Matthew Paige "Matt" Damon (born October 8, 1970) is an American actor, screenwriter and producer. His career was launched with the success of his and Ben Affleck's Academy Award-winning screenplay, Good Will Hunting (1997), for which he also received a number of Best Actor nominations. He is among Forbes magazine's most bankable stars and one of the top-40 highest-grossing actors of all time. In addition to the many awards and nominations Damon has received, such as Academy, Golden Globe and other industry awards, for his work in the film industry—in 2007, Damon received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and was named the Sexiest Man Alive by People magazine.
Damon has become known for his versatility, starring in commercially and critically successful films such as the rogue secret agent Jason Bourne in the first three installments of the Bourne series, the youthful thief Linus Caldwell in the Ocean's Trilogy, the anti-hero in The Talented Mr. Ripley (1999), a fallen angel in Dogma (1999), a morally divided young soldier in Saving Private Ryan (1998), and a conjoined twin in Stuck on You (2003). He won further critical acclaim for his performances in dramas such as Syriana (2005) and The Good Shepherd (2006), as well as for his role as a villain in the crime drama The Departed (2006). Among his critically and commercially unsuccessful films are the romance western All the Pretty Horses and the sports drama The Legend of Bagger Vance (both released in 2000), the fantasy adventure film The Brothers Grimm (2005) and the war thriller Green Zone (2010).
Damon has also performed voice-over work and established several production companies. Damon has been actively involved in charitable work, including the ONE Campaign, H2O Africa Foundation, Feeding America, and Water.org. With his wife, Luciana Bozán Barroso, Damon has three daughters and a stepdaughter from Barroso's prior marriage.