Matt Damon

Actor Matt Damon was born in Cambridge on October 8, 1970 to a stock broker and an early childhood education professor. Friends with Ben Afflek, the two had an affinity for Dungeons and Dragons, sports, and movies. He has starred in a number of different films including the famous "Saving Private Ryan" in 1998.

In the Beginning

While America has been hotly debating the amount of money being spent retrieving Matt Damon from various situations, few remember his humble beginnings in Good Will Hunting. Those that do remember may not know that the story predates even that. Matthew Paige Damon was born October 8, 1970 in the town of Cambridge Massachusetts, his father a stock broker, and his mother an early childhood education professor. His parents divorced while he was still young, but  at the age of ten, he met a person that would influence his entire life: Ben Afflek. They lived just two blocks away from one another, and they would play baseball, Dungeons and Dragons, and even attend movies together. In addition to that, they both attended the Cambridge Rindge and Latin School together.

Most Known For

Damon is most known and renowned for his role in the historical movie "Saving Private Ryan" in which he portrayed a soldier in the French theater during World War II. The movie received critical acclaim as well as viewer acclaim.

Where Are They Now

Damon is working on a number of different high profile film projects. Previously he starred in "We Bought a Zoo," and co-starred with John Krasinski in "Promised Land." Additionally, he starred with Michael Douglas in "Behind the Candelabra’ which was released in 2013. Damon has also starred in a number of science fiction movies including "Elysium" and "The Zero Theorem" in 2013. Later on he starred in yet another World War II film, "The Monuments Men" alongside fellow star George Clooney. Along with a number of other projects, Matt Damon starred in the recent thriller "The Martian" which is based upon a book by the same name. It details the struggle of a future astronaut mistakenly left behind on the red planet during an expedition gone wrong. This has led to the now popular joke that America has spent far too much money retrieving Matt Damon from less than ideal situations.

Career Accomplishments

Matt Damon studied at Harvard, majoring in English, but eventually left to pursue his acting career – not surprising considering the interest he showed in it during high school. He starred in some films that would go on to become very popular including Good Will Hunting and The Rainmaker both filmed in 1997. The former of the two film scored an Oscar for Best Original Screenplay. He would later go on to star in popular films including:

• Saving Private Ryan (1998)
• The Talented Mr. Ripley (1999)
• The Bourne Identity (2002)
• The Bourne Supremacy (2004)
• The Bourne Ultimatum (2007)

It should be noted that the Bourne Ultimatum had the largest August opening weekend in movie history, which should have been expected considering the buildup that the series has created over the years. ‘Ultimatum’ opened with an estimated $70.2 million in both the United States and Canada. Damon received the distinction of "Sexiest Man Alive" by People Magazine in 2007, and has appeared in a number of projects including a short music video with Sarah Silverman. Damon has received a number of awards including an Academy Award nomination for the role he played in Invictus, a movie detailing the struggle of Nelson Mandela after his release from prison.