Name: Matt Damon
Profession: Actor, Producer
Birth Date: October 8, 1970
Height: 5’ 10”
Matt Damon was born in Cambridge, Mass. In addition to his parents, Kent and Nancy, Damon also has a brother named Kyle.
Damon was active in theatre while attending Cambridge Rindge & Latin High School with his childhood friend Ben Affleck. After his high school graduation, he attended Harvard University, only to quit and pursue acting when he was just 12 units shy of an English degree.
Damon made his acting debut with a one-line part in the 1998 movie "Mystic Pizza" with Julia Roberts. He later moved to Los Angeles, where he roomed with Affleck and Affleck's brother, Casey.
In 1992, Damon appeared in the feature "School Ties" with Affleck, Brendan Fraser and Chris O'Donnell. Four years later, he landed his first notable role, starring as a Gulf War vet addicted to heroine in "Courage Under Fire." For the film, in which he starred alongside Meg Ryan and Denzel Washington, Damon lost 40 pounds in 100 days.
In 1997, Damon landed his first major feature starring role, appearing as a crusading lawyer in John Grisham's "The Rainmaker."
While auditioning for roles at the start of his career, Damon and Affleck were co-writing what eventually became "Good Will Hunting." They sold the rights to Miramax in 1994 for $600,000 and the film was released shortly after "The Rainmaker." With the childhood pals also starring in the film, "Good Will Hunting" would launch each of them into stardom. The film garnered nine Oscar nominations, including two for Damon. While he lost in the Best Actor category to Jack Nicholson, Damon and Affleck won the Oscar for Best Screenplay.
On the heels of "Good Will’s" success, Damon became one of Hollywood’s top stars. He appeared in such films as "Saving Private Ryan" and "The Talented Mr. Ripley."
In 2001, he found further success on the big screen when he joined George Clooney, Brad Pitt and Roberts in "Ocean's Eleven." The film’s success spawned the sequels "Ocean’s Twelve" and "Ocean’s Thirteen."
In 2002, Damon discovered another successful franchise when he began playing an action hero with amnesia in "The Bourne Identity." He continued his role in the sequels "The Bourne Supremacy" and "The Bourne Ultimatum."
In 2004, Damon returned to the stage for the first time since college, appearing with Casey Affleck in the London production "This Is Our Youth."
Damon would have another big year in 2006, first starring as a gangster in "The Departed," alongside an all-star cast that included Jack Nicholson, Leonardo DiCaprio and Mark Wahlberg. He followed by appearing with Angelina Jolie in Robert DeNiro’s "The Good Shepherd."
Damon has been actively involved in several charitable organizations over the years, including the ONE Campaign and H2O Africa Foundation.
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