Matt Damon, Nicolas Genin, Wikimedia Commons
Matt Damon’s full name is Matthew Paige Damon; he goes by the shortened ‘Matt’ in his professional career although he has chosen to stick with his real name unlike many celebrities. It is common for celebrities to use their middle names or a stage name, but Matt Damon has stuck with his given name and become one of the most prominent actors in Hollywood.
Matt Damon was born on the 8th October, 1970 and is currently 49 years of age. He was born in Cambridge, Massachusetts and grew up in a middle class household. Matt Damon doesn’t look his age! His youthful looks are likely owing to many years of eating a healthy diet and regular exercise.
Matt Damon is the son of stockbroker Kent Telfer and Nancy Carlson-Paige, an early childhood education professor at Lesley University. He has a brother Kylie, who is a sculptor and an artist. Damon’s parent divorced when he was two years old and Damon and his brother went to live with his mother where they live in a communal home with six other families.
Matt Damon did not have many friends as a teenager; he attributed this to his mother’s child-rearing choices which made it difficult for him to define a self-identity. He went to Cambridge Alternative School and layer Cambridge Rindge and Latin School and performed well as a student. He took part in a number of theatre productions whilst he was at school. He met a befriended lifelong friend Ben Affleck whilst he was at school. Damon went to Harvard University but left 12 credits shy of completing his degree when he got the lead role in Geronimo: An American Legend.
Matt Damon’s main residence is currently in Las Palisades, Los Angeles but he is currently residing in a luxury Byron Bay residence next door to his friend, Chris Hemsworth. The 5 bedroom, 4 bathrooms home costs $24,000 a month to rent out and include a wraparound deck and heated outdoor pool. Damon and his family will be staying in the home for a number of months.
Matt Damon is approximately 5 feet 9 inches tall, or around 177 cm and he weighs around 84kg. The actor’s weight fluctuates depending on his film commitments. The actor has previously lost dramatic amounts of weights for roles such as Courage Under Fire, which involved Damon eating only chicken for 90 days, which left him in danger of causing permanent damage to his heart.
Matt Damon was born in the United States and is an American citizen. His father has English and Scottish heritage and his mother has Finnish and Swedish ancestry. His mother’s surname was originally “Pajari” but was later changed to “Paige”.
Matt Damon has not talked publicly about his religious affiliations, but has made comments that seem to suggest he is agnostic or atheist. He has expressed a belief in evolution so he is at the least not a Creationist. Damon’s family roots are mostly Protestant, so it’s possible that he has had experiences with Christianity.
Matt Damon is famous for being an American actor, film producer and screenwriter. He is one of the most bankable stars in Hollywood. He is one of the highest grossing actors in the industry. He has received a number of awards during his career including five Academy Award nominations and eight Golden Globe Award nominations ; he has won two Golden Globes. He has also been nominated for seven Emmy Awards. His career has spanned more than 25 years.
Matt Damon performed in a number of theatre productions during high school and university. His first film role was a single line in the rom-com Mystic Pizza. He also had a number of minor roles in films like Rising Son and School Ties. He left university early when he got a role in Geronimo: An American Legend. He next appeared in Courage Under Fire, which he lost 18kg’s for.
Matt Damon’s breakthrough role came when he appeared in Good Will Hunting. Damon wrote the screenplay with the help of Rob Reiner and William Goldman. Damon asked Affleck to appear in the film with him. The film did very well, and Damon received a lot of critical acclaim for his role in the film. The film received nine Golden Globe Award nominations and earned Damon $600,000.The film led to the overnight success of Damon and quickly changed his life. He next made an appearance in The Rainmaker and gained back most of the weight he lost for Courage Under Fire. In 1998 he got a role in Saving Private Ryan and then appeared in The Talented Mr Ripley. He had a number of other notable appearances including Dogma during the 90s.
After securing his status as a leading man in Hollywood, Damon went on to get a role in the Ocean’s Trilogy and the Bourne franchise. He also appeared in film such as Stuck on You, The Good Shepherd, The New Republic, Arthur, True Grit, We Bought a Zoo, Elysium, The Martian and The Great Wall. He won a Golden Globe for his role in The Martian.
Matt Damon’s estimated net worth is approximately $160 million, much of his income has been earned from his film roles and producer work. His filmed have earned impressive profits over the years. Damon has earned pay checks of up to $55 million for his film appearances. His breakthrough role in Good Will Hunting earned him $600,000 but this had increased to $5 million by the time he appeared in The Talented Mr Ripley. Matt Damon’s highest grossing film was the 2014 film Interstellar.
Matt Damon is married to Argentinian actress Luciana Bozán Barroso who he met in 2003 on the set of Stuck on You in Miami. The couple got engaged in 2005 and were married in a private ceremony in 2005 at the Manhattan Marriage Bureau.
Matt Damon has previously been linked to Skyla Satenstein, whom he dated between 1988 and 1989, Minnie Driver, who he dated between 1997 and 1998, actress Winona Ryder who he dated from 1997 to 2000, Kara Sands who he dated briefly in 2000, Odessa Whitmire who he dated from 2001 to 2003 and Rhonda Mitra who he dated in 2003.
Matt Damon has four daughters with Alexia Barroso, a step-daighter from Barroso’s previous marriage, and daughters Isabella (born in 2006), Gia Zavla (born in 2008) and Stella Zavala (born in 2010).
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