Matt Damon, born and raised in Cambridge Massachusetts, became an international movie star overnight. Now, as both an actor and producer, he works hard to maintain an air of normalcy despite constant cameras and reporters surrounding his life.
Birth
Matt Damon has established himself in Hollywood as one of its most bankable stars, appearing in some of the highest grossing films ever with over $3.88 billion in total box office sales.
Damon was raised in Cambridge, Massachusetts suburbs by his stockbroker father and child education professor mother. Although Damon's childhood had its share of challenges, things started to change when he attended Cambridge Rindge and Latin School public high school - this is where he met future co-star Ben Affleck who would go on to become his friend as both took drama classes there and found purpose through acting together.
Damon decided to pursue acting full time immediately upon graduating high school, working hard at his craft and participating in numerous theater productions. He attended Harvard as an English major but often skipped class to focus on acting projects - his first role being Mystic Pizza (1988), followed by roles in Rising Son (1990) and School Ties (1992). Finally he decided to drop out with 12 credits remaining before graduation to focus on acting full-time.
Damon first gained recognition with his breakthrough performances as an energy analyst caught in the underbelly of the oil industry in Syriana (2005) and as an untrustworthy CIA agent in Martin Scorsese's The Departed (2006). Additionally, Damon provided voiceover work for Hayao Miyazaki's animated Gake no ue no Ponyo (2008).
Damon has always shown his commitment to his family and making an impactful statement through philanthropy, whether supporting various charitable causes or offering assistance in times of need. His charitable acts reflect both his dedication to acting and his desire to make this world better.
Education
Matthew Paige Damon was born late 1970 in Cambridge, Massachusetts to Nancy Carlsson-Paige who taught early childhood education at Lesley University and Kent Damon (a stockbroker). His ancestry includes English, Scottish, Finnish and Swedish roots with one older brother Kyle Damon being an accomplished sculptor. Matthew attended Cambridge Rindge and Latin high school where he excelled academically while simultaneously appearing in many theater productions there.
Once graduating high school, Matt Damon attended Harvard University as an English major; however, he found himself skipping classes to pursue acting projects instead. He played small parts in several theater productions as well as TNT original film Rising Son; additionally he wrote the playwriting class script that later became Good Will Hunting; unfortunately it wasn't successful and so Damon dropped out 12 credits short of earning his degree.
Damon struggled initially in Hollywood, until his breakthrough with the Jason Bourne films in 2001 and 2002. Since then, he has received multiple nominations and awards for his films; furthermore, his performance as The Martian has also received widespread critical acclaim.
Through his years, he has also made many philanthropic contributions. These include donations to numerous organizations like National Geographic, The Kennedy Center and American Film Institute. Furthermore, he hosted and founded LivePlanet as a production company dedicated to discovering and funding worthwhile film projects from novice filmmakers.
Matt Damon and Luciana Barroso have three children together and are happily married. Matt is an established actor who has appeared in various films such as Ocean's Eleven and The Bourne Identity series as well as animated and documentary works; for which he has won various awards and accolades.
Career
Matt Damon is one of Hollywood's premier actors, having earned four Academy Award nominations and winning one. Known for his subtle sense of humor and self-deprecating manner, Damon has proven both critically acclaimed and crowd pleasing alike - earning praise both from audiences and critics. At the same time, Damon has earned himself an impeccable reputation for taking his craft seriously.
Massachusetts native Sean Penn made his acting debut in 1988's Mystic Pizza and then attended Cambridge Rindge and Latin School where he participated in their theater program. Later enrolled as an English major at Harvard but dropped out 12 credits short to focus on acting full time instead of graduating, appearing on both television shows and movies before winning an Academy Award with 1997's Good Will Hunting (for which he received his Oscar).
Damon continued his prolific acting career throughout the 2000s. He played numerous high-profile roles - from playing an eccentric Texas Ranger in True Grit by Coen brothers to an army officer looking for weapons of mass destruction in Green Zone by Apatow and Babel; other noteworthy films of note were Rounders (1998), Talented Mr Ripley (1999), Dogma (2001) and Ocean's Eleven series films (such as Dogma 2001 and 2004).
Damon played Liberace's young lover in Soderbergh's Behind the Candelabra and an astronaut in Christopher Nolan's Interstellar; additionally he made appearances as an arms dealer (The Bourne Ultimatum 2012) and an insurance agent in action comedy The Martian (2015).
Damon has spent much of the past few years seeking to remain unnoticed by celebrity-machinery by engaging in lower-key projects, like filming a television series about small town New Hampshire and bowling leagues with cast members of The Bourne Supremacy in Berlin. He can often be found golfing or dining out with Luciana Barroso whom he met while shooting a movie last year in Miami.
Personal Life
Matthew Paige Damon was born in 1970 to Kent Damon (a stockbroker and realtor) and Nancy Carlsson-Paige (an early childhood education professor at Lesley University). His father hails from English, Scottish, Finnish and Swedish ancestries while his mother shares Finnish and Swedish. They raised their family in Newton until Kent and Nancy separated in 1973 and Nancy took both Matt and his brother back to Cambridge - this environment had an indelible mark on his later works; often portraying genuine, relatable characters in his films and television programs.
He attended Cambridge Alternative School and Cambridge Rindge and Latin School, taking drama classes. While in high school he excelled academically while participating in several theater productions under Jerry Speca's tutelage; acting was his ultimate ambition; he would skip classes to audition for movies such as Mystic Pizza and Rising Son before landing his breakout role as Geronimo: An American Legend (1993). Shortly thereafter he left Harvard to pursue acting, just 12 credits short of graduating.
At his peak of acting success, Damon was one of Hollywood's most sought-after actors, appearing in both Ocean's Eleven and The Bourne Identity franchises and making an impressionful first impression through Good Will Hunting which was inspired by an assignment from Harvard writing class; this movie brought both him and Ben Affleck into public awareness.
He is the recipient of several prestigious awards, such as an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay. Additionally to acting, he has directed films. Luciana Barroso of Argentina was his partner from 2003 - they married shortly thereafter, giving birth to three daughters together: Isabella, Gia and Stella as well as stepchildren from Barroso's prior relationship.
Damon has also taken an active part in various political causes, particularly against genocide and AIDS in Africa. Additionally, he advocates for LGBT rights as a United Nations Goodwill Ambassador.
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