Matt Damon is one of the highest-grossing Hollywood actors of all time. This is according to Forbes data, the 52-year-old’s films have earned him more than $3.88 billion at the North American box office alone. After studying at Harvard, Damon took a bold leap of faith in 1988 when he starred single-handedly in the romantic comedy Mystic Pizza.
Over the past 35 years, Damon has risen rapidly through the Hollywood ranks, solidifying himself as a true A-list performer. In honor of how he’s built his 30+ year career in the film industry, here’s a look back at five of his most memorable performances, in ascending order.
rounder
Matt Damon’s appearance in the 1998 classic Rounders proved to be a game-changer, not only for Damon, but for the poker industry. Three years later, Damon was recruited for another game-themed film role, which would be the beginning of the Ocean’s Trilogy, which ran from 2001-2007.
While Rounders didn’t receive immediate rave reviews from film critics, Card Players quickly gravitated toward it as the most authentic reproduction emotional range What a game of poker can evoke. Every decision and every turn of the card can be felt in the last-minute heads-up game between Mike McDermott (Matt Damon) and Teddy “KGB” (John Malkovich).
Martian
The 2015 sci-fi adventure film The Martian was a commercial and industry hit. The Ridley Scott-directed film proved a successful adaptation of a best-selling novel and earned critical acclaim. Damon plays the role of astronaut Mark Watney, presumed dead after a deadly storm on Mars.
When NASA discovers that Watney is still alive, their expert crack team plots a way to return him to Earth. learns how to thrive in the hostile context of this planet. Watney doesn’t have everything his way, which helps portray his stark and lonely position The film grossed $228.4 million in the United States alone, Damon wins Best Actor Golden Globe Award for this performance.
Bourne’s identity
What do they say – old is always the best? The original Bourne Identity movie in 2002 was one of Damon’s breakthrough performances. Taking on the now iconic role of Jason Bourne He insisted on performing many of his own stunts, and mastered weapon use, boxing, and escrima techniques.
Prior to The Bourne Identity, Damon hadn’t had a job in six months. He was desperate to make his mark in what would become his five-part Bourne film series, inspired by his 1980 Robert Ludlum novel. Entertainment Weekly said the film is the best example of his 2000s “brain and brains” and we tend to agree.
good will hunting
Good Will Hunting, released in 1997, was one of the first scripts Damon co-wrote. his longtime friend, Ben Affleck. Psychodrama directed by Gus Van Sant. Both Damon and Affleck also appeared in the film with Robin Williams in the lead role as Dr. Sean Maguire.
Oddly enough, studio executives who saw Damon and Affleck’s script were eager to have Brad Pitt and Leonardo DiCaprio play the roles Damon and Affleck wanted. No wonder, considering DiCaprio is one of the most popular actors in the world. Ultimately, the script was approved by Miramax, who provided his $10 million budget. This strong story focused on Will Hunting (Damon) and his untapped potential as a misguided young man made him more than 20 times that figure.
Private Ryan
Twelve months after Damon’s successful acting performance in Good Will Hunting, perhaps the pinnacle of his early career was Saving Private Ryan, Steven Spielberg’s true war flick. Tom Hanks takes the lead role and does a masterful job as Captain John Miller, but Damon is Miller’s man and his army lost three brothers while acting as part of the 101. You’re playing Private James Ryan, who plays a man.st Airborne Division.
Ryan (Damon) displays immense courage and stoicism in the face of adversity, and Miller’s forces are killed to retrieve him. He eventually survives the Normandy invasion and returns home. The bleak ending, in which Ryan visits Miller’s grave in the Normandy Cemetery, shows that millions of people were killed during that year.
