Matt Damon began his film career starting way back in 1988 in the sleeper
"Mystic Pizza" (try to find him). He and close friend Ben Affleck
starred in "School Ties", but his break came when he starred with
Meg Ryan and Denzel Washington in "Courage Under Fire".
Matt plays Private Ryan in the recently released "Saving
Private Ryan" which opened 24 July 1998 by DreamWorks. A must
see movie.
In a television interview on 'Oprah', Matt told of crash dieting
to lose 40 pounds to make his role of the drug addicted Persian Gulf War
veteran more realistic. He had nearly ruined his health and will be under
medication for some time for damage done to his adrenal glands.
After "Courage Under Fire" he was chosen by Francis Ford Coppola
to play the young crusading lawyer in the John Grisham courtroom drama,
"The Rainmaker".
It was in "Courage Under Fire" that he was noticed by Steven
Spielberg who thought of him for the role of Private Ryan. He then decided
against it thinking Damon was too thin. As luck would have it, Damon was
in Boston filming "Good Will Hunting" at the same time that Spielberg
was shooting "Amistad". Robin Williams invited Damon to have lunch
with he and Spielberg. It was during lunch that Spielberg had seen that
Matt had gained back his weight and offered him the role.
Next Role? All the Pretty Horses
by Columbia may be Damon's next starring role or so both Variety
and Hollywood Reporter report on 15 April 1998. Directed by Billy
Bob Thornton, the project is expected to get underway late 1998 or early
1999 following Damon's work in Anthony Minghella's "The Talented Mr.
Ripley" for Paramount and Miramax.. The role under consideration is
that of a teenage Texan who rides into Mexico in 1949 with a buddy. He
falls for the daughter of a wealthy ranch owner and is thrown into
a Mexican prison. Based on the novel. Previous reports had indicated that
Leonardo DiCaprio was being considered for the part.
Good Will Hunting - The movie
"Good Will Hunting" was co-written
by Matt and his good friend Ben Affleck. They basically wrote the script
for themselves since at the time things just weren't happening for them
in Hollywood. They received a Golden Globe Award and an Oscar Award for
best screenplay. They co-star in the movie along with Robin Williams and
Minnie Driver. Matt plays Will Hunting and received an Oscar nomination
for actor in a leading role.
Saving Private Ryan - Matt
plays paratrooper James Ryan in this World War II drama, Saving
Private Ryan, that also stars Tom Hanks. Hanks plays Captain
John Miller, who leads a squad of U.S. Army soldiers behind enemy lines
to find paratrooper James Ryan. Ryan is the youngest of four brothers and
the last survivor. The others having been killed within days of one another.
People in Washington, aware of the significant loss the boys' mother has
endured, order Hanks' squad to bring her last remaining son back alive.
The film was shot on location in England.
Dogma - In the upcoming movie
"Dogma", Matt will portray the angel of
death, Loki, in this comedy about the great-grandniece of Jesus Christ
who pairs up with two angels to save humanity and order in the universe.
Rounders - Mike, played by
Matt, is a master card player who turns his life around and begins law
school and a relationship with his girlfriend, played by Gretchen Mol.
But Mike misses the excitement of the backroom poker games. His longtime
friend Worm, played by Edward norton, is released from prison. Mike must
decide between the straight new life and a return to the highstakes life.
Rounders is set in New York.
The Talented Mr. Ripley -
Matt plays a charming but conniving young man who envies the life of his
wealthy playboy friend Dickie Greenleaf (Jude Law). He conspires to murder
him and assume his identity. The
Talented Mr. Ripley begins shooting in May 1998.
Planet Ice - One of the voices
in Planet Ice, Matt will be
heard in this Fox Family Film. It is a futuristic animated story where
Earth has been destroyed by an alien attack. A young man then tries to
save mankind through the help of a mysterious treasure map that he has
been given.
Bio
Matt Damon
October 8, 1970
Cambridge, MA
Libra
Nominations
1998 - Oscar Actor in a Leading Role - nominee,
Matt Damon portrays Will Hunting in Good Will Hunting.
Awards
1998 - Oscar Best Screenplay - Winner, Ben Affleck/Matt
Damon, Good Will Hunting
1998 - Golden Globe Best Screenplay: Ben
Affleck/Matt Damon, Good Will Hunting
Films
1998 Saving Private Ryan --------- as Private
James Ryan
1998 Dogma -------------------------- as Loki
1997 Good Will Hunting ---------- as Will Hunting
1997 The Rainmaker --------------- as Rudy Baylor
1997 Chasing Amy ---------------- as Exec #2
1996 Glory Daze -------------------- as Edgar Pudwhacker
1996 Courage Under Fire --------- as Specialist Ilario
1993 Geronimo: An American Legend --- as Lt. Britton
Davis
1992 School Ties ------------------ as Charlie Dillon
1988 The Good Mother ---------- as an extra, uncredited
1988 Mystic Pizza ----------------- as Steamer
TV
1996 Good Old Boys ------------- as Cotton Calloway
1990 Rising Son ------------------- as Charlie Robinson
Send business-sized, self-addressed, stamped envelope to:
Matt Damon
c/o Creative Artists Agency
9830 Wilshire Blvd.
Beverly Hills, CA 90212
"Saving Private Ryan"
- 24 July 1998 release by DreamWorks starring Tom
Hanks, Matt Damon, Tom Sizemore, Edward J. Burns, Jeremy Davies, Vin
Diesel, Adam Goldberg, Barry Pepper, Giovanni Ribisi, Max Martini, Leland
Orser, Harve Presnell.. Filmed in England, Ireland and France.
"Dogma" - 1998 release
with Linda Florentino, Ben Affleck, Matt Damon,
Alan Rickman, Chris Rock, Salma Hayek. It is the story of a woman who is
picked by two renegade angels to save humanity. Miramax Films.
"Rounders" - 14 August
1998 release with Matt Damon, Edward Norton, Martin Landau, John
Malkovich, John Turturro, Gretchen Mol, Vernon D. Jordan Jr., Melina
Kanakaredes. Drama by Miramax Films.
"Planet Ice" - 1999
release, an animated, science fiction film from 20th Century Fox. Matt
Damon is the voice of Cale. Others lending their voices are Hank Azaria,
Drew Barrymore, Jim Breuer, Nathan Lane,
Lena Olin, and Bill Pullman.
"The Talented Mr. Ripley"
- 1999 release from Miramax. Cast: Matt Damon, Gwyneth
Paltrow, Jude Law, Cate Blanchett. Based on the Patricia Highsmith
novel, Matt's role was played by Delon in the 1960 release "Purple Noon."
Shooting begins May 1998 in Rome, Venice, Naples, Italy.
"Training Day" - 1999 release from Fox Family Film with
Matt Damon and Samuel L. Jackson.
"All the Pretty Horses" - 1999 release from Columbia
Pictures and Miramax Films. Directed by Billy Bob Thornton. Adaptation
of Cormac McCarthy's novel. The project is expected to get underway late
1998 or early 1999 following Damon's work in Anthony Minghella's "The
Talented Mr. Ripley" for Paramount and Miramax.. The role under consideration
is that of a teenage Texan who rides into Mexico in 1949 with a buddy.
He falls for the daughter of a wealthy ranch owner and is thrown
into a Mexican prison. Based on the novel. Previous reports had indicated
that Leonardo DiCaprio was being considered for the part.
"Matt
Damon : A Biography"
by Na, Maxine Diamond
Mass Market Paperback (July 1998)
Click on cover at right for larger image.
CLick on this link for more information including reviews
and commentary.
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"Golden
Boy : The Matt Damon Story"
by Kristen Busch available through Amazon.com.
Pulished May 1998.
Click on cover at right for larger image.
CLick on this link for more information including reviews
and commentary.
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"Ben
Affleck and Matt Damon; On and Off Screen"
by Sheryl Altman
Paperback - 128 pages (July 1998)
Available through Amazon.com.
Click on this link for more information including reviews
and commentary. |
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Rainmaker - Film review by Michael
Maynez
Good Will Hunting - Film
review by Michael Maynez
Movies Future - Upcoming movies,
release dates, and official links to their web sites.
Movies Past - Links to the official
movie web sites for past movies.
People Index - List of actors with their profiles. |
