Actor Files: Matt Damon

Thanks in no small part to 'Team America', for a good ten years I have been unable to hear this man's name without repeating "Maaaaatt Daaaaamon" like a mongoloid. However, I feel it's time to offer my respects to what has been one of my favourite actors for some years now.

After a few memorable cameos (see: 'Courage Under Fire') Mr. Damon's first big break came when he wrote and starred in the brilliant, and one of my all-time favourites, 'Good Will Hunting' which garnered him and boyhood friend Ben Affleck an Academy Award for best original screenplay. From there, Hollywood mega stardom followed.

"Some people get into this business and they're so afraid to lose anything. They try to protect their position like clinging to a beachhead. These actors end up making really safe choices. I never wanted to go that route. If I go down, I'm going down swinging."

Damon next starred in Spielberg's 'Saving Private Ryan', the criminally underrated 'Rounders' and 'The Talented Mr. Ripley'. All great films and not your typical Hollywood-star fodder. Then came of course the 'Ocean's Eleven' and 'Bourne' series'. When I first saw 'The Bourne Identity' I was skeptical but ended up very pleasantly surprised. In fact I can't really put it better than Paul Rudd's character in the 40 year-old virgin: "I always thought of Matt Damon as a bit of a Streisand, but he's really rocking the shit in this one".

Along with the undoubted success of those films, he also offered stellar performances in films like 'Syriana', 'The Good Shepherd', 'The Informant', and 'True Grit' (which I absolutely loathed. His performance, however, was the one good thing about that film. Ten Oscar nominations? Ten?! F**k right off.) Then came a long overdue Academy Award nomination for his portrayal of Francois Pienaar in 'Invictus', which is a pretty much flawless performance. However, my favourite role from the boy Damon is in Martin Scorcese's 'The Departed'. When that film came out, everyone was talking about Jack Nicholson, or Leonardo DiCaprio, or Alec Baldwin, or Mark Wahlberg (who was good, I admit) but I urge you to go back and watch that film again. Then try telling me that Matt Damon doesn't act rings around everyone else in that film. He is brilliant and that film would be nothing without him.

"I don't hold myself to some higher standard of behaviour. You don't have to do a lot to be seen as 'nice'. I guess some of these people must be such rampant pricks that people are amazed when you say hello. I don't know why people like me, and I don't know if I want to know. That might be the kiss of death. I'd rather people not know a lot about me and go see the films."

But, you see, that's why Matt Damon is such an oddity in this day and age. He has the rare honor of always being good in absolutely everything he's done. He's never done anything shite. Thus everyone simply expects a solid performance from him and when he delivers said performance, it is simply par for the course. I almost want him to do a "Gigli" or "The Happening" or "Elizabethtown" just so we can all be reminded of just how great the man is. One day it'll happen I'm sure. Until that day however, our Matty will have to settle on being one of the richest, most successful humans alive.

Bravo sir.

JB.

P.S - For any actors out there looking for a career model, both on the screen and off it, look no further.