Damon has since starred in commercially successful films such as Saving Private Ryan (1998), the Ocean’s trilogy, and the Bourne series, while also gaining critical acclaim for his performances in dramas such as Syriana (2005), The Good Shepherd (2006), and The Departed (2006). Damon is of English, Scottish, Finnish, and Swedish ancestry, and is a distant cousin of actors Ben Affleck and Casey Affleck. Damon took to role-playing as a child partly because his mother raised him “by the book”, which made him feel as though “you couldn’t define yourself, because you already had been defined by her.” He attended Cambridge Rindge and Latin School, where he was a disciplined student but had a “terrifying” first two years due to his short height at the time. He took part in student theater, appearing in plays such as Burn This in Winthrop House and A.. As a student at Harvard University, he continued to pursue acting and performed small roles in projects such as the TNT original film Rising Son and the ensemble prep-school drama School Ties. Courage Under Fire gained him some critical notice, as The Washington Post labeled his performance “impressive”; Damon has stated that it was worthwhile to risk his health in order to properly portray his character and show the industry how committed he was to his work as an actor.

Lindsay Lohan Had a Diva-Off with Matt Lauer Last Night [Gossip Roundup] Lindsay Lohan meant to give an interview before today’s court appearance, but freaked out and locked herself in her bedroom instead. Hugh Hefner’s wedding special is back on. Tobey Maguire and Matt Damon get caught up in a illegal poker scandal. Thursday gossip makes demands. More » [link]