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Trivia
Birth name: Matthew Paige Damon
Date of birth: 8 October 1970
Place of birth: Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
Nickname: Matt
Height: 5' 10" (1.78 m)
Spouse: Luciana Bozan, December 9, 2005
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 tour.
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.
Auditioned 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.
During an appearance on "The Oprah
Winfrey Show" (1986), he announced that he and Minnie Driver broke
up, even before telling her in person, just before the Oscars. Minnie
found out on air.
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
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 8 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.
Also in The Bourne Ultimatum (2007), the third in the Bourne series, the
role was just announced.
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.
His father was a janitor at Harvard
University, and he once protested for employee rights on his father's
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).
After a notable weight gain for Stuck On You
(2003), he lost 22 pounds training for The Bourne Supremacy (2004),
eventually having six pack abs.
In 1998, formed Pearl Street Productions,
with Ben
Affleck and Chris Moore.
Father Kent Damon was a Realtor and former
stockbroker. Mother Nancy Carlsson-Paige was a college professor. They
divorced in 1973. His brother Kyle was born in 1967, and is a sculptor.
Lost 30 pounds for his role in the film The
Talented Mr. Ripley (1999).
Learned to play piano for the film The
Talented Mr. Ripley (1999).
Son of Nancy Carlsson-Paige and Kent Damon.
Was considered for the role of Matt
Murdock/Daredevil in Daredevil (2003) . The role eventually went to his
best friend Ben
Affleck.
Engaged to Luciana Barroso [September 5,
2005].
After a notable weight gain for Stuck On You
(2003/I), he lost 22 pounds training for The Bourne Supremacy (2004),
eventually having six pack abs.
One of his first movie roles was a one line
part in Mystic Pizza (1988) starring Julia
Roberts. Later he starred with Roberts in Ocean's Eleven (2001).
Born on the same day as Sigourney Weaver,
Kristanna Loken and Nick Cannon.
Had never made a sequel until he made
Ocean's Twelve (2004) and The Bourne Supremacy (2004) in the same
year.
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