Birth name
Matthew Paige Damon
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Height
5' 10" (1.78 m)
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Mini biography
Matt Damon was born in 1970. His father, a tax preparer and mother, a college professor, are now divorced. His older brother Kyle (b. 1967), is a sculptor. Matt's first film role was a one-line part in Mystic Pizza (1988). Hollywood's powerbrokers realized his potential as a serious actor when they saw him play a Gulf War vet-turned-heroin addict in Courage Under Fire (1996). One of Matt's closest childhood friends was fellow young thespian Ben Affleck, who starred in Chasing Amy (1997). Damon and Affleck collaborated on the screenplay for Good Will Hunting (1997), in which they co-star.

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Trivia
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 (2001).

Shaved his head for the movie EuroTrip (2004).

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 (1997).

Lost 22 pounds training for The Bourne Supremacy", eventually having six pack abds.