Matt Damon is an American actor, director, and producer. He has become a box-office success over the years thanks to his excellent performances and variety of roles.
After a series of acting roles, the actor managed to get his big breakout role with “Good Will Hunting” (2017). The screenplay was actually based off of a short script he had written for his English class at Harvard University.
After dropping out of the prestigious university, Damon took his short script and turned it into a longer screenplay with the help of his long-term friend, Ben Affleck.
The pair then went to pitch their idea to Hollywood producers and managed to get the film made.
“Good Will Hunting” was nominated for nine Oscars, with Damon and Affleck winning the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay.
After this breakout role, Damon went on to act in other award-winning films such as: “The Departed” (2006) and “Behind the Candelabra” (2013).
He also diversified his roles by acting in blockbusters such as the “Bourne” franchise and the “Ocean’s” trilogy.
In this article, we will be discussing Matt Damon’s best movie performances.
Good Will Hunting (1997)
Fresh-faced Matt Damon gives a stirring and emotional performance in this breakout film. He shares the screen with iconic actor, Robin Williams.
This film was directed by Gus Van Sant who later directed the award-winning film “Milk” (2008) with Sean Penn and “To Die For” (1995) with Nicole Kidman.
It tells the story of a young janitor who works at M.I.T and is noticed by one of the professors after solving a complex mathematical equation. The film tackles different subjects including grief, social classes, and professor-student relationships.
Rounders (1998)
“Rounders” stars Damon, Edward Norton, Gretchen Mol, and John Malkovich.
The film tells the story of a former gambling addict (Matt Damon) who is forced to play high-stakes poker again to help out a friend. However, he soon finds himself torn between saving his friend, keeping his girlfriend, and staying in law school. This film had a cultural impact by lifting the veil on the understanding of the poker world we currently know today, even leading some viewers to try their own hand in online poker.
The film was directed by John Dahl who also directed several episodes for the “House of Cards”, “Hannibal” and “Outlander” series.
Contagion (2011)
“Contagion” stars several Hollywood A-listers: Matt Damon, Kate Winslet, Jude Law, Marion Cotillard, Laurence Fishburne, and Gwyneth Paltrow.
The film was directed by Steven Soderbergh who also directed Julia Roberts’ Oscar-winning performance in “Erin Brockovich” (2000).
The film focuses on various characters as they find themselves in the midst of a global pandemic.
Matt Damon gives a very emotional performance in this film which is heartbreaking for its realism.
Behind the Candelabra (2013)
Winner of eleven Primetime Emmy awards, this film stars Matt Damon and Michael Douglas.
With “Behind the Candelabra”, director Steven Soderbergh and actor Matt Damon were reunited once more after previously working together on “Contagion” (2011).
It is based on the real-life story of musician Liberace (Michael Douglas) and his relationship with his partner (Matt Damon).
Actor Michael Douglas is known for his role in “Wall Street” (1987), “Fatal Attraction” (1987) and “Basic Instinct” (1992).
Damon goes through a real transformation in this film thanks to the costume and makeup departments. His character’s relationship with Liberace (Douglas) is believable and touching thanks to the actors’ excellent onscreen chemistry.
The Martian (2015)
The Golden-Globe winning film stars Matt Damon, Jsesica Chastain and Kristen Wiig. It was directed by legendary English filmmaker, Ridley Scott.
Ridley Scott is the director behind “Bladerunner” (1982), “Gladiator” (2000), and “Alien” (1979).
In “The Martian”, Matt Damon plays an astronaut who is abandoned on Mars after being assumed dead by his crew members. He attempts to survive on Mars and to send an SOS signal to Earth.
Damon had almost no scene partners in this film, which made it all the more challenging for him. Despite this difficulty, he managed to give a moving performance while building suspense and tension throughout the film. Overall the plot helped capture the life of astronauts today and their work, much which you can see during an online spacewalk.
The Departed (2006)
“The Departed” was directed by highly-acclaimed director Martin Scorsese. The film is an American remake of the Hong Kong film “Infernal Affairs” (2002).
The original film was also successful, winning several awards in independent film festivals according to online media.
In “The Departed”, Matt Damon is acting alongside other Hollywood legends, Leonardo DiCaprio and Jack Nicholson, which you can watch on a specific online platform.
The film tells the story of “an undercover cop and a mole” who attempt “to identify each other while infiltrating an Irish gang”.
The film was very successful both commercially and critically. It was the recipient of four Oscars including for Best Motion Picture of the Year and Best Achievement in Directing.
True Grit (2010)
“True Grit” stars Jeff Bridges, Matt Damon, Hailee Steinfeld and Josh Brolin.
It was directed by the very talented brothers Ethan Coen and Joel Coen, known for their dark-humor and unconventional screenplays.
The film tells the story of a young girl (Hailee Steinfeld) who recruits a U.S. Marshal (Jeff Bridges) to help her find her father’s killer. They are later joined by a Texas Ranger (Matt Damon) who has his personal motivations for wanting to find the murderer.
In this film, Matt Damon is given the opportunity to show off his dialect work while playing a rougher, but still charismatic, character.
These were some of Matt Damon’s best performances. The actor is set to play in other films in the next couple of years which are sure to show off his impressive acting abilities and extensive range.
