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Matt Damon

ACTOR · BORN 1970

Matt Damon

Born
8 October 1970, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
Known for
Avatar (2009), Good Will Hunting (1997), Oppenheimer (2023), The Great Wall (2016)

74 archived facts 7 topics 2 sources Last reviewed Nov 2026

Matt Damon (born 8 October 1970) is an actor best known for Avatar, Good Will Hunting and Oppenheimer.

Matt Damon over the years

Matt Damon in 2013 (age 43)
2013 · age 43Georges Biard, CC BY-SA 3.0
Matt Damon in 2026 (age 56)
2026 · age 56Republic of Korea, CC BY-SA 4.0

74 Interesting Facts About Matt Damon

Interesting Facts (13)

  1. #001

    He has starred in three different films where rescuing his character is a major plot point: Saving Private Ryan (1998), Interstellar (2014) and The Martian (2015).

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  2. #002

    Stated that his appearance on The Graham Norton Show (2007) with Hugh Bonneville and Bill Murray was 'the best time he'd ever had on a chat show'.

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  3. #003

    Jimmy Kimmel had a long running gag of ending his late night show with an apology to Matt Damon for not being able to interview him.

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  4. #004

    1998: Formed Pearl Street Productions with Ben Affleck and Chris Moore.

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  5. #005

    Like his best friend Ben Affleck, he was an avid fan and collector of Daredevil comics growing up.

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  6. #006

    He has appeared in four films directed by Kevin Smith: Chasing Amy (1997), Dogma (1999), Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back (2001) and Jersey Girl (2004).

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  7. #007

    A passionate dog lover who owns five rescue dogs with his wife. Also a dog rescuer, his involvement with dogs goes beyond his personal pets. He has been spotted spending time with rescue dogs at shelters and continues to advocate for pet adoption.

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  8. #008

    Turned down the lead role in The Majestic (2001).

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  9. #009

    Exactly one year younger than Jeremy Davies, both appeared in Saving Private Ryan (1998) as Private Ryan and Corporal Upham. Both born on 8 October.

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  10. #010

    Bought a home in Bedford, New York, in 2025. He still owns a brownstone in Brooklyn, New York, and a pied-à-terre in West Hollywood, having sold his Pacific Palisades house several years ago.

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  11. #011

    The first celebrity autograph he ever managed to get was from Marvelous Marvin Hagler.

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  12. #012

    In their childhood, Matt Damon and Ben Affleck lived only two blocks apart in Cambridge, Massachusetts. This proximity laid the foundation of the pair's friendship and allowed them to form a strong bond that lasted throughout their careers. Growing up in the same neighborhood shaped their shared experiences and cultural background. This geographical closeness was the beginning of one of the most solid friendships in Hollywood.

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  13. #013

    In each film of the Bourne trilogy, Matt Damon faces an enemy with a knife using an unusual weapon: a pen in The Bourne Identity (2002), a newspaper in The Bourne Supremacy (2004) and a towel in The Bourne Ultimatum (2007). This pattern of scenes stands out as part of the films' action choreography, and Damon's performance in these scenes shows his mastery of action films.

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Production Story (8)

  1. #014

    The character Skylar in Good Will Hunting (1997), played by Minnie Driver, was inspired by Skylar Satenstein, who he used to date in College.

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  2. #015

    Had a cameo as a waiter in the film The Sum of All Fears (2002), but it was cut from the final film.

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  3. #016

    He said that in 1995, he was paid $20,000 to be in Tommy Lee Jones film The Good Old Boys (1995). That money kept Damon and Ben Affleck free from having to take other jobs so that they could write Good Will Hunting (1997).

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  4. #017

    Was, along with Jake Gyllenhaal, the studio's first choice for the role of Jake Sully in Avatar (2009), but director James Cameron chose the (back then) more unknown Sam Worthington in the lead role instead.

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  5. #018

    Originally cast as Dan White in Milk (2008), but had to back out due to scheduling conflicts with Green Zone (2010).

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  6. #019

    Was once offered the chance at playing Daredevil when it was in production at Miramax in 1999. This version would have starred Damon and been written by Kevin Smith and directed by Robert Rodriguez. However, Marvel Comics wanted too large a budget for the filmmakers' tastes.

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  7. #020

    Turned down the part of Bobby Mercer in Four Brothers (2005), as he found the script to be "ultra-violent". The part eventually went to Mark Wahlberg.

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  8. #021

    Turned down a role in The Quick and the Dead (1995). Leonardo DiCaprio was cast instead.

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Behind the Scenes (15)

  1. #022

    After a notable weight gain for Stuck on You (2003), he lost 22 pounds training for The Bourne Supremacy (2004), eventually having six-pack abs.

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  2. #023

    He gained over 30 pounds to play Mark Whiteacre in The Informant! (2009), which he dieted off as soon as the shoot was complete.

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  3. #024

    Dropped 47 pounds for his role as a Gulf War vet in Courage Under Fire (1996).

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  4. #025

    Lost 30 pounds for his role in the film The Talented Mr. Ripley (1999).

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  5. #026

    Both he and Ben Affleck worked as extras on the film Field of Dreams (1989). At one point during the shoot, Matt took some blades of grass from the field as mementos for his father.

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  6. #027

    To perfect his Southern accent for his role as Rudy Baylor in The Rainmaker (1997), he tended bar in Knoxville, TN, for free. Later he hired one of the customers to serve as his dialect coach.

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  7. #028

    Has stated since The Bourne Identity, when rehearsing fight scenes with stunt men, he has bought each of them a bottle of champagne for every time he struck them by accident.

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  8. #029

    Started a bowling league in Berlin while making The Bourne Supremacy (2004).

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  9. #030

    Shaved his head for the movie The Brothers Grimm (2005) (to assist in the wearing of a wig for that role). The shaved head was shown in the movie EuroTrip (2004), which was filmed in Prague at the same time.

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  10. #031

    For The Bourne Identity, Matt Damon insisted on performing many stunts himself and underwent three months of extensive training in stunt work, weapons, boxing and eskrima.

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  11. #032

    To play a Gulf War veteran in Courage Under Fire (1996), Matt Damon lost 47 kilos. This dramatic weight loss shows his commitment to the role and his determination when it comes to physical transformation. This performance helped Damon become recognized as a serious actor and was an important step in his career. Such sacrifices reveal the value he places on the art of acting.

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  12. #033

    Matt Damon is close friends with Australian actor Chris Hemsworth. The two met in Hollywood and developed a strong friendship over time. Hemsworth also gets along well with Damon's children, and the families see each other. The friendship shows how actors from two different generations can support one another. Damon's closeness with Hemsworth reveals the breadth of his social circle.

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  13. #034

    Matt Damon gained noticeable weight for Stuck on You (2003), then lost 22 kilos for The Bourne Supremacy (2004) and got six-pack abs. The rapid physical transformation reveals the discipline and determination he shows in preparing for his roles. Damon's transformation increased his credibility in action films and earned him his fans' appreciation. Such sacrifices are part of his approach to acting.

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  14. #035

    To play Mark Whiteacre in The Informant! (2009), Matt Damon gained more than 30 kilos and lost the weight as soon as filming ended. This rapid weight gain and loss shows his commitment to the role and his determination when it comes to physical transformation. Damon's performance made the production one of his successes in balancing comedy and drama.

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  15. #036

    In The Good Shepherd (2006), Matt Damon played Eddie Redmayne, who is only 11 years younger than him, as his son. This age difference did not affect the credibility of the father-son relationship in the film. Damon's performance successfully reflected the complexity of his character.

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Characters & Cast (11)

  1. #037

    Although his characters have used them frequently in films, he has a strong dislike of guns in real life.

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  2. #038

    Has the distinction of playing two stranded astronauts in need of a rescue; the villainous Dr. Mann in Interstellar (2014) and the heroic Mark Watney in The Martian (2015).

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  3. #039

    Learned to play piano for the film The Talented Mr. Ripley (1999).

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  4. #040

    Was considered for the role of Matt Murdock/Daredevil in Daredevil (2003). The role eventually went to his best friend Ben Affleck.

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  5. #041

    Audtioned for a part in Primal Fear (1996) that was eventually played by Edward Norton. He and Norton starred together two years later in Rounders (1998).

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  6. #042

    According to articles posted in Dec. 2015 on Quora and other sources, the total cost of all the rescue missions that were mounted to save characters he played in various films (including Saving Private Ryan, Interstellar and The Martian) would exceed 900 billion in adjusted dollars.

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  7. #043

    He was among the actors considered for the role of Batman's Sidekick Dick Grayson/Robin/Nightwing in 'Batman Forever (1995)'. His best friend Ben Affleck would go on to play Bruce Wayne/Batman over twenty years later.

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  8. #044

    While promoting The Bourne Supremacy on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Matt Damon recounted that during his freshman year of college his manager accidentally sent him and Ben Affleck to auditions for The New Mickey Mouse Club. The two thought they were going to meet the president of Touchstone Pictures. This funny incident shows their inexperience early in their careers and the unexpected situations they encountered. Damon's memory reveals that he has a humorous personality and enjoys telling stories.

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  9. #045

    In ten films in which Matt Damon starred, the title contains part of his character's name: Good Will Hunting (1997), Saving Private Ryan (1998), The Talented Mr. Ripley (1999), Gerry (2002), Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron (2002), The Bourne Identity (2002), The Bourne Supremacy (2004), The Brothers Grimm (2005), The Bourne Ultimatum (2007) and Jason Bourne (2016).

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  10. #046

    Matt Damon said he wanted to show his character's humanity and honesty on screen in The Talented Mr. Ripley despite the character's criminal actions.

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  11. #047

    Matt Damon appeared as thief Linus Caldwell in Steven Soderbergh's 2001 ensemble film Ocean's Eleven, a remake of the Rat Pack's Ocean's 11 (1960). The part had originally been intended for Mark Wahlberg, who turned it down for other projects.

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Easter Eggs & References (2)

  1. #048

    In each of the Bourne trilogy films, he confronts a knife-wielding adversary using an unconventional weapon: a pen in Bourne Identity (2002), a newspaper in the Bourne Supremacy (2004), and a towel in the Bourne Ultimatum (2007).

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  2. #049

    Grew up next door to radical historian Howard Zinn. Damon references Zinn's seminal work "A People's History of the United States" as Will in Good Will Hunting (1997).

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Career & Awards (8)

  1. #050

    While promoting The Bourne Supremacy (2004) on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno (1992), he revealed that when he was a college freshman his agent from a "ma and pa agency" inadvertently sent him and Ben Affleck to an audition for The New Mickey Mouse Club (1977). They were under the impression that they were going to meet the head of Touchstone Pictures.

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  2. #051

    Dropped out of Harvard 12 credits short of graduating to pursue his acting career.

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  3. #052

    Visited Haiti with Wyclef Jean to deliver food to hurricane victims.

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  4. #053

    Francis Ford Coppola cast him in The Rainmaker (1997) after seeing him in Courage Under Fire (1996).

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  5. #054

    Suffers severely from a fear of snakes (Ophidiophobia).

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  6. #055

    Appeared twice on the cover of GQ magazine: December '99 and August '07.

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  7. #056

    Matt Damon described his rise to fame through Good Will Hunting as an 'overnight success' despite having already worked in cinema for 11 years, calling the shift from obscurity to public recognition nearly indescribable.

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  8. #057

    Before The Bourne Identity, Matt Damon said he had been jobless for six months and that many of his films from that period underperformed at the box office. He doubted the film's financial prospects, but it became a commercial success.

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Life & Family (17)

  1. #058

    While he was still a student at Harvard University, he once shared a drama class with Ketanji Brown Jackson where they were paired as partners for a scene in Irish playwright Samuel Beckett's "Waiting for Godot." Although they did not perform in front of a live audience, they memorized a part of the play together. Many years later Damon was astonished to learn that Jackson had been appointed to Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States by President Joe Biden in 2022.

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  2. #059

    When his baby nephew cries, he sings "Afternoon Delight" for him.

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  3. #060

    When he and best friend Ben Affleck were struggling actors, they both shared a Boston bank account.

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  4. #061

    1998: Played in $10,000 buy-in Texas Hold 'Em tournament at the World Series of Poker (www.wsop.com) in Las Vegas. He was knocked out in the first day by poker legend Doyle Brunson. Damon had kings, Brunson aces.

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  5. #062

    His uncle, George Brunstad, swam the English Channel at the age of 70. He completed the 21-mile swim in 15 hours and 59 minutes, making him the new world record holder as the oldest person to complete the swim. In the process, he raised $12,000 for a Haitian children's group (29 August 2004).

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  6. #063

    Met his wife, Luciana Damon, in Florida, while he was filming Stuck on You (2003) and she was working as a bartender.

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  7. #064

    His parents divorced when he was two and he spent part of his childhood in a commune in Boston with his mother.

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  8. #065

    Quit smoking after visiting a hypnotist in L.A.

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  9. #066

    Became a father for the 3rd time at age 40 when his wife Luciana Damon gave birth to their daughter Stella Damon on October 20, 2010.

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  10. #067

    Co-founded H20 Africa,an organization that brings clean drinking water to three million people in developing countries.

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  11. #068

    He has English and Scottish ancestry on his father's side, and Finnish and Swedish ancestry on his mother's side. His maternal grandfather had changed his surname from Pajari, a Finnish surname, to Paige. His father had deep Colonial American roots, in both New York and New England, with the name Damon originating in Faversham, Kent, England.

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  12. #069

    Tenth cousin once removed of Ben Affleck. They are both descendants of William Knowlton Jr., a bricklayer who came to the United States from England in the 1630s.

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  13. #070

    Is only 11 years older than Eddie Redmayne who plays his son in The Good Shepherd (2006).

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  14. #071

    Became a father for the 2nd time at age 37 when his wife Luciana Damon gave birth to their daughter Gia Damon on August 20, 2008.

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  15. #072

    Matt's patrilineal line dates back to John Damon born c. 1590 in Faversham, Kent, England.

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  16. #073

    The character Skylar in Good Will Hunting (1997) was inspired by Skylar Satenstein, whom Matt Damon dated in college. The character, played by Minnie Driver, is based on a relationship from Damon's youth. Damon's experience gave the character depth and sincerity.

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  17. #074

    Matt Damon wryly noted that Gerry Speca gave the biggest roles and longest speeches to Ben Affleck, Damon's close friend and schoolmate.

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Sources & editorial notes

Reference databases

  • Wikipedia English Wikipedia article
  • IMDb IMDb name page (biography and trivia)

Sources for the entries on this page

  1. Wikipedia Matt Damon — WikipediaEncyclopedia · accessed 18 Sep 2026

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