Matt Damon is an American actor, film producer, and writer born on October 8, 1970. He’s been recognized as one of Forbes’ top stars for his bankability and has been one of the highest-grossing actors. Damon has won several awards, including an Academy Award and two Golden Globe Awards, and has been nominated for British Academy Film Awards and Primetime Emmy Awards.
Damon started his acting journey in the movie Mystic Pizza in 1988. His breakthrough came in 1997 when he co-wrote and starred in Good Will Hunting with Ben Affleck, winning them an Academy Award and a Golden Globe for Best Screenplay. He became a leading actor with roles like Tom Ripley in The Talented Mr. Ripley, Jason Bourne in the Bourne series, and Linus Caldwell in the Ocean’s trilogy.
Damon’s notable performances include “Saving Private Ryan,” “Syriana,” “The Departed,” “The Informant!,” “Invictus,” “True Grit,” “Contagion,” “Ford v Ferrari,” “Stillwater,” “The Last Duel,” “Air,” and “Oppenheimer,” his highest-grossing film to date. He won a Golden Globe for Best Actor as a stranded astronaut in “The Martian.”
On television, Matt Damon played Scott Thorson in HBO’s “Behind the Candelabra,” earning a Primetime Emmy Award nomination. He appeared on “30 Rock” in 2011 and “Saturday Night Live” in 2019. Damon also produced Project Greenlight and the film Manchester by the Sea. Alongside Affleck, he co-founded two production companies, Artists Equity and Pearl Street Films. Damon is actively involved in charitable efforts with organizations such as the One Campaign, H2O Africa Foundation, Feeding America, and Water.org.
| Full Name | Matt Damon |
| Date of Birth | October 8, 1970 |
| Place of Birth | Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA |
| Occupation | Actor, Producer, Screenwriter |
| Height | 5′ 10″ (178 cm) |
| Spouse | Luciana Barroso (m. 2005) |
| Children | Isabella, Gia, Stella, and Alexia |
| Net Worth | $170 million |
Matt Damon’s Early Life and Education
Matt Damon was born in Cambridge Massachusetts on October 8, 1970. His dad Kent Telfer Damon was a stockbroker and his mom Nancy Carlsson-Paige taught early childhood education at Lesley University. His ancestry includes English Scottish Finnish and Swedish roots. After his parents split when he was two Damon and his brother moved with their mom back to Cambridge living in a communal house.
Growing up, Damon attended Cambridge Alternative School and Cambridge Rindge and Latin School where he did well academically and acted in school plays. His drama teacher Gerry Speca greatly impacted him even though he humorously noted that Speca gave his close friend Ben Affleck the juicier roles.
He started at Harvard University in 1988 but left before finishing his degree to star in the movie “Geronimo: An American Legend.” During his time at Harvard Damon wrote an essay that later became the basis for the screenplay “Good Will Hunting” for which he won an Academy Award. He was also part of the Delphic Club a prestigious Final Club at Harvard and in 2013 he received the Harvard Arts Medal.
Career
Matt Damon started his journey at Harvard in 1988 where he acted in student plays like Burn This and A… My Name is Alice. He made his movie debut at 18 in “Mystic Pizza” with just one line. While at Harvard he took small roles in films like “Rising Son” and “School Ties”. Damon left Harvard in 1992 a semester short of his English degree to pursue acting in Los Angeles. He hoped his first major film “Geronimo: An American Legend” would be a hit but it didn’t go as planned.
In the early 1990s, Matt Damon and Ben Affleck wrote Good Will Hunting inspired by a screenplay Damon had started at Harvard. They sold it to Miramax after a dispute with another company. The film partly set in their hometown Cambridge earned praise and multiple Oscar nominations. Damon and Affleck won awards for Best Screenplay.
Despite this success, Damon said his rise to fame felt sudden even though he’d been acting for over a decade. Before “Good Will Hunting” he starred in films like “Courage Under Fire” and “The Rainmaker” gaining attention for his roles. After seeing his work in “Good Will Hunting”, Director Steven Spielberg cast him in Saving Private Ryan.
Matt Damon continued to build his career in various genres. He played Tom Ripley in “The Talented,” Mr. Ripley, and a Fallen Angel in “Dogma”. In 2000, he co-founded LivePlanet to support new filmmakers through Project Greenlight. He also appeared in the Ocean’s Trilogy and the Bourne series establishing himself as both a leading man and a producer.
His roles in films like “The Bourne Identity” and its sequels cemented his reputation as an action star. Damon’s career also included voice work in animated films and appearances in projects like “Syriana” and “The Departed” which won an Academy Award for Best Picture.
By 2007, Damon was one of Hollywood’s most reliable stars known for his box-office success. His films including “Ocean’s Thirteen” and “The Bourne Ultimatum” continued to perform well. Despite turning down a role in “Avatar” which later became a blockbuster Damon’s career remained strong marked by diverse roles and critical acclaim.
Matt Damon’s career has spanned a wide range of roles and projects. In 2009, he appeared on the TV show “Entourage” urging Vincent Chase to support his charity ONEXONE. He also starred in Steven Soderbergh’s film “The Informant!” earning a Golden Globe nomination for his role as a character with hidden complexities. Damon portrayed François Pienaar in “Invictus” directed by Clint Eastwood and voiced a character in the animated film “Ponyo”.
In 2010, Matt Damon and Ben Affleck started Pearl Street Films. He reunited with director Paul Greengrass for the movie “Green Zone” and made appearances on shows like “Arthur” and “30 Rock”. Damon’s projects in 2010 included Clint Eastwood’s Hereafter and the Coen brothers’ remake of “True Grit”. He narrated the documentary “Inside Job” examining the financial crisis.
The following year, Damon starred in “The Adjustment,” “Bureau,” “Contagion,” and “We Bought a Zoo”. He also narrated the documentary “American Teacher” and voiced a character in “Happy Feet Two”. Damon became the voice of TD Ameritrade’s advertisements in 2012 donating his fees to charity. He later starred in “Promised Land” and “Behind the Candelabra” a biopic about Liberace.
Damon’s roles continued with the sci-fi films “Elysium” and “The Zero Theorem” in 2013. He appeared in commercials for Nespresso and United Airlines and starred in “The Monuments Men” and “Interstellar” in 2014. Damon won a Golden Globe for his role in “The Martian” in 2015 and reprised his role in the “Bourne series” in 2016.
In 2017, Matt Damon starred in “The Great Wall,” “Suburbicon,” and “Downsizing”. He portrayed Brett Kavanaugh on “Saturday Night Live” in 2018 and played Carroll Shelby in “Ford v Ferrari” in 2019. His films have collectively earned over $3.88 billion at the North American box office as of 2021.
Recently, Damon starred in “Stillwater” playing an Oklahoma oil rig worker, and co-wrote and starred in “The Last Duel” based on medieval history. In 2023, he portrayed Nike executive Sonny Vaccaro in “Air” and Leslie Groves in “Oppenheimer” directed by Christopher Nolan.
Net Worth
Matt Damon has an estimated net worth of $170 Million, according to Celebrity Net Worth. The main source of Matt Damon’s net worth comes from his successful career in acting, where he has starred in numerous blockbuster films. Acting roles in major movies like “the Jason Bourne series,” “Good Will Hunting,” (which he co-wrote and starred in), “The Martian,” and “Ocean’s Eleven” have contributed significantly to his wealth.
Additionally, Damon has earned income from producing films through his production company, Pearl Street Films. His involvement in endorsements and investments in various business ventures also add to his overall net worth.
Personal life
Matt Damon met his wife Luciana Barroso while filming a movie in Miami in April 2003. They got engaged in September 2005 and married in a private ceremony in New York City on December 9, 2005. They have three daughters together born in June 2006, August 2008, and October 2010. Matt also considers Luciana’s daughter from a previous marriage as his own.
The family has lived in Miami New York City and since 2012 they’ve been in Los Angeles. In 2018, Matt bought a penthouse in Brooklyn Heights for $16.5 million.
Matt Damon is a big fan of the Boston Red Sox. He even narrated a DVD about their 2007 World Series win. He’s also played in some World Series of Poker events including the main event in 2010.
Politically Damon supports the Democratic Party and has been vocal about social issues. He criticized the Iraq War’s impact on different socioeconomic groups on TV in 2006. Damon has worked closely with the Obama administration through his friendship with Jason Furman who served in the administration. In 2012, he helped host a fundraiser for Elizabeth Warren’s Senate campaign.
In late 2017, Damon faced criticism for his comments on the Me-Too movement. He clarified that he supported it but also suggested a nuanced approach to assessing misconduct allegations which drew mixed reactions.
In March 2018, Matt Damon and Ben Affleck announced they would include inclusion riders in their production deals to promote diversity.
In a 2021 interview, Damon stirred controversy by mentioning he recently stopped using a certain slur prompting a response from his daughter about the word’s impact on LGBTQ+ communities. He later apologized for his remarks.
Philanthropy
Matt Damon along with George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Don Cheadle, David Pressman, and Jerry Weintraub co-founded the Not On Our Watch Project. This organization works to raise awareness and resources to prevent large-scale tragedies like the crisis in Darfur. Damon also supports the One Campaign which fights AIDS and poverty in developing countries through advertisements in print and on TV.
He serves as an ambassador for ONEXONE a nonprofit that improves children’s lives in Canada the US and worldwide. Damon advocates for Feeding America addressing hunger and sits on their Entertainment Council for public service announcements.
Matt Damon is involved with Tonic Mailstopper (now GreenDimes) working to reduce junk mail in American homes. He founded the H2O Africa Foundation later merging it with WaterPartners to form Water.org. This organization collaborates with businesses to provide clean water and sanitation in developing nations.
In 2011, Water.org received an $8 million grant from the PepsiCo Foundation to expand WaterCredit in India. Damon has supported this initiative working with brands like Aquafina and Ethos Water. He has also partnered with Stella Artois to promote Water.org through special editions of their “blue chalice” glasses and TV advertisements during major events like the Super Bowl.
Recently Matt Damon partnered with Crypto.com which donated $1 million to Water.org. He pledged all earnings from promoting Crypto.com to the organization. Despite the initiative receiving mixed reactions Damon remains committed to supporting causes like clean water access globally.
