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Matt Damon Profile |
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Birth Date:
October 8, 1970
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Birth Place: Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
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Birth
Name:
Matthew Paige Damon
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Height:
5'10"
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Biography |
Born in Cambridge, Massachusetts the son of an investment
banker and realtor, Kent Damon, and an early-childhood
education professor, Nancy Carlsson-Paige, who are mostly of
British, Finnish and German ancestry. He attended Cambridge
Rindge and Latin, the only public High School in Cambridge,
MA where he helped the school win many state drama
festivals. Damon's first film job was one line in the
romantic comedy Mystic Pizza (1988). He went on to attend
Harvard University, but dropped out a few credits shy of
graduating to pursue his acting career, a move that brought
him out to Los Angeles. He, Ben Affleck, Rory Cochrane, and
Matthew McConaughey are good friends.
Damon appeared in small roles in a few movies before landing
a big part in Geronimo with Gene Hackman and Jason Patric.
He next appeared as a heroin-addicted soldier in 1996's
Courage Under Fire. The war film was an opportunity for
Damon to show his dedication by undergoing an extensive
weight loss to help portray his character, which almost
proved a fatal move that put Damon on doctor's orders.
Damon and Affleck concocted a story about a CIA espionage
thriller about a young math genius, which they pitched
around town. Receiving advice from writer/director/actor Rob
Reiner and screenwriter William Goldman, the two changed the
script around to focus on a young math genius trying to make
his way in the world. This eventually became Good Will
Hunting, which earned both Damon and Affleck Oscars for Best
Original Screenplay and sent their careers into overdrive.
He was also nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor
for the same film (that netted an Oscar for Best Supporting
Actor for co-star Robin Williams. Much of the credit goes to
both executive producer Kevin Smith and Harvey Weinstein,
Miramax Films chairman, to whom Smith gave the screenplay.
He founded Project Greenlight with Affleck to find and fund
worthwhile film projects from novice filmmakers.
Though sometimes seen as typecast in "pretty boy" parts
aimed at the teenage market, Damon has been known to stray
from the mainstream in his choice of roles, such as his
portrayal of homosexual sociopath Tom Ripley in The Talented
Mr. Ripley, and a fallen angel who waxes pop culture as
intellectual subject matter in Dogma, in which he costarred
with Affleck (1999). Damon also played amnesiac spy Jason
Bourne in the successful action movies The Bourne Identity
and The Bourne Supremacy, with a third sequel expected in
2007. |
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Other
Information |
Announced that he and Winona Ryder had broken up. They had
been dating since New Year's Eve 1997. [May 2000]
Played in $10,000 buyin Texas Hold 'Em tournament at the
1998 World Series of Poker (www.wsop.com) in Las Vegas. Lost
during first day of tour.
Chosen by People Magazine as one of the 50 most beautiful
people in the world. [1998]
Dropped 40 pounds for his role as a Gulf War vet in Courage
Under Fire (1996).
His parents divorced when he was two and he spent part of
his childhood in a commune in Boston with his mother, a
specialist in child education.
Dropped out of Harvard 12 credits short of graduating to
pursue his acting career.
To perfect his Southern accent to play the part of Rudy
Baylor in The Rainmaker (1997), he bartended in Knoxville,
Tennessee for free. Later he hired one of the customers to
serve as his dialect coach.
Auditioned for a role in To Die For (1995), Joaquin Phoenix
later got that role.
Audtioned for a role in Primal Fear (1996); Edward Norton
got the role instead. They starred together two years later
in Rounders (1998).
Both he and Ben Affleck worked as extras on the film Field
of Dreams (1989). At one point during the shoot, Matt hopped
on down to Boston's Fenway Park to take some blades of grass
as mementos for his father.
Turned down the lead role in The Quick and the Dead (1995).
Leonardo DiCaprio ended up with the role.
During an appearance on "The Oprah Winfrey Show" (1986), he
announced that he and Minnie Driver broke up, even before
telling her in person, just before the Oscars. Minnie found
out on air.
Turned down the lead role in The Majestic (2001)
When his baby nephew cries he sings "Afternoon Delight" for
him
Was named as one of E!'s "25 Most Eligible Bachelors" in
June, 2002.
While promoting The Bourne Identity (2002) on "The Tonight
Show with Jay Leno" (1992), he mentioned that he was an
extra (along with Ben Affleck) in the film Field of Dreams
(1989).
His grandfather is Finnish
Shaved his head for the movie EuroTrip (2004).
Started a bowling league in Berlin while making The Bourne
Supremacy (2004).
Had a cameo as a waiter in the film The Sum of All Fears
(2002), but it was cut from the final film.
Is the real-life best friend of Ben Affleck. Each has
starred together or had cameos in some of the other's films.
Has starred in 8 movies where the title contains some part
of his character's name in that movie: 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), and The Bourne Supremacy
(2004). One more movie in this style - The Brothers Grimm
(2005) - is still to be released. Also in The Bourne
Ultimatum (2007), the third in the Bourne series, the role
was just announced.
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 Mickey Mouse Club." They were under the impression that
they were going to meet the head of Touchstone Pictures.
His uncle, George Brunstad, swam the English Channel on 29
August 2004 at the age of 70 and he completed the 21 mile
swim in 15 hours and 59 minutes. Thus, making him the new
world record holder as the oldest person to complete the
swim. In the process Mr. Brunstad raised $12,000 for a
Haitian children's group.
Quit smoking after visiting a hypnotist in L.A.
His father was a janitor at Harvard University, and he once
protested for employee rights on his father's behalf.
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).
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.
In 1998, formed Pearl Street Productions, with Ben Affleck
and Chris Moore.
Father Kent Damon was a Realtor and former stockbroker.
Mother Nancy Carlsson-Paige was a college professor. They
divorced in 1973. His brother Kyle was born in 1967, and is
a sculptor.
Lost 30 pounds for his role in the film The Talented Mr.
Ripley (1999).
Learned to play piano for the film The Talented Mr. Ripley
(1999).
Son of Nancy Carlsson-Paige and Kent Damon.
Was considered for the role of Matt Murdock/Daredevil in
_Daredevil (2003)_ . The role eventually went to his best
friend Ben Affleck.
Engaged to Luciana Barroso [September 5, 2005].
One of his first movie roles was a one line part in Mystic
Pizza (1988) starring Julia Roberts. Later, he starred with
Roberts in Ocean's Eleven (2001).
After a notable weight gain for Stuck On You (2003/I), he
lost 22 pounds training for The Bourne Supremacy (2004),
eventually having six pack abs.
One of his first movie roles was a one line part in Mystic
Pizza (1988) starring Julia Roberts. Later he starred with
Roberts in Ocean's Eleven (2001).
Born on the same day as Sigourney Weaver, Kristanna Loken
and Nick Cannon.
Had never made a sequel until he made _Ocean's Twelve_
(2004) and _The Bourne Supremacy_ (2004) in the same year. |
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