Matt Damon is one of the most well-known and highly respected actors in Hollywood. The 45-year-old may have been around the block a few times, but he shows no signs of slowing down anytime soon. However, despite the fact that Damon has spent a considerable amount of time in the spotlight and under the scrutiny of the public eye, there are still some things that many people don’t know. With that in mind, here we present our list of 15 things you probably didn’t know about Matt Damon. Check out part one below, and stay tuned for part two, coming soon!
Number Fifteen: He and Ben Affleck Are Cousins. You might be aware that Damon and Affleck have been friends for a long time, but did you know they are even cousins? The two are technically tenth cousins, once removed.
Number Fourteen: He Shared a Bank Account With Ben Affleck. Before Damon and Affleck made the big bucks with Good Will Hunting, the two were so poor that they even had a joint bank account.
Number Thirteen: His Parents Did Not Financially Support Him. Though many young actors’ parents are happy to support their dreams, this is not the story with Matt Damon. Damon decided he wanted to move from his family in Boston to New York when he was just 16 years old so he could pursue a career in acting. His parents, who wanted him to pursue a higher education, refused to support him.
Number Twelve: He Used to Break Dance for Money. When Damon was still broke, he would scrape by break dancing in Harvard Square when he was a teenager.
Number Eleven: He Ended up Going to Harvard. We mentioned that Damon moved to New York to pursue a career in acting when he was 16 years old, but he eventually ended up going to college – at Harvard, no less. While there, he studied English, but he never graduated because he landed a role in Geronimo: An American Legend.
Number Ten: He Almost Died Because of a Role. For his role in Courage Under Fire, Damon lost 40 pounds. Damon wasn’t overweight before he lost the weight, so the immense loss put his health at extreme risk, and he almost died as a result.
Number Nine: He Almost Wasn’t in Saving Private Ryan. Tom Hanks was against Damon playing the role of James Ryan in the movie because he thought he was too skinny. However, Hanks eventually came around. Stay tuned for part two of our list of 15 things you didn’t know about Matt Damon, coming soon!