Matt Damon...

Name : Matt Damon

Birth Name : Matthew Paige Damon

Date of Birth : October 8, 1970

Place of Birth : Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA

Nationality : American

Height : 5' 11''

Profession : Actor

Education : High School Cambridge Rindge and Latin;
Harvard University (majored in English; dropped out)

Zodiac : Libra




Matt Damon Trivia

In 2007, won the title "Sexiest Man Alive" by the People's magazine.
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 four.
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.
Announced that he and Minnie Driver broke up during an appearance on the Oprah Show just before the Oscars.
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
One of his first movie roles was a one line part in "Mystic Pizza" starring Julia Roberts. Later he starred with Roberts in Ocean's Eleven.
Shaved his head for the movie Eurotrip.
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 7 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.
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.
Father a Janitor at Havard University, once protested for employee rights on his 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.

Matt Damon Detailed Biography

Matt Damon was born October 8th, 1970 in Cambridge Massachusetts. He, and best friend Ben Affleck began acting at a young age in commercials. They also delighted in signing up to be extras in films being shot in and around Boston. Damon had a privileged upbringing and went on to attend Harvard University where he studied English Literature. However, with a scant twelve credits left, the acting bug completely overtook him and he was off to Los Angeles to pursue a career. Damon had already had some small successes, most notably a role in School Ties, a film which starred several other up-and-comers, Ben Affleck, Chris O'Donnell and Brendan Fraser, but much greater things were to come.

The Hollywood establishment has always been an "old boys" network, and it has never been easy for a young and up and comer to break through to the big time. When it does happens however, the whole world knows about it. In the case of Matt Damon, the hype has been incredible. His breakaway success only began a mere few years ago but he has since gone on to become one of the most influential forces in Hollywood.

Soon after his move to California, Damon landed some important roles in TNT features and made some important friends amongst his costars Gene Hackman, Tommy Lee Jones and Robert Duvall. This all led to Matt being cast in Courage Under Fire as an army officer who is haunted by his memories of the Gulf War. He won accolades for his performance and managed to impress director Francis Ford Coppola enough for him to cast Damon in The Rainmaker.

Damon's role in The Rainmaker really launched his career and made him a household name. Not long after came Good Will Hunting, a movie Damon wrote with Ben Affleck. The two won a Golden Globe and an Oscar for their script, and Damon earned a nomination for Best Actor as well. Obviously, the "old boy" establishment had taken notice.

Since Good Will Hunting, Damon has become one of the most likeable and hardworking actors in Hollywood. Gone are the "stud-muffin" roles of yore, he now has the ability to demand quality work. Matt's career breakthrough came at the perfect time; at the cusp between teen stardom and adult superstardom. He was able to move reliably and safely into a very promising future. A future which has already begun to take shape with quality roles in such films as Rounders and Saving Private Ryan.

In 2007, Matt Damon won the title "Sexiest Man Alive" by the People's magazine.