The Golden Boy Next Door
Maxim Middle East|August 2016

From liking them apples to surviving Mars, Matt Damon is one of the biggest stars in Hollywood today, but his journey to stardom was not as easy as one would think.

The Golden Boy Next Door

On the 8th of October 1970, Matthew Paige Damon was born in Boston Massachusetts to Kent Damon, a stockbroker, realtor and tax preparer; and Nancy Carlsson-Paige, an early childhood education professor at Lesley University. Growing up with older brother Kyle, Damon had a stable childhood until his parents got divorced in 1973, which resulted in the two brothers moving to Cambridge with their mother. A few years later he would meet a guy who lived just down the road from him, a guy he played baseball with, a guy he played Dungeons and Dragons with. This guy was Ben Affleck. They also both attended the Cambridge Rindge & Latin School, a public high school with many notable alumni, including poet E.E. Cummins, composer Leroy Anderson and basketball star Patrick Ewing. During high school, Damon enjoyed playing sport, but it was here that he fell in love with acting, starring in various school plays and theatre productions. It would be a love that would grow stronger and stronger as the years moved on. After high school, Matt Damon attended Harvard as an English major, but his passion for acting started to interfere with his studies. He would regularly skip classes to pursue various acting opportunities, which included the 1993 TNT movie Rising Sun and the prep school drama, School Ties. The balancing act was getting too much for him and eventually he dropped out of university when he was cast in Geronimo: An American Legend. The film was expected to be his big break as it was touted as a big blockbuster, but unfortunately the film flopped and Damon was left stranded. After having dropped his studies, he decided a move to Hollywood was essential for him to continue his acting career. Cast as a soldier with a drug addiction problem in the 1996 movie Courage Under Fire, Damon went the method actor route and lost 18kgs for the role, but was plagued by health problems throughout the filming process. 

Denne historien er fra August 2016-utgaven av Maxim Middle East.

Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.

Denne historien er fra August 2016-utgaven av Maxim Middle East.

Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.

FLERE HISTORIER FRA MAXIM MIDDLE EASTSe alt
The Magic Factory
Maxim Middle East

The Magic Factory

Inside McLaren’s pristine, futuristic manufacturing complex in the English countryside, expect nothing less than super car perfection

time-read
6 mins  |
August 2016
Max Martini The Real Mccoy
Maxim Middle East

Max Martini The Real Mccoy

In addition to having one of the greatest names ever, actor Max Martini happens to have one of the greatest faces, handsome, strong, and the kind that can easily disappear into almost any role.

time-read
5 mins  |
August 2016
Maxim Middle East

Christiana Cinn

She loves old movies and admiring art.

time-read
2 mins  |
January 2017
Elementary My Dear Doctor Strange
Maxim Middle East

Elementary My Dear Doctor Strange

Armed with piercing blue eyes, sharp cheekbones and a uniquely rich baritone voice, Benedict Timothy Carlton Cumberbatch is the quintessential British thespian. After years of sharpening his acting skills in theatres around the world, the man known to many as the “Modern Day Sherlock” is now a household name and potentially one of the biggest film stars at the moment. And with his first appearance in the Marvel Universe as the mysterious Dr. Strange, the star is about to rise to even greater heights. Yet it all could have been very different had the Cumberbatch parents had their way.

time-read
6 mins  |
November 2016
Natalia Kapchuk
Maxim Middle East

Natalia Kapchuk

An up-and-coming artist, Russian-born Natalia tells us about her experiences in various careers – from catwalk modeling to acting.

time-read
2 mins  |
November 2016
Obstacle Course Racing: Mud, Guts and Fun.
Maxim Middle East

Obstacle Course Racing: Mud, Guts and Fun.

There is an old Hebrew proverb – originating from Ecclesiastes – that propounds that ‘there is nothing new under the sun’. This is certainly true of the modern phenomenon of Obstacle Course Racing, the challenging sport that is starting to pique imaginations and challenge individuals across the world.

time-read
8 mins  |
December 2016
Assassin's Creed: The Ezio Collection
Maxim Middle East

Assassin's Creed: The Ezio Collection

With Ubisoft’s decision to take the Assassin’s Creed series on a much needed break after a slew of disappointing games, 2016 will be the first year in a long time not to see the release of a new Creed game. However, with the Michael Fassbender live action movie coming out in December, Ubisoft decided to treat the fans to a remastered version of one of the most beloved games in the Assassin’s Creed series.

time-read
2 mins  |
December 2016
The Golden Boy Next Door
Maxim Middle East

The Golden Boy Next Door

From liking them apples to surviving Mars, Matt Damon is one of the biggest stars in Hollywood today, but his journey to stardom was not as easy as one would think.

time-read
5 mins  |
August 2016
Lights,Camera,Action - Julia Faye West
Maxim Middle East

Lights,Camera,Action - Julia Faye West

She has a passion for exotic cars, and produces comedy movies. Her trusty stead, Lord Aston, is her road dog and at 28 years old she has been to every state in the U.S.A.

time-read
3 mins  |
August 2016
Maxim Middle East

Natalie Donna

With her big piercing blue eyes and delicate features, this living doll captures a lot of attention.

time-read
4 mins  |
January 2017