana already also had a daughter from a previous marriage.

In 2009, Matt Damon starred as the whistleblower Mark Whitacre in The Informant.

In February 2010, Matt Damon was nominated for an Oscar for best Actor in a Supporting Role for his role in Invictus.

In March 2010, Green Zone starring Matt Damon and directed by Paul Greengrass, who also directed the Jason Bourne sequels, was released.

In October 2010 Matt Damon and his wife Luciana had a girl, Stella Zavala Damon. It was their fourth child.

In 2014, Matt Damon starred in The Monuments Men, which also featured Cate Blanchett, George Clooney and Bill Murray.

In 2016, he was nominated for an Oscar for best actor for his role in The Martian.

In the same year he starred in Jason Bourne, the fifth Bourne film, which was partly responsible for him being ranked the third highest-paid actor in Hollywood according to Forbes.

In 2017, Matt Damon starred in Suburbicon, directed by George Clooney.

In 2020, during the Covid-19 lockdown Damon and his wife were based in Dalkey in Ireland where he had been shooting scenes for The Last Duel, a medieval drama directed by Ridley Scott.

In 2021 he starred in Stillwater, which was criticised by Amanda Knox.