Matt Damon: A Review of His Top Three Hollywood Appearances

Matt Damon is celebrating his 30^th anniversary in Hollywood this year. Since starting out in 1988 acting at Harvard, he would make his film debut in the rom-com MYSTIC PIZZA. However, it wasn’t until 1997 when Damon teamed up with Ben Affleck to write GOOD WILL HUNTING, which gave both he and Affleck a breakthrough in the Hollywood industry. Since then, Damon is a firm favorite on the big screen and considering his three decades in the industry, we’ve opted to put the spotlight on three of our favorite movies featuring the 47-year-old star.

OCEAN’s Trilogy: Pickpocket Turned Bellagio Vault Robber

The OCEAN’s Trilogy was one of the most successful collections of heist movies in the history of Hollywood. Directed by Steven Soderbergh, Matt Damon was integral in Danny Ocean’s team of crack robbers who hatch a fiendish plan to steal $160 million from the vaults of three casinos on the Las Vegas Strip. Damon played a young guy named Linus Caldwell, the son of Bobby Caldwell, who made his name working the streets and subways of Chicago as a pickpocket. Danny Ocean, played by George Clooney, selected Caldwell for his powers of deception that proved exceptionally handy during the heist.

There is an excellent blend of glitz, glamor, hilarity and drama throughout the OCEAN’s Trilogy. Characters such as Basher Tarr, played by the gritty British actor Don Cheadle and the cool-as-a-cucumber Rusty Ryan (Brad Pitt) provide plenty of one-liners throughout. Damon’s nerdy yet slippery character is one of his best castings so far. So much so that Linus Caldwell would appear in all three of Soderbergh’s much-loved creations.

ROUNDERS: The Underground World of High-Stakes Poker

In ROUNDERS, Damon plays Mike McDermott, a law student with an undoubted infatuation with the game of poker. Obsessed with pot odds and strategy, McDermott always aspired to quit law school and take his “three stacks of high society” to Las Vegas and participate in the World Series of Poker. McDermott was lured back into the underground poker scene in New York after bumping into an old friend, played by Edward Norton, who is heavily indebted to dangerous loan sharks.

So, McDermott grinds the tables to earn enough to help his friend pay off his debts. In doing so, McDermott restored his love for poker but jeopardized his relationship with his girlfriend. After ending his running feud with Teddy “KGB” at the tables, McDermott swanned off to Sin City to make it as a professional poker player on the Vegas Strip.

THE MARTIAN: Surviving Life on Mars

Based on the hugely engaging novel written by Andy Weir, Ridley Scott’s THE MARTIAN tells the tale of an astronaut mistakenly presumed dead and left on Mars. It's is a heartfelt one, depicting Mark Watney’s struggle to survive against all the odds. Watney, played by Matt Damon, shows immense courage and innovation to remain self-sufficient despite zero communication with Earth. Damon received an outstanding 19 nominations for Best Actor at several awards ceremonies in 2015 while the film itself a staggering 26 nominations for Best Motion Picture, catapulting into Oscar orbit.

In “The Martian” novel, author Andy Weir went to great lengths to ensure that the story was as scientifically accurate as possible. He sought help from Dr. James L. Green of NASA’s Science Mission Directorate, who was also drafted in as an adviser for Ridley Scott’s film.

These three movies are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to Damon’s on-screen talents. It’s little wonder why Forbes ranked him as one of the most bankable Hollywood stars. Damon is also one of the highest-paid actors of all time, with an Academy Award, two Golden Globes, three British Academy Film Awards and six Emmy Awards to show for it.