March 22, 2009

Matt Damon- October 8th, 1970

Matthew Paige Damon was born on October 8th, 1970, in Boston Massachusetts. His mother, Nancy Carlsson-Paige, a college professor, and his father, Kent Damon, a tax preparer, are now divorced. Matt's older brother, Kyle, is a sculpor.

Damon's first film role was a one-line part in Mystic Pizza (1988). His full potential as a serious actor was realized by Hollywood power brokers when Damon became a Gulf War vet-turned-heroin addict in Courage Under Fire (1996). With his childhood friend and fellow actor, Ben Affleck, they created the screenplay for the popular film Good Will Hunting, in which they co-star.

Now a well known actor in Hollywood and across the world, Matt Damon has stared and will continue to star in many successful films. Some of his most successful films are the Bourne series which includes The Bourne Identity, The Bourne Supremacy, and The Bourne Ultimatum. Theses are all based on the popular novels by author Robert Ludlum. Matt is also set to star in another Bourne film which is untitled.

Another one of Damon's more recent successes is his role in the, 2006, Martin Scorsese film The Departed where he co-stared with Leonardo Dicaprio and Jack Nicholson, two big actors in the industry.

Damon is married and has two daughters and one step-daughter.

Matt Damon is a very modest actor and even wanted to turn down the award of People's Sexiest Man Alive for 2007. Here is what he said in the letter to People magazine:

First off, I must say I was floored when I heard you guys voted me the Sexiest Man Alive for 2007. I guess all the campaigning finally paid off. Ditching Clooney as a campaign manager and going with Brad for the final push was an emotional decision, but I knew it was going to be tight and the youth vote was going to make or break me. So, thanks for making my political calculus look so sound.

Unfortunately, after all those years out on the trail, the meet and greets, the fund-raisers, the stump speeches, I've finally come to terms with the fact that this is a mantle I wasn't meant to hold. The main problem for me in accepting an award like this is that when I do interviews they are to promote a project I'm involved with. So if the questions get too personal, I can always say, "Sorry, I'll pass on that one, I'd rather talk about Bourne 18: Jason Meets Freddy," or whatever.

This interview would be to promote, well, me. And as shameless a self-promoter as I am, invariably the questions will turn toward things like fatherhood, and although this is my favorite topic in private (in fact, I rarely shut up about it), it would mean some extra unwanted attention on my little ones. I'm really trying to give them as little of the celebrity stuff as I can.

So ultimately, I think you wouldn't get as good an issue as you might with someone else. I mean, who the hell wants to read an exposé about some guarded actor who didn't get the memo and keeps refusing to answer really basic questions?

The point is, if you agree to participate in something like this then you have to have some fun with it and I just don't think I'd be much fun.

Don't get me wrong, though. I was really shocked and happy (Lucy said I actually blushed) when I heard the news. So I can't thank you enough for that.

You gave an aging suburban dad the ego boost of a lifetime. My 9-year-old step­daughter now thinks I'm cool – well, cooler – and although the rest of the world will remain in the dark about this, my wife now knows she's married to almost the sexiest guy alive. And that fact alone may get me out of doing the dishes once in a while . . .

See you down the road,

MATTY

As you can clearly see from this letter, Matt Damon is a great guy and one of the best actors in Hollywood. Many people will be pleased to see great work from him in the future.