Matt Damon’s work as an actor, writer and producer has cemented him as one of the entertainment industry’s biggest stars.
Damon was born in October 1970 to parents Nancy Carlsson-Paige and Kent Damon. During his childhood in Cambridge, Massachusetts, with older brother Kyle Damon, Matt met his best friend and future costar, Ben Affleck, when they were 10 and 8 years old, respectively.
After Matt booked his first-ever film role in 1988’s Mystic Pizza, he and Affleck went on to appear in several projects together — including Field of Dreams and School Ties — before cowriting the film that would launch them into stardom: 1997’s Good Will Hunting.
The famous duo took home the 1998 Oscar for Best Original Screenplay for their work on the film, which also starred Robin Williams and Minnie Driver, the latter of whom Matt began dating in 1997. Their 1998 split sparked a media frenzy.
Matt later dated Winona Ryder for two years before their 2000 split. Soon after, Matt met his future wife, Luciana Barroso, at a Miami bar in 2003.
The couple tied the knot two years later and became the parents of three girls, welcoming daughters Isabella, Gia and Stella in 2006, 2008 and 2012, respectively. Upon their marriage, Matt also became stepfather to Barroso’s daughter Alexia, whom she welcomed with ex-husband Arbello Barroso in 1999.
Scroll below for a look back at Matt’s life and career: