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Matt Damon
Matthew Paige Damon was born on October 8, 1970 in Cambridge, Massachusetts, to Kent and Nancy Damon (a tax preparer and college professor, respectively). The second of the two Damon sons, Matt had a very enjoyable childhood in his Cambridge home. One of the reasons his childhood was so enjoyable was his close friendship with Ben Affleck, who was two years his younger. The two met when Ben moved into the neighborhood during 1980, and remained friends throughout their childhood years in Cambridge.

Matt was the ideal high school student while attending Cambridge Ridge and Latin School. Matt did very well academically, and was immensely popular with his peers, especially the girls. In addition, it was during his high school years that Matt first got into acting. Matt was constantly involved with the drama department there, and as early as the age of 16 Matt was eager to get into professional acting. Shortly before graduating from high school Matt appeared in his first role, a one-liner in "Mystic Pizza", which starred Julia Roberts, who was also relatively unknown at the time. Matt would spend the next three years at Harvard, where he was in the process of earning an English major. It was during this time that he wrote what would eventually turn into the screenplay for "Good Will Hunting". (This was for a class project!) During this time he also starred in his first major role, "School Ties", a 1992 film which also starred his good friend Ben Affleck. Having already caught the acting bug, Matt decided to drop out of Harvard, despite only being a few credits away from earning his degree.

Matt moved to Los Angeles, where he struggled to find anything for a short amount of time. However, Matt eventually landed a role in "Geronimo: An American Legend", which also starred Jason Patric, Gene Hackman, and Robert Duvall. While the film didn't make Matt an overnight star, it did help him land a major role in "Courage Under Fire" a few years later in 1996. In the film Matt played a heroin-addicted soldier. He deliberately lost nearly 40 pounds to better portray the character. The move helped get Matt's acclaimed performance noticed even more, but at the same time made him very sick for quite a while.

Soon afterwards Matt landed the lead role in "The Rainmaker", the latest big screen adaptation of a John Grisham novel, which was to be directed by Francis Ford Coppola. Like Matthew McConaughey before him, just receiving the role put Matt into the media spotlight immediately. Soon after Matt received the part in "The Rainmaker", Miramax quickly green-lighted "Good Will Hunting", the script they had just bought from Matt and Ben Affleck (with a little convincing from independent director Kevin Smith). The script became such a hot property in Hollywood that it landed big-time independent director Gus Van Sant, and Robin Williams, for a supporting role. It even out-hyped "The Rainmaker" by the time the film hit screens in November 1997. "Good Will Hunting" was released two months later. It became an instant phenomenon, making almost every top 10 list around the country. In the process, it grossed $138.3 million, despite going up against "Titanic" during its prime. Ultimately the film was nominated for Best Picture, earned Matt Academy Award and Golden Globe nominations for Best Actor, and won both him and Ben a Golden Globe and an Oscar for Best Screenplay.

When all was said and done, Matt proved that he was here to stay. He was now one of Hollywood's biggest stars. In the summer of 1998, Matt starred in Steven Spielberg's World War II drama, "Saving Private Ryan". In addition to vast critical acclaim, the film was also the top grosser of the year, taking in $215.4 million at the box office. In September of that year, Matt starred in "Rounders" with Edward Norton, a film about an underground poker ring. The film opened in the top position at the box office, but ultimately proved to be a box office dud, grossing only $22.9 million. Matt will next star in "Dogma", Kevin Smith's long-awaited and long-delayed satire on Christianity, alongside Ben Affleck as a cast-out angel trying to get back into heaven. The film is currently scheduled for release November 12. It is sure to create controversy as its release gets nearer.

Matt will also star in "The Talented Mr. Ripley" alongside Gwyneth Paltrow (due for release in January 2000), and in "Titan A.E.", a futuristic computer-animated film set for release next summer. In this film, Matt will voice the main character, Cale.

Matt is currently seeing actress Winona Ryder. In the past he has been in relationships with his co-star from "The Rainmaker", actress Claire Danes, and Minnie Driver, whom he starred with in "Good Will Hunting".

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Page Updated Sun Jan 28, 2001 7:50pm EST