10 Best Performances of Matt Damon

An incongruous amalgamation of the contrasting traits like solemn look, wacky walk, unassailably flat and clear yet fast and witty speech, vehement grimace and a funny yet charming smile, would be associated with this American actor, film producer, philanthropist and screenwriter. He is one of the most bankable and highest grossing actors of all time.

Matthew Paige Damon, known as Matt Damon, raised in Cambridge, Massachusetts, is an acting prodigy who had embarked on an acting pursuit right from the high school, and latterly made his acting debut in the film Mystic Pizza. The impetus of Matt Damon’s reign of stardom is marked by his eminently acclaimed screenplay Good Will Hunting, a film he also gave a powerful performance alongside Ben Affleck.

This universally adored star has a long filmography, but here’s FilmSpell’s list of his best performances –

Good Will Hunting [1997]

This performance is the one that had proved Matt Damon’s acting metier. He played an intellectually sound yet psychologically confounding role of twenty year old guy named Will Hunting, who works as a janitor at MIT, and likes to drink with his friends in leisure time. It turns out that he has a troubled childhood as he was a victim of child abuse. With the subsequent occurrence of narratives, the story transforms him as a ‘Good’ Will Hunting.

The Talented Mr. Ripley [1999]

In this psychological thriller based on the novel of the same name, he plays the character of Tom Ripley who is struggling to make a living in 1950’s New York City, who is latterly approached by a wealthy shipbuilder, Herbert Greenleaf. Matt Damon has delivered an unnerving performance in this film.

The Bourne Series

In the must watch films of the Bourne Series, Matt Damon had played the detective fiction’s one of the most prominent writers Robert Ludlum’s, by far the most famous character – Jason Bourne. By adapting the demeanour of a detective, he had given a very consistent performance in this series.

The Departed [2006]

This Martin Scorsese’s crime drama film featured Matt Damon in a pivotal role of Staff Sgt. Colin Sullivan, who happens to be a Massachusetts state police detective and is later revealed as a paid informant for an Irish Mobster, Frank Costello.

The Informant! [2009]

In this biographical comedy crime drama, he played the role of the protagonist, Mark Whitacre, a rising star at Decatur, Illinois in the early 1990s. The actor was very adept in adapting the mannerisms and demeanour of the character.

Invictus [2009]

In this American–South African biographical sports-drama directed by Clint Eastwood, he had played the role of Francois Pienaar – The rugby captain of Springboks’ and blindside flanker.

True Grit [2010]

He had played the role of Texas Ranger LaBoueuf in this Western film. He had competently adapted the style of acting that is indigenous to Western Films, and not only gave a good performance but implications from the media have it that he completely enjoyed being a part of the project.

The Martian [2015]

This is by far the best performance by Matt Damon. As an astronaut, who finds himself in the realms of isolation and solitude of an unworldly premise of Mars, the onus of entertaining and captivating the audience was entirely on him, and how well he played the character.

The Rainmaker [1997]

In this legal drama which is based on John Grisham’s novel of the same name, he has played a very solemn character of a boy who has had a troubled childhood, and latterly goes on to become a lawyer. His character portrayal deftly depicted the struggles in his pursuit as a lawyer.

The Contagion [2011]

In this medical thriller disaster film, Matt Damon played the role of Mitch Emhoff. The character needed to have an unconscious approach, as if the cameras aren’t around him; and he surely got the drift of the character and gave a staggering performance.

He would soon be seen in a seemingly incredible, visionary and idiosyncratically produced avant-garde project, which happens to be a science fiction comedy titled Downsizing; and the cinephiles around the globe already have great expectations from it.