With the debut of Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey,Matt Damon has officially taken on the biggest role of his life. But not just his life. The character Odysseus is, in some ways, the original hero, the star of Homer's epic poem that was first printed in a book in 1488, but taken from an oral story that goes back roughly to 750 BCE. And now, in the starring role of The Odyssey, Damon is larger than life, in more ways than one. Never a slouch in the fitness department, Damon's jacked physique for The Odyssey is impressive, even by Hollywood standards.
"It was the hardest movie I've ever done," Damon told Empire. "By far. Not even close." And that hard work came with a big payday. Reportedly, Damon earned $15 million to star in the film, which, oddly enough, may not even be his biggest salary for a single movie. Back in 2007, he earned $26 million for the action sequel The Bourne Ultimatum, which Vanity Fair reported in 2016 amounted to $1 million per line of dialogue spoken. But this is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to Damon's fortune, and at 55 years old, he shows zero signs of slowing down.
Here's how Matt Damon made his millions, starting with one very important big break, and what his net worth is now, as he rides high on the success of The Odyssey.
Matt Damon's Big Break
Damon's story isn't exactly rags-to-riches. He went to college at Harvard, starting in 1988, though he didn't technically graduate. By 1992, he left school early to star in Geronimo: An American Legend, a movie that decidedly did not launch his career in a meaningful way. Still, Damon took other roles in films like 1996's Courage Under Fire, which cemented him as solid Hollywood talent.
However, it was the 1997 film Good Will Hunting, with a script co-written by Damon and longtime friend Ben Affleck, that changed everything. As the titular star of the film, Damon's charming turn as a math genius who happens to work as a janitor was an incredible moment. Co-starring with Affleck, Minnie Driver, and Robin Williams, Good Will Hunting earned rave reviews and earned Affleck and Damon an Oscar for Best Screenplay in 1998.
Would Damon be the incredible Hollywood stalwart had Good Will Hunting not happened? Maybe. Maybe not. But the notion that two young actors also wrote an Oscar-winning film is certainly a foundation for Damon's rise, and remains a huge part of his appeal.
Matt Damon's 2026 Net Worth
According to sources like Celebrity Net Worth, Matt Damon's current net worth is $170 million. This mostly comes from his various, massive blockbuster hits, starting with Good Will Hunting in 1997, which earned $225 million at the box office worldwide. The following year, in 1998, Damon starred in Saving Private Ryan, which brought in $481 million.
More recently, Matt Damon starred in the 2015 film The Martian, based on the Andy Weir novel of the same name. Interestingly, before the release of The Odyssey in 2026, the biggest box-office hit of the year so far is another Weir novel, Project Hail Mary. While Damon is known for a variety of roles in various genres, The Odyssey, in some ways, represents his return to the status of a major leading man. Prior to this, he starred in two other Christopher Nolan films, 2023's Oppenheimer, in which he played General Leslie R. Groves, and 2014's Interstellar, where he played the surprise role of Dr. Mann, a treacherous astronaut.
With The Odyssey poised to break box office records, Damon's payday could be big. And it might mean an even bigger net worth in 2027.
Where to Watch Matt Damon's Best Movies
Matt Damon has a ton of incredible films, running through nearly every genre imaginable. Here's where to catch just a few of his best films, from his start in the late 1990s, to his action hero heyday to today.
- Mystic Pizza (Damon's first movie from 1988) streams on Tubi and YouTube.
- Good Will Hunting (1997) streams on Pluto TV and Paramount+.
- The Rainmaker (1997) is available for rental on YouTube, Apple TV, Prime Video, and elsewhere.
- Chasing Amy (1997) streams on the Roku Channel.
- Saving Private Ryan (1998) streams on Pluto TV.
- Dogma (1999) is available for purchase on Apple TV and elsewhere.
- The Talented Mr. Ripley (1998) streams on Paramount+
- Oceans Eleven (2001) streams on Peacock.
- The Bourne Identity (2002) is available for rental on YouTube, Apple TV, Prime Video, and elsewhere.
- The Departed (2006) streams on MGM+.
- The Bourne Ultimatum (2007) is available for rental on YouTube, Apple TV, Prime Video, and elsewhere.
- Interstellar (2014) streams on Hulu.
- The Martian (2015) streams on AMC+.
- Oppenheimer (2023) is available to rent on YouTube, Apple TV, Prime Video, and elsewhere.
The Odyssey is in theaters now.
from Men's Journal https://ift.tt/tnCxDRV
No comments:
Post a Comment