Recognized as one of the world’s highest paid actors in 2017 by Forbes Magazine, Matt Damon is a household name in Hollywood and beyond. The star is an American actor, film producer, screenwriter and philanthropist. He is notably one of the highest-grossing actors of all time with an estimated net worth that would make you take a double take.
He has countless accolades and recognition, including five Oscar nominations, two Golden Globe Awards from eight, and has been nominated for two British Academy Film Awards and six Emmy Awards.
Matt Damon Facts
Born October 8, 1970, in Boston, Massachusetts, to Kent Damon, a stockbroker, real estate agent, and tax preparer, and Nancy Carlsson-Paige, an early childhood education teacher at Lesley University, Matt was one of the lucky children who grew up in a stable community and was raised close to actor Ben Affleck..
His parents divorced when he was just two, and Matt and his brother moved back with their mother from Newton (where they had settled) to Cambridge, where they lived in a six-family house.
He attended Cambridge Alternative School (now Graham and Parks) and went on to Cambridge Rindge and Latin School. In high school, Matt starred in several theater productions, although Ben Affleck, his good friend and classmate, had the “greatest roles and longest speeches” of the time.
Matt credits acting teacher Gerry Speca as an important artistic influence in his life. After high school, he attended Harvard University, where he was part of the class of 1992. However, due to his role in the film Geronimo: An American Legend, he left before receiving his degree.
While at Harvard, he wrote an early treatment of the screenplay for Good Will Hunting as an exercise for an English class. He was later rewarded with an Academy Award for the screenplay in 1998. This award was presented to him by a Harvard alumnus, Jack Lemmon, who had also been a member of Harvard’s Delphic Club alongside Matt.
A few years later, Matt became one of the most sought-after actors in the world, landing major roles in blockbuster movies. Some of his most popular roles include – as Jason Bourne in the Bourne franchise (2002-2016) and as a hustler in the Ocean ‘s Trilogy (2001-07). He is also recognized for his role as a supporter of rugby player François Pienaar in Invictus (2009) and his main role as an astronaut stranded on Mars The Martian (2015), he was nominated for the Oscars for best supporting role and best actor , respectively. The latter also won him the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor.
His portrayal of Scott Thorson in the biopic Behind the Candelabra (2013) also earned him Emmy nominations as well as producing for the reality series Project Green Light. He received an Oscar nomination for producing Manchester by the Sea.
Acting isn’t Matt’s only forte as he’s done voice-over work in both animated films and documentaries and set up two production companies with Affleck. He has also been involved in charities including the ONE Campaign, H2O Africa Foundation, Feeding America and Water.org.
Matt Damon’s family, divorce, brother
Matt has an older brother, Kyle who is a professional sculptor and artist. Her family lived in Newton until her parents divorced in 1973 and went their separate ways. Subsequently, Matt and his brother moved with his mother to Cambridge where she single-handedly raised the two boys.
Matt Damon’s wife and children
The actor is married to Argentine Luciana Bozán Barroso and they have three daughters together. The couple met in April 2003 while Matt was filming Stuck in Miami. They got engaged in September 2005 and had the private civil ceremony on December 9 of that year at the Manhattan Marriage Bureau.
Their marriage is blessed with three daughters: Isabella Damon was born in June 2006, Gia Zavala Damon, was born in August 2008 and Stella Zavala Damon was born in October 2010. He also has a daughter-in-law, Alexia Barroso and Luciana Barroso, born in 1998 from her previous marriage. Matt Damon and his family have lived in Pacific Palisades, Los Angeles since 2012.
Although there may be rumors of an imminent threat of divorce in Matt’s marriage, the couple seems to be going stronger than before. Apparently, his policy of always putting his family before filming works well for him and his wife.
Matt Damon’s Height, Net Worth
Being an accomplished star in Hollywood comes with a hefty check, so it’s no surprise that Matt’s estimated net worth is $160 million. In fact, he is listed among Forbes magazine’s most bankable stars and is one of the highest paid actors of all time.
He stands tall at 1.78m.
