Matt Damon

Matt Damon has built a career on an unusually useful contradiction: he can look completely at home in a crowd while still holding the centre of the frame. That quality has served him across intimate drama, large-scale action, ensemble comedy and science fiction, often allowing him to play capable men whose confidence hides something more complicated. Born in Cambridge, Massachusetts, on October 8, 1970, Damon acted in high-school theatre before attending Harvard University. He left before completing his degree to take a role in Geronimo: An American Legend, but his time at Harvard also helped shape the project that transformed his career. An English-class exercise became the foundation for Good Will Hunting, which Damon developed with his friend and schoolmate Ben Affleck. The pair won the Academy Award for Best Screenplay, while Damon also received a Best Actor nomination for playing Will Hunting. The roles that followed showed how difficult he was to pin down. He played the calculating Tom Ripley in The Talented Mr. Ripley, poker player Mike McDermott in Rounders and the title soldier in Saving Private Ryan. As Linus Caldwell in the Ocean's films, he found comedy in being the least settled member of a very polished crew. As Jason Bourne, beginning with The Bourne Identity, he became a persuasive action lead by keeping the character focused, wary and emotionally contained. Damon has continued to move between leading roles and ensemble work. His credits include The Departed, True Grit, Contagion, Interstellar and Ford v Ferrari. The Martian gave him one of his defining star vehicles as stranded astronaut Mark Watney, earning him a Golden Globe and another Academy Award nomination for Best Actor. He later co-wrote and starred in The Last Duel, played Nike executive Sonny Vaccaro in Air and portrayed Manhattan Project director Leslie Groves in Oppenheimer. That range extends beyond acting. Damon has worked as a screenwriter, producer, television producer and voice actor, making his career less a straight line than a continuing conversation between performance and filmmaking.