'Good Will Hunting': Check Out Matt Damon's Best Films

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Matt Damon

Born October 8, 1970, Matt Damon's interest in theater would develop in high school, where he and his high school classmate, Ben Affleck, often performed together. Matt Damon then went on to attend Harvard University but would drop out to pursue his acting career before receiving his degree. Matt would make his film debut in 1988's Mystic Pizza, however, it would take another decade before he got his big break with...

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'Good Will Hunting'

After years of gaining experience, Matt Damon would finally get his big break in 1997 with drama Good Will Hunting. With Ben Affleck's help, Matt and Ben developed the screenplay for the film, which Matt had begun back in their college days. The long wait was worth it, however, and the film was a huge success, earning the dynamic duo an Academy Award and Golden Globe for Best Screenplay! The success of Good Will Hunting would only be the beginning of Damon's incredible career to come!

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'Saving Private Ryan'

Matt Damon would continue to wow critics and fans with his next big film, Saving Private Ryan. After becoming acquainted with Matt during Good Will Hunting, Steven Spielberg cast Damon into the lead of his hit 1998 war film!

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'The Talented Mr. Ripley'

Matt Damon would churn out yet another hit the following year with psychological thriller The Talented Mr. Ripley. Losing 25 pounds (11 kg) for the role, Matt was praised for his embodiment of the calculated criminal "Tom Ripley". Also starring Jude Law, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Cate Blanchett, the film was warmly received by critics!

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'Ocean's Eleven'

The new millennium would bring not just one, but two hugely successful film series for Matt Damon. The first film series he would take on would be as "Linus Caldwell" in the Ocean's series. Starring in all three films, plus a cameo in the latest film, Ocean's 8, Matt Damon was among a handful of successful stars, including George Clooney, Brad Pitt, and Julia Roberts, to be apart of the film!

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'The Bourne Identity'

The next big series Matt Damon would take on in the early 2000s would be the Bourne films. First appearing in 2002's The Bourne Identity, Matt Damon has since appeared in all of its sequels which include The Bourne Supremacy (2004), The Bourne Ultimatum (2007), The Bourne Legacy (2012), and Jason Bourne (2016).

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'The Departed'

2006 would lead to another Academy Award win for Matt Damon with Martin Scorsese's crime film The Departed. Playing the part of an undercover mobster, Matt Damon received critical acclaim for his role and the film would win the Academy Award for Best Picture!

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'Invictus'

Matt Damon would star in one of the best films of the decade in 2009, taking on the part of real-life South African rugby team captain François Pienaar in Clint Eastwood's Invictus. Based on the John Carlin book about Nelson Mandela, the film received widespread success and Matt Damon went on to win another Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor!

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'True Grit'

In 2010, Matt Damon had the chance to star alongside Western legend John Wayne in a remake of True Grit. While the film was hailed as one of the best Westerns of the new century and would be nominated for 10 Academy Awards, sadly the film didn't win any of the nominations. Nevertheless, critics were blown away and audiences flocked to theaters!

RELATED: The Best Classic Western Films

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'The Martian'

More recently, Matt Damon has seen success with a number of sci-fi films, including a supporting role in 2014's Interstellar and a leading role in 2015's The Martian. The latter of the two earned Damon the Golden Globe for Best Actor and yet another Academy Award nomination for Best Actor! Based off-of the Andy Weir novel of the same name, The Martian is one space film you shouldn't miss!