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Welcome to the Matt Damon Column,
a forum for sharing news among Matt fans.

Updated 8/31/2002

British fans, please take note of a special post.

Matt in Melbourne

• From Felicity:
  • Here's another really fun radio interview from Melbourne station Triple M. It lasts for 15 minutes (in two parts), and there are some photos on the site. here.
    Matt was introduced as being one of Hollywood's most bankable stars, and then replied: "That's the first time I've heard bankable... For the first time since GWH suddenly I'm getting all of these scripts in the mail and I'm bankable again in Hollywood... this week."
    Also said that he's received more scripts since Bourne opened than in the entirety of last year (20 or 30).
    Asked if there was anything personal to him in Bourne: Matt said that when on the telephone in the apartment his character says "Bear with me for one second". This is something his dad says all the time, so he knows the line is completely honest and true, because he's heard it a thousand times.
    When told by the DJ that he should move to Melbourne, Matt said that literally the only thing stopping him is "Proximity to family and friends. You can't beat the people or the weather down here."
    Awww.
  • From the Marilyn Beck/Stacy Jenel Smith column:
    ON THE PERSONAL SIDE: Matt Damon has gone from Australia to Taiwan doing promotional chores for "The Bourne Identity" -- and his gal Odessa Whitmore has been right there with him. They'll be winging back to the States for the Labor Day weekend and then will jet off again to Europe for additional tubthumping for the flick. It's close to a year now since sparks ignited between the actor and the personal assistant of his buddy Ben Affleck, and it's been going strong ever since.
  • A pic from Hello mag online of Matt and Odessa at the Sydney premiere: here.
  • A story in the NY Post on the stars' favourite places in New York: MATT DAMON: "The running and bicycle path in lower Manhattan on the West Side. I ride my bike there all the time. I jog there and I also use it to take long leisurely walks. It's a great place to chill out - you really feel like you've gotten away from it all when you're there."
  • Brad Pitt has dropped out of "The Fountain", the project to be directed by Darren Aronofsky, and due to start shooting in Australia later this year (aka "The Beard Movie").
    From Variety: Studio executives have apparently placed calls to agents asking about the availability of several other top stars as replacements for Pitt in "The Fountain" -- but it's unclear at this point if the project will go ahead here.
    Matt has said a number of times that he'd love to make a film here, and he's definitely not overbooked. If the project doesn't crash, this could be a possibility.
  • There's a story on Matt in the new UK "Total Film" magazine (Bond cover): MATT DAMON Don't call him Ben's best bud... The Good Will Hunting star turns action hero for The Bourne Identity. He'll chat how the film nearly collapsed, re-invention and his career...
  • The October issue of UK's "Empire" has a story on the making of "Good Will Hunting" (retro piece!)
  • From the Herald-Sun:
    Matt shows his true identity
    It's always easy to tell when a star is going to a movie at the Rivoli; when Russell Crowe had his latest premieres there, or when Nicole Kidman came to the opening of "Moulin Rouge", the street was studded with fans.
    It was no different for the arrival of Matt Damon, who came to introduce a VIP screening of his new movie, "The Bourne Identity".
    And his fans aren't all school-aged: Fiona Darmody of Fox Sports arrived with model Ann-Maree Cooksley. Fiona says: "My parents are from the country, and when my mother heard I was coming, she said, 'You've got to get a picture with him!' So I did."
    And the star himself? Could not have been nicer. He was fab when I interviewed him in New York for "Good Will Hunting", and time, success and an Oscar hasn't changed him. He was completely charming to everyone, posing for every photo and signing every offered piece of paraphernalia, from DVDs to posters.
    His impressions of Melbourne? "It's great," he says, "though to be honest, I've seen a lot of the inside of radio stations, hotel rooms and the backs of cars." However, he adds: "Melbourne reminds me of Boston, which is where I'm from, so it feels very at home here. It's like a mild version of Boston. You guys don't quite get the winters we do."
    The Bourne Identity was a nail-biting thriller that did not let up on pace; after one incredibly riveting car chase scene, the audience burst into spontaneous applause.
    Writer Margaret Ambrose says: "When Matt introduced the movie, I thought, yeah, boyishly handsome, charming, humble, what you expect from a Hollywood star. But after seeing the movie, I wanted to hunt him down and stalk him! In the movie, he had everything a girl could want - sensitivity mixed with an ability to take out a room of police. You've gotta love that in a spy flick."
  • Daily Telegraph:
    Crazy over Matt's butt
    Perhaps it was the glare of the flashlights or the screaming fans, but Sky Channel's Graham McNeice became so caught up in the excitement of Monday night's screening of TBI that he took a tumble on the red carpet. Thankfully, McNeice wasn't injured and he was quickly helped back on to his feet by a very thoughtful young bloke - Matt Damon.
    The next day, during Damon's visit to Triple M's brekkie show, he snuck into program director Guy Dobson's office for a cigarette. When the star left the building, Dobson - holding the butt - said out loud: "Hey let's put this on eBay." Sanity prevailed, and now it's being framed for Dobo's office.
    Before leaving, the Talented Mr Damon shared with Peter Bernier the advice George Clooney gave him on how best to avoid jet-lag on the long flight to Australia. The Cloon-meister suggested he fly direct to Sydney a couple of days in advance, bring his girlfriend, spend a day on the Harbour and check out a few pubs. Damon did all of that, which is why he was so cheery as he hit the promo trail.
• From Bec:
  There are 2 photos of Matt with Kyle and Jackie O, from when he was on the Hot30 earlier this week. Go to here.

• British fans: We received the following note. Please write to paul.flood@worldsendproductions.com if you are interested.
  Hello,
  I am working on a BBC 1 chat show called Johnny Vaughan Tonight here in London, England. On September 4 we have Matt Damon on as a guest and I was trying to track down some serious British Matt Damon fans to possibly come along to the studio and meet Matt.
  I wonder can you help me get in contact with any fans in Britain.
  Regards,
  Paul Flood
  Assistant Producer
  Johnny Vaughan Tonight
  00442077519880
  paul.flood@worldsendproductions.com
• More from Felicity:
  • From the Herald-Sun:
    A nice guy to the end
    Continuing to charm all in Melbourne is Matt Damon.
    After spending time eagerly signing autographs for fans, as he walked along the red carpet at Camberwell's Rivoli Cinemas at the premiere of The Bourne Identity on Wednesday night, the Oscar-winner did the usual Hollywood star thing - making a quick thing of introducing the flick and promptly leaving by a back entrance.
    But he had an excuse - he had to run off to appear on The Panel.
    And his cute speech in the two minutes or so he was in the theatre impressed the crowd.
    "I wouldn't have come all the way here if the movie sucked," Damon joked. "It's a pretty smart action-spy-thriller, so I hope you guys like it - if you don't, I'll already be out of the country."
    Well, not quite - he and girlfriend Odessa Whitmire fly out today.
    Whitmire was a no-show alongside her man for the red carpet stroll - we hear the blonde was busy spending some quality time with her mum, Deanna, who accompanied the couple on Damon's Aussie tour.
  • "Who Weekly" has a photo of Matt at the Sydney premiere and a one-page Q&A.
    The Grill
    Already an Oscar winner and proven box-office success, Matt Damon, 31, next stars in the thriller The Bourne Identity (out on Sept. 26) as an amnesiac with deadly self-defence instincts. The talented Mr Damon shared memories with Julietta Jameson.

    Q: You've starved yourself for SPR, learned piano for TTMR, and studied high-level martial arts and weapons handling for TBI. You're not exactly scared of preparation...
    A: That has a lot to do with [my] lack of imagination.

    Q: Very funny, coming from one as talented as you. But this is why I'd like to be an actor: to crash-learn cool stuff.
    A: Yeah, it's like summer school for different things. Some of them are more fun than others. I mean, piano was not fun for me.

    Q: DId you get half-way decent by the end of it?
    A: No. I could play one piece of Bach. That was it. The scene got cut out of the movie anyway, but what it helped me with was being lonely. Sitting alone in a room with a piano for months; the cloying need for attention, acceptance and identity of that character came out of that preparation.

    Q: Do you want to do more action films?
    A: I'd do a sequel for TBI if the script is good. There'd be no reason to do it if the second one couldn't be better than the first.

    Q: It's a kooky stroke of kismet that you and best friend Ben Affleck play suspense novel characters in movies out at about the same time...
    A: I know, I know. Luckily, they both did about the same US box office or it would have been murder.

    Q: Australians have gone crazy about you since you got here for the film's premiere... because as soon as you put your bags down after your flight, you climbed the Sydney Harbour Bridge.
    A: [Guffaws] Because of the bridge climb? [Goes into flawless Australian accent] "He's all right. He's climbed the bridge." They were good guys on the bridge. We had a lotta laughs.

    Q: Where to next?
    A: I'm supposed to go to Europe for a week to promote TBI, but I have to stop at Boston on the way, because my college roommate is getting married. I'm going to win the award for farthest-travelled guest. I think that means that I get an extra beer at the wedding.

    Q: Because an extra beer is so hard to get at a wedding...
    A: Yeah, right. I told him the booze is already free. But he insists I'm going to get some kind of bonus.

    Q: Is there anything you'd like to do that you haven't done?
    A: I'd love to direct, but I've got to write [the screenplay], because I wouldn't want to mess up somebody else's. No, seriously, first time out as a director, I'm bound to make a bunch of mistakes. I'd rather do it with my own material.

    Q: You and Ben won an Oscar for Best Screenplay for GWH. Do you get time to write these days?
    A: Not really. I saw Ben last week. He's got two more movies to [act in] and then hopefully we'll hook up in New York and write.

    Q: Which takes Ben up to, what, August next year?
    A: April, I think.

    Q: Yet your dance card is free...
    A: Yeah. [Laughs] He's taken all the roles.

• More from Bec:
  • Matt on SAFM 29.8.02:
    Matt said that he wished he could stay longer in Oz, but they were shipping him off. But he was glad that he and Odessa had gotten a few extra days, and that it had been like a working holiday for them. He was very happy they’d had the whole weekend to themselves in Sydney. He admitted that he finds the publicity stuff a bit tiring, but that it had been a bit nicer in Australia, because it differs from the way it’s done in America. He’s not keen on doing 60 – 70 really short interviews in one day, like they do in the US.
    They talked about a scene where he’s hanging from the side of a building, some of which was done by him, some by an actual rock climber. Greg Fleet (one of the SAFM hosts) mentioned that there wasn’t a hair out of place in the scene, and Matt said “Which is important I think, when you’re climbing the side of a building, risking your life, the hair’s gotta look good!”
    They then talked about how movie previews give away way too much of a movie. Matt doesn’t like them, because it leaves him thinking “why would I go see this movie?” and if he does, he just sits there waiting to see the bits he saw in the previews!
    At the very end of the interview, they tried to get him to sing ‘Afternoon Delight’ but he refused because he “sucks at it!” He can’t believe that the fact he sings it to his nephew even made it to the paper, because he only sings it because his nephew’s “crying his ass off!” He also can’t believe that his sister in law told them about it, just because she found it amusing! LOL!
    I love the way Matt thanks the interviewers for having him…so polite!
  • I got a very pleasant surprise this morning, waking up to see Matt on Good Morning Australia! I thought he had left the country already! But, there he was, chatting to Aussie icon, Bert Newton, wearing his other blue shirt…again! LOL!
    They talked quite a bit about Seinfeld..the show, which they both loved and the person. Matt talked about a book of Jerry’s that he’s got, and the 2 of them were obviously big fans. Bert, realising that they hadn’t yet mentioned the film said to Matt, “I promise, when I have Jerry Seinfeld on I’ll sit there and talk about you for a couple of minutes!”
    They talked about how Matt wasn’t an ‘overnight success,’ and he mentioned having been in the Screen Actors Guild for 16 years. But he also said that he doesn’t feel any need to say “I struggled” because at this point he just feels lucky to be working. I love the ‘Hollywood actor’ voice Matt puts on when he’s having a go at how some others act…he’s done it several times on this trip. Anyway, Matt became distracted by a tag on his shirt, which Bert noticed and said “Are you having a problem with the bottom of your shirt, because we’ve got 35 people who would love to come and help you with it!” LOL!
    Bert then referred to the film as the Bourne Incident, rather than Identity, which Matt didn’t correct, but thankfully Bert corrected himself eventually. Matt said “You can call it whatever you want, it’s your show!”
    They then talked a bit about Hugh Jackman, a friend of Bert’s. Matt referred to Hugh as “The Number One Son Of Australia!” and said that he was a great guy. He mentioned that they share an agent (and Matt is this agent’s oldest client…been with him forever!) He talked about meeting Hugh and his wife, and going to the Kate and Leopold premiere as a show of support, and said that Hugh was someone that Australia should be proud of. They also talked about Hugh heading to Broadway, and how many Americans don’t realise that Hugh can sing and dance. Matt then said “I think he’s going to take over our country in this next year!”
    They then talked about the movie, and Matt said that it was the first time he was excited about a film in the action genre, when reading the script. He also mentioned being disappointed about not meeting Robert Ludlum before he passed away.
    He then talked about how he spent 100’s of hours at a gun range, even though he doesn’t have a gun in his hand that much in the film. But because of the line in the script that says “When he holds the gun, it feels like an extension of his arm” so they wanted that to look credible.
    At the moment, he has no plans, he’s looking for another script. He’s been looking for a while, but is yet to find one he has gotten excited about…except the play that he did, which was the most exciting thing he’s done in the past year. Now he’s just “sittin’ around, looking for something to do.”
    He also said that awards aren’t important to him, BUT that the Academy Award changed their lives, so that was bit different. He doesn’t believe that awards can be given for film, because it’s such a “subjective medium” so he thinks that instead of 1 Academy Award winner, there should be 5 Awards for excellence, or they should rephrase “Best Performance” to the “Academy’s Favourite Performance.”
    When asked about Ben, he said that they are still “very, very close” and also said that it’s not Ben’s wedding he is going home for, it’s his college roommates wedding.
    They talked a bit more about the success of Good Will Hunting, and also about how Kevin Smith got Miramax to agree to let Matt and Ben star in it. He said “had it not been for Kevin, I would not be here.”
    Bert said that in 25-50 years, people will still be watching Good Will Hunting, because it’s a film that transcends time. Matt hopes that this is the case, because he thinks that “that’s the only yardstick by which you can measure the success or failure of a movie, whether it lasts 10, 20 or 30 years.” He also said “We’re pretty quick to pat ourselves on the back in Hollywood, and say this movie is the great one” but you go into a video store to the classics section and are surprised at what did and didn’t win an Oscar. He also said “Everybody’s goal, who’s in this industry, is to make movies that their grandkids will see.”
    Bert said that he gets reports from people on The Panel, and from Rove, on what a guest is really like, but he tends not to listen, because he has had the experience when he’s been told that a guest is fantastic, and that Bert will love him and Bert said that the guest had turned out to be “the biggest pain in the arse the world has ever known!” (Which cracked Matt up), but in Matt’s case, everyone was spot on about how wonderful he is!
    NOW that was supposed to be the end of Matt on GMA but when it came back, he was standing with the crew, waiting to watch the cooking segment. However, another Aussie entertainment icon, Molly Meldrum, (a music reporter who wears a cowboy hat, and who generally puts up with a lot of teasing because he’s gay) turned up to present Matt with a hat of his very own! So Bert brought Matt back on, and Molly explained that he had interviewed Matt that morning, before Bert, and Bert asked what Matt thought of the interview. Matt goes “Oh, now do you feel like I’m cheating on you?” and then Molly explained that Bert was really asking if he had understood the interview…which Matt was a bit confused by! Bert then explained that 15 yrs ago, Molly interviewed Prince Charles and since then, Charles has refused to return to the country! LOL!
    Bert and Molly then talked about Matt, and how great he is! Molly said that he’s “been an absolute delight!” and that there were some Aussie stars who could take a leaf out of Matt’s book! Matt said that he was just looking for free stuff, and indicated to his new hat! He then said that he flies out this morning, and that he was going to “go get on the plane with my hat, and see if anyone recognises me in America.” They then thanked him again, and Matt apologised to the chef, Gabriel Gate, for stealing his time. As Molly and Matt headed back to the crew, Bert said “Isn’t it just wonderful to see Molly in love again?” which, once again, cracked Matt up. Bert ended the little segment, by describing Matt as a “terrific bloke.”
• Clint Morris of www.moviehole.net wrote:
  I just interviewed Matt for MOVIEHOLE.NET this morning, the interview is enclosed. please link it back to www.moviehole.net. Otherwise, it's all yours for the readers!
  Url : www.moviehole.net
  email : cjnb@ihug.com.au
  Special Feature : Matt Damon in Melbourne
  Meeting eyes with Hollywood’s It-Boy, Matt Damon looks barely half of his 32 years. But behind those shimmering eyes and pert demeanor lies a man who has been ‘living it large’ for the past 5 years. In that time, he’s won an Academy Award, dated some of Hollywood’s most beautiful women and starred in a string of hit films – including Good Will Hunting, The Rainmaker, The Talented Mr. Ripley and Ocean’s Eleven. In town to promote his latest film, “The Bourne Identity”, it’s a loquacious Matt Damon who sits down to talk to Clint Morris.
  Clint: You kick some serious butt in this movie Matt. What kind of training was required?
  Matt: Say for starters I picked up the gun and it looked like I didn’t even know what I was doing, the audience would pick up on it. So I had to spend hour after hour loading and shooting pistols. I also had to box, and be trained in Kali-style martial arts. It was great, I mean when I did ‘Talented Mr. Ripley’ I had nothing to do but look like I was playing Piano, and even that I didn’t play. I’ve done a little Horseback riding for ‘The Pretty Horses’ and a spot of Golf, but this was extreme.
  Clint: How important to the role was the training?
  Matt: Very Important. I mean, I can always tell an L.A Cop that’s off duty. Say he’s at a bar; he stands there with his gun in his holster still. He’s off, but he still looks the part. They wanted me to look the part too. Even though some of those moments with a gun may only be little moments, they’re vital. It was big leap for me to take on this role, so we had to make everything credible.
  Clint: Did you have one trainer or several?
  Matt: I had a heap of people teaching me all different aspects of fighting and training. I did Boxing with one guy, pistol shooting with another, weight training with a guy named Jonathan and a guy named Chick on the much more physical stuff. 6 hours a day on this stuff.
  Clint: Are you keeping up any of the martial arts?
  Matt: I’m continuing to box.
  Clint: Did you get to get behind the wheel of one of those Minis’s?
  Matt: They took us out to this Formula 1 Track and they never let us even drive it (laughs). They had those guys whom did ‘Ronin’ do it. You know the guys that did that awesome car chase in the movie! I’m glad they used Mini’s though, it’s a small detail but it comes across so much better than if they had used say a Ferrari. That Geena Davis film, The Long Kiss Goodnight, was a loose take on ‘The Bourne Identity’ and they didn’t do any of that, so in some ways we’re going anti-American, but it could have been a throwaway film otherwise. They’re already comparing this film to The Italian Job, which is good. I see it more as a homage to that though”.
  Clint: Did you read the novel “The Bourne Identity” before signing on?
  Matt: Yeah. It’s a pretty famous airport novel in America. There’s like the Ludlum shelf, the Clancy shelf and so on, it’s always there. I read it when I was like 21 – 22 when I was flying around and couldn’t get a job. When Doug Liman asked me to do the movie, I was quite surprised. I mean in the book, the guy is a lot older and it’s very passé, not to mention set in the cold War. But Liman told me he didn’t want to do James Bond; he saw it more as a European Le Femme Nikita, a throwback to the kind of movies they made back in the 70’s, loud and big.
  Clint: Did the real C.I.A have a say in the movie’s theme?
  Matt: As far as I know, the C.I.A had nothing to do with the movie, unless there were hidden undercover meetings going on. But a lot of what happens in the movie is based on actual stuff. Director Doug Liman’s father, Arthur, was the man who prosecuted Oliver North, so he had an inside edge. And I guess he wanted to turn a Republic novel into a democratic piece.
  Clint: In terms of a Hollywood movie, “The Bourne Identity” is relatively low budget
  Matt: Yeah it was weird. Prior to ‘Ryan’ I had done a $65 Million dollar movie, and then “Oceans Eleven” was about $80 million, but this was the first time I myself was headlining a $60 million dollar movie and I thought this was big business. But everyone keeps telling me how small it is, suddenly it went from being this huge movie to the underdog picture of the season.
  Clint: Director Wolfgang Peterson says he would like a ‘Matt Damon’ type to headline his new ‘Batman vs. Superman’ movie. Are young actors like yourself the new breed of Action Hero?
  Matt: I guess so (laughs). I was never mentioned in this genre before I did ‘Bourne’ but now my name has been lumped in there now. I guess the old pro’s like Stallone and Schwarzenegger are still doing the same old thing so it’s good to see something new.
  Clint: Do you think fellow actors do these superhero movies or big-budget blockbusters in the hope that they will be able to pick and choose their roles as a consequence?
  Matt: No I don’t think so. That use to be the way, and what would happen is an actor would do a big superhero movie or action movie in the hope of then going on and doing a more risqué art movie or something. Instead, that movie would bomb and their career would be in shambles.
  Clint: Whenever one of your films flop, does Ben give you a good ribbing?
  Matt: We joke about it. I guess now we’re in the bigger leagues, but Ben still rings up and says things like doesn’t ‘look like your movie’s going to do anywhere near the box office business of mine’. It seems everyone thinks like this, I was with Eddie Burns (his co-star in “Saving Private Ryan”) at a Yankee game, and the popcorn vender said to Eddie ‘Hey Eddie Burns! I loved your movie…but what’s with it only opening on 800 screens. I was in Philadelphia recently with Ben who is shooting Kevin Smith’s new film Jersey Girl. Smith wanted me to do a cameo, but because he’s aiming for something other than a dick ‘n’ fart joke movie this time and more something on the scale of “Jerry Maguire”, I didn’t think it was a good idea. I said to Kevin that wouldn’t have me pop up in a cameo look odd in this more ‘serious’ movie. You know what he said? He said what the f*%* is wrong with you, can’t we work together now man! (Laughs)
  Clint: In addition, you’re doing a cameo in George Clooney’s new film; “Confessions of a Dangerous Mind” aren’t you?
  Matt: Yes. We had this show in America called ‘The Dating Game’ and I appear in a fictional episode of that. There’s Brad Pitt as contestant number one, then I’m contestant no.2, and this ugly guy as contestant three. The camera then pans on the 3rd guy, and suddenly he’s picked. It’s just a small scene.
  Clint: You’ve another film due for release this year called “Gerry”. How did that turn out?
  Matt: This is a very different movie. Gus had to take out a bank loan to make it, scrape every cent together. Not because it’s no good, but just because of the subject matter, I mean it’s essentially just Casey Affleck and me walking around the desert. It could have had Tom Cruise in it and would have had trouble getting funding
  Clint: Do you plan on doing any more writing with Ben in the future?
  Matt: Ben is shooting a film now, and then he has one more to do. After that we might sit down and write something again. It might be Halfway House, which we planned on doing earlier.
  THE BOURNE IDENTITY opens September 26
• From Felicity:
  • Rexfeatures.com has some new pictures from the Sydney premiere.
    Great shots of Odessa:
    here, and here.
    Good shots of Matt answering questions at the screening: here, and here.
  • From WENN:
    Damon Plans Long Bachelorhood
    World Entertainment News Network
    Actor MATT DAMON hopes to stay single as long as possible - because marriage can mean less freedom.
    The BOURNE IDENTITY hunk was disappointed when his brother KYLE was unable to travel to London to see him in the West End play THIS IS OUR YOUTH because of family commitments.
    And he's determined not to avoid that same position until he's ready to cope with the responsibility that comes with walking down the aisle.
    He says, "I've dwelled on this for a long time because there is a certain amount of pressure that comes from society and one's immediate surroundings to marry.
    "But the fact is, I do so much traveling that it's hard to focus on marriage.
    "I look at my older brother Kyle, who is married and has two kids, and even though he has a great, happy life with his family, because of his duties as a husband and father he couldn't come to London to see my play. I don't know if I'm ready for that."
  • Matt will arrive in Berlin to promote Bourne on 10 September, and stay for two days. Franka will be in Canada filming and won't be there.
  • Here's an article from the "Illawarra Mercury" following the press conference on Monday. Note the last para where Matt says he's turned down 20 scripts since Bourne opened.
    Matt's write on the money
    Despite a hectic promotional tour of Australia, Matt Damon still remembers where it all began.
    He speaks to MEGAN LEVY.
    Matt Damon's in a rush. In the past few days, he has been whisked around Sydney on a promotional tour, climbed The Harbour Bridge, gone sailing on a yacht, and tasted Sydney's theatre scene.
    In an hour-and-a-half he's due at the red carpet preview of his latest film, The Bourne Identity, before being barrelled off to Melbourne to do it all again.
    But while his minders are watchful of the time, Damon seems in no such hurry. He reclines in his chair, flashes his boyish, crooked grin and is more than willing to talk about how he escapes from his now frenzied life.
    ``I like reading the paper and just staying in touch with a regular city like New York, with my friends and family ... I go to a fair amount of plays. I read a bit of fiction and non-fiction," he said. But it's rare that he gets a lot of time off these days.
    It has been four years since the 31-year-old won a screenwriting Oscar for Good Will Hunting, the script he wrote with best mate Ben Affleck. Since then he has been inundated with roles in films such as Saving Private Ryan, The Talented Mr Ripley, The Legend of Bagger Vance, All the Pretty Horses, Ocean's 11 and now, The Bourne Identity.
    He admits it seems a long time ago that he and Affleck wrote the Good Will Hunting script, which included starring roles for them both. They hoped it would become a small film to showcase their talents.
    ``We made that movie in a lot of ways to get work as actors, and that started to happen. The great thing (is) that we've been working for five years," he says.
    ``More than anything, we had a really good time (writing Good Will Hunting). We write probably differently to most people. We're not sitting at a computer most of the time, we use tape recorders, we get up and improvise a scene. We basically laugh for a few months and then transcribe everything we have, and then try to hammer a story out of it."
    Now he's playing the lead role in The Bourne Identity, an adaptation of Robert Ludlum's 1980 espionage story about a man who wakes up with bullets in his back, a Swiss bank account number embedded in his hip, and no memory of his past. A deadly array of talents in fighting, linguistics and self-defence, however, speak of a dangerous past, and the film follows his search to discover his identity.
    Directed by Doug Liman, who is acclaimed for Go and his edgy signature film Swingers, The Bourne Identity is a modern-day take of Ludlum's story - which Damon read while sitting in an airport terminal.
    ``I was in a long-distance relationship about 10 years ago, and my girlfriend was living in New York and I was in LA, so I went through a lot of airports. I read the trilogy pretty quickly. It still surprised me when Doug asked me to do it, because I never saw myself as this character," he says.
    Damon's character in the film, Jason Bourne, is a muscular martial artist who engages in high-speed car chases and scales the outside of buildings. To achieve his burly physique, Damon said he spent five months studying the Filipino martial arts discipline kali, as well as boxing and weapons training, which was ``like summer school in assassin training".
    ``From the very beginning, Doug Liman said, `I want this to be a character-driven action movie, I want it to be a little bit more intelligent and raise the bar a bit'," Damon says.
    Liman suggested: ``One of the things that will help is if you do all of this stuff. The audience is smart enough to see an actor in close up and a cutaway to a stunt man in a wide angle."
    ``What's good about this movie are the details - a guy looking at a map before a car chase - things you haven't seen before but kind of make sense. I hate sitting in those movies where the characters do things that don't make sense. You're just going, `Why are you going back in there? Oh, just so they can blow it up.' So we tried to be smart about it," Damon explains.
    He seems to approach his career with the same cool-headed logic, which has kept him grounded in reality despite his status as Hollywood star. Throughout the interview, little throwaway lines indicate that he doesn't seem to be taking for granted the privileged life he has been given.
    He's nervous to be in a $60million film - ``which was a huge budget - well, huge for me" - and admits he is usually scared before making a film.
    ``Ending up in a movie that just sucks is probably one of my bigger worries," he says with a laugh.
    ``The guy I play (in The Bourne Identity) is just so kind of cool ... that all I can think about at some point are my friends watching this movie. Not them thinking I'm cool, but them thinking `Oh come on with that martial arts. It's Matt. Are you kidding me? That guy would get killed'."
    In the future, Damon said he and Affleck hoped to sit down and write another screen play when their hectic schedules calmed down. He'll also work on the second series of Project Greenlight, a competition he set up via the Internet with Affleck and producer Chris Moore. The competition encourages aspiring screen-writers and directors to send in a copy of their screenplays, and the winner's script is made into a film.
    With the success of The Bourne Identity at US box offices, Damon said he was being offered more film scripts these days, but for the moment was biding his time.
    ``I've probably said no to about 20 (scripts) in a short span of time, but that's not because I'm being snobbish. I'm just trying to be patient, and I really want to love the next thing that I do," he said.

• A big thanks to Bernadette, who wrote:
  i'm sure you've already received information about the Bernie Mac premiere with Matt Damon, but just in case, I saw a commercial for it while watching American Idol and it's suppose to premiere on September 18th. I guess you check local listings for times.
• From Bec:
  • From Sydney Confidential (The Daily Telegraph)
    Monday night:
    Down at Bondi, Matt Damon and entourage occupied a window table at Hugo's. At about 9:45 pm, Damon - with champagne glass in hand - took his group to an outdoor table for dessert. He then made a point of meeting head chef Peter Evans and staff.
  • From Urban Cinefile (www.urbancinefile.com.au)
    29/8/2002: MATT DAMON – MUM’S THE WORD
    There was only one question Matt Damon ducked diplomatically during a 30 minute session with a dozen media on Monday afternoon this week, just prior to him introducing his latest film, The Bourne Identity, at Sydney’s cinema complex in George Street: what was it like travelling with a girlfriend - and her mum.
    On that note, Matt excused himself with a big grin as UIP executives whisked him off to get ready for the special screening. But to be fair, it was the end of the media session, and he had behaved like a gentleman and all round regular nice guy, answering questions with long and sincere answers.
    Before the promotional work, Damon had climbed the Sydney Harbour Bridge, spent three hours cruising the harbour and fell in love with Sydney. Asked if he would consider buying property here like some other stars, he said only if he was here for a long time on a movie project. “It’s so far away from everyone I know,” he said.
    But he added, “We don’t have a place like Sydney in America. And it’s great.”
    On Tuesday, Damon flew to Melbourne for media interviews and then returned to Sydney for a couple of days break prior to flying back to Los Angeles.
    Andrew L. Urban (who was not the one to ask the final question) will report in full on the mini press conference closer to the film’s release on September 26.
  • Ok, so Matt was on another Aussie chat show, called The Panel....wearing his blue shirt AGAIN! LOL!
    He talked about "one of the most embarrassing moments in his life"....getting 'stage fright whilst in the toilets with Bill Clinton! Matt was at the screening of Good Will Hunting (in the white house) and was very excited, it was a big thing, being the first person in his family to meet the president! So later, he went into the toilets, and Bill was the only other person in there, at the urianal, so Matt went into a stall, to give Bill privacy, and then couldn't go to the toilet....he just couldn't get himself to do it...and Clinton wasn't leaving...so Matt was very embarrassed. Said that it went on for 2 or 3 minutes, and then the minute the president left, it was like a dam bursting! LOL! He then couldn't look the president in the eye after that!
    They showed him a commercial that he was supposedly in...but it wasn't Matt....so that was pretty pointless! LOL!
    Then one of the panellists said that Matt and Odessa were engaged, which Matt corrected and told him that they weren't engaged and then talked about how they met on the set of All The Pretty Horses when she was working for Billy Bob, and how they became friends (Matt, Ben and Odessa) and then Ben mentioned needing a PA, so she said she'd do it. And then when she and Matt started going out, he said "You really gotta quit working for that schmuck!" LOL!
    Although he said they weren't engaged, he called Odessa's mum his mother in law to be...well, one of the panellists did first, but then Matt repeated the to be part. One of them said that he was travelling with his mother in law to be, and Matt said "And they're watching, so I have no further comment!"
    They talked about the fighting scenes and Matt's training. Matt thinks that movie stars are really indulgent when they go on about how hard they trained, because they are being paid a lot to do it!
    He also said that before the fight scenes, he told the guy he was fighting that he was going to hit him, but he didn't mean it! And then told the guy that for everytime he accidently punched him, he'd buy him a bottle of champagne...and by the end of the scene he owed him a case of champagne! LOL!
    So, all in all, it was a very enjoyable interview!
  • There's an article and pictures of Matt at the Herald Sun site: here.
    Damon gets a taste of Australia
    By CLAIRE SUTHERLAND
    29aug02
    HE may have climbed the Sydney Harbour Bridge, but when Matt Damon hit Melbourne it was a much less strenuous activity on his mind.
    The affable star helped pull a few beers at his East Melbourne hotel before heading off for a red carpet premiere of his latest film, The Bourne Identity, at Camberwell's Rivoli Cinema. When a Hollywood A-lister braves the 17-hour flight to these shores, it's usually because their movie has flopped back home and needs desperate international resuscitation.
    So what is Damon doing in Melbourne? The Bourne Identity has been a box-office bonanza in the US.
    "It's the opposite theory," Damon laughed.
    "I like to travel with a movie I like rather than one that sucks. I don't think I could do this if I didn't like the movie. It's pretty draining even if you like the movie because you end up repeating yourself so much."
    For Damon, the movies that have "sucked" have been reasonably few and far between, but the one that did get critically canned left a scar.
    "All the Pretty Horses got pretty savaged," he said of the Billy Bob Thornton-directed western.
    "What happened with that movie was it was cut by the studio at the end of the day because Billy Bob's cut was three hours and 12 minutes.
    "It's still the best movie I've ever done and I was so, so proud of it and everybody's work in it and I was really, really sad to see what happened to it. But what happened at the box office or what the critics say literally has no bearing on what I feel about that movie. If I could go back and do one movie again it would be that one."
    Damon, who has dated fellow actors Minnie Driver and Winona Ryder, is now happily ensconced with girlfriend Odessa Whitmire, the former personal assistant of his best friend, Ben Affleck.
    He said he hadn't adopted a deliberate policy of steering clear of fellow actors in the romance stakes.
    "If I was single and I fell for somebody who was an actress I would think very carefully before doing that, but it wouldn't preclude me from entering into a relationship with somebody that I really liked. Luckily for me that's not an issue right now," he said.
    Damon shot to fame with Affleck in 1997 when their co-written film Good Will Hunting won two Oscars.
    So far Damon has climbed the Sydney Harbour Bridge and attended the Sydney Theatre Company production of The Hanging Man with his Talented Mr Ripley co-star Cate Blanchett, whose husband Andrew Upton was director.
    He's decided to cut his Melbourne visit short to avoid the aviation strike.
    The Bourne Identity opens on September 26.
    The pictures are at: here, and here.
  • Very funny last night, I was watching this new show called twentyfourseven, which is about a magazine. It's fictional, but presented like reality TV, and is filmed a day or so it goes to air, and therefore talks about current happenings. Oh, and you can vote on what happens next. Anyway, the big story last night was Matt and Odessa being at this fictional bar/restaurant, and the gossip columnist being so upset that she missed them, and then grilling the girl who saw them for info on what they were wearing etc. It was very amusing. Oh, and the 'art director' of the mag was going to have Matt on the cover, but then decided against it, because "something better came along"....which wasn't very nice! Just thought I'd mention this, because the whole show was just bizarre, and Matt and Odessa being mentioned was pretty interesting,
• From Felicity:
  • From a Wall Street Journal article on mobile phone numbers:
    Some charismatic types don't look for more from a phone number. Huddled with friends recently at Bungalow 8, a Manhattan nightclub, actor Matt Damon laughed at the idea of having a snazzy round cellphone number. "That's ridiculous," said Mr. Damon, who has never owned a cellphone himself and said he had just been forced to rent one. That number, he said, was utterly forgettable.
  • Here's a great write-up from the Herald-Sun:
    You're welcome, Matt
    Visiting Hollywood star Matt Damon really is as lovely as his wholesome, nice-guy image.
    The Oscar-winner, in Melbourne on the publicity trail for his latest flick, The Bourne Identity, has earned gushing praise ("He's just sooooo nice" has been the constant catchphrase hitting our ears) from all who have dealt with him since he flew in on Tuesday night.
    There was no fanfare and fuss for his airport arrival, with only one minder (sent along by Qantas) to keep an eye on proceedings.
    Damon happily signed autographs for fans, before he and girlfriend Odessa Whitmire (who we were rather dreamily told was constantly called "sweetheart" by Damon) chatted about which one of them would grab the luggage - how non-star of them.
    Whitmire, who met Damon while working as personal assistant to his best mate, Ben Affleck, ended doing the honours, with her boyfriend minding her carry-on bag and ducking outside to have a quick cigarette.
    While Damon searched through his pockets for a lighter, an eager male fan quickly materialised to offer the pin-up a light (photo with story).
    More thumbs up for the Good Will Hunting star from us after we heard that after his appearance on Rove Live Tuesday night, he asked his driver to stop outside the gates of the Nunawading studios so he could say a quick hello to a throng of fans who had been waiting for hours to get a glimpse of their idol. When Damon wound down the window, a teenage girl leaned through and gave the star a hug and a peck on the cheek before bursting into tears from excitement.
    The unflappable actor took it all in his stride and hugged the sobbing youngster, before saying goodbye.
    Our ears pricked up when Damon revealed why his Aussie trip might have to be cut short.
    "One of my buddies is getting married... so I have to get back for that," he said.
    His admission that the wedding was taking place in Boston - home town for him and Affleck - made us even more interested. It couldn't be that speculation that Affleck and girlfriend Jennifer Lopez will soon tie the knot could be true, could it? Hmmm, time will tell.
  • I think Bec's sent you the other story from the paper: here.
  • The Age paper has adapted the Telegraph interview of last week with some new local content:
    The gloss on Matt
    August 29 2002
    Hollywood's tall poppies can have you itching for a scythe. But not Matt Damon. Unless he's just acting, then this 31-year-old, Harvard drop-out is an intelligent, creative, philanthropic, regular guy. He's so considerate, so keen to do his best on the publicity circuit for his new film The Bourne Identity, that he's travelled across the world, including Australia, at a frantic pace.
    Damon's 14-hours in Melbourne yesterday included a red-carpet premiere for 500 in Camberwell, and 10 face-to-face interviews for newspapers, radio stations and TV (including Channel 10's The Panel), plus three press conferences with interstate journalists via video links.
    Today is slightly less full-on but still hectic, with nine interviews.
    Too good to be true? In press circles he has earned the tag of Mr Nice Guy with an ego so healthy that he has criticised the star system that handed him his first $10-million pay cheque, describing it as "lacking integrity" and being "detrimental to the quality of the studios' output".
  • Very interesting interview on "The Panel" tonight, where Matt didn't seem to deny that he is engaged. I think Matt must have been either tired or very relaxed, because he was a lot more open and honest than his usual reserved self (but it's also been a trend of the visit here).
    He talked for the first time about meeting Odessa on the set of "Pretty Horses", staying friends with her as part of a group, and then her offering to become Ben's assistant, before Matt saying "you're not working for that schmuck anymore" (or something similar). All very cute and funny stuff, which finished with Matt holding another guest's baby off camera after his segment.
  • From urbancinefile.com.au:
    29/8/2002: MATT DAMON – MUM’S THE WORD
    There was only one question Matt Damon ducked diplomatically during a 30 minute session with a dozen media on Monday afternoon this week, just prior to him introducing his latest film, The Bourne Identity, at Sydney’s cinema complex in George Street: what was it like travelling with a girlfriend - and her mum. On that note, Matt excused himself with a big grin as UIP executives whisked him off to get ready for the special screening. But to be fair, it was the end of the media session, and he had behaved like a gentleman and all round regular nice guy, answering questions with long and sincere answers.
    Before the promotional work, Damon had climbed the Sydney Harbour Bridge, spent three hours cruising the harbour and fell in love with Sydney. Asked if he would consider buying property here like some other stars, he said only if he was here for a long time on a movie project. “It’s so far away from everyone I know,” he said.
    But he added, “We don’t have a place like Sydney in America. And it’s great.”
    On Tuesday, Damon flew to Melbourne for media interviews and then returned to Sydney for a couple of days break prior to flying back to Los Angeles. Andrew L. Urban (who was not the one to ask the final question) will report in full on the mini press conference closer to the film’s release on September 26.
  • More photos from the Sydney premiere are at: here. Click on "view photos" to see sheets of stills.
  • Not quite the NY Post, but a sighting from the Sydney Telegraph (Hugo's is a restaurant overlooking Bondi Beach):
    Spotted: ... down at Bondi, Matt Damon and entourage occupied a window table at Hugo's. At about 9.45pm, Damon - with champagne glass in hand - took his group to an outdoor table for dessert. He then made a point of meeting head chef Peter Evans and staff.
  • Another bit in the Sydney Morning Herald on the skills learned for various movies:
    "The piano for The Talented Mr Ripley was a drag. It was very frustrating for me but really helpful in trying to create the character. That's something I do a lot of, probably because I have a lack of imagination. I really want to make sure that I do as much of what the character does before I get to the set to shoot."
    Damon has stuck with golf and poker but has quit the piano. "I could play with one hand and I could play with the other, but I could not put the two hands together."
  • Another competition for a person in the UK to meet Matt in London: here.
  • One part of the Sydney trip made it to the NY Daily News (through newswires):
    Matt Damon is on the ascent Down Under. The actor and his girlfriend, Odessa Whitmire, arrived in Sydney on Saturday at 6 a.m. Within a few hours, he'd embarked on his longtime dream of climbing Sydney Harbour Bridge. Damon, who's there to promote "The Bourne Identity," completed the challenge in 2-1/2 hours ...
  • From Extra.com, where they must have showed some footage of the Sydney premiere, with a pic on the site: here.
    Matt Damon is soaking up the land down under with his new love Odessa Whitmire. Damon is in Australia for that country's premiere of his movie, "The Bourne Identity." Damon says he's having a blast because a lot of the locals don't recognize him. He says, "It's nice to be anonymous. But one person I passed while jogging said, 'Good morning, Mr. Affleck."
    Chances are once the movie opens, no one will make that mistake again.
  • Promos for the "Bernie Mac" episode Matt are apparently airing on Fox with great frequency.

• From Felicity:
  • From The Daily Telegraph. Photo at: here:
    Damon takes a joke
    From Sydney Confidential
    August 28, 2002
    VISITING Hollywood actor Matt Damon – pictured here enjoying BridgeClimb – cemented his affable reputation at a special screening of The Bourne Identity on Monday night The Oscar winner happily suffered a tongue-in-cheek introduction by James Valentine.
    "I like to refer to 1997 as the year of the Damon – he couldn't be escaped in a title role for the next 18 months," Valentine joked. ". . . Good Will Hunting , The Rainmaker , Saving Private Ryan , or The Talented Mr Ripley . So why on earth did he choose The Legend of Bagger Vance?"
    Damon's response was swift: "I don't know why I chose The Legend of Bagger Vance either."
    The Bourne Identity is Damon's first action role. "I think it was just to get fit," he said, laughing.
    "No, I'm really proud – it's a good two hours. I wouldn't have come all this way if the film sucked. If you disagree, call my hotel and we'll refund your ticket."
    He didn't leave his room number.

    Matt Damon breezes in
    By Katie Lapthorne
    28aug02
    HOLLYWOOD hunk Matt Damon breezed into Melbourne last night without the fanfare you would expect from an A-list movie star.
    Arriving with girlfriend Odessa Whitmire, Damon walked through the terminal with other passengers and offered to collect his own baggage before jumping in a car bound for his hotel.
    Stopping to sign autographs, Damon said his short tour of the country was going well.
    "Everything is going great," he said. "I'm feeling a little tired though."
    Damon is in Melbourne for promotional interviews and to open his new film, spy thriller The Bourne Identity.
    He said interest in the film was stronger than he had expected.
    "Something about it really seems to be jiving with the people down here," he said.
    Damon also proved he was up on current affairs, saying his trip to the city may have to be cut short.
    "With this air traffic controllers strike we may have to leave a little earlier than we thought," he said. "One of my buddies is getting married . . . so I have to get back for that."
    Damon will appear at the Melbourne premiere of The Bourne Identity, at the Rivoli in Camberwell, tonight.
    The film opens on September 26

• From Bec:
  • (About Matt on "Rove live"):
    Rove (which is a show I love...well, not as much as I used to, but that's not important) has a bowl of M&M's on the little coffee table thing, and as usual, offered them to Matt. He always offers them to guests who notice them....but then, as usual, we are left with a guest with a mouthful of lollies....which is pretty weird considering they are there to speak (that's just my little comment on the whole concept, not just Matt stuffing his face..LOL!)
    Matt talked a lot about Ben, and told most of the stories that we all know.....I was thinking this, before realising that the reason I know them is because I'm a bit obsessive, so I guess a lot of it would have been new to most watchers....LOL!
    Rove made him do that ridiculous thing where you bite your fingers nails and then link your fingers and it hurts like hell. I loved Matt's "How do you come up with that?" and he was very sceptical that it would hurt (like most people attempting this for the first time) but when he did it, it obviously hurt...Matt goes "Oh, you're kidding me!"
    Matt dispelled the rumour about his breakdancing in Harvard Square all those years ago, making it quite clear that Casey Affleck made that up...that was funny too.
    Oh, and Rove wanted Matt to do some kind of martial arts move, but in the end Matt showed Rove how he can get stuff out of people's hands, by pressing on their thumb...which would eventually break the thumb. Rove was holding his Logie (like an Aussie Emmy.....which is how Rove described it) and Matt got it, and then got all teary for his acceptance speech of "it's great to be in Melbourne!" It was very funny.
    Rove obviously liked Matt because he asked Matt to stick around after the break, chat some more, and then at the very end, Matt went with Rove to meet the band after their performance....that doesn't usually happen on Rove Live.
  • Matt will be on an Adelaide radio station, SAFM, on Thursday morning. I may possibly be the only Adelaidean who frequents the site, but just in case I'm not, I thought I'd pass this on.
• A Matt Fan wrote:
  Here's an article from EntertainmentWeekly.com on Confessions of a Dangerous Mind. It doesn't mention Matt or Brad's cameos. I hope they weren't cut out. The movie does sound good, with or without Matt. here

• Jamie wrote (thanks!):
  Here's an article i found on ninemsn.com.au, here:
  Damon ready for action in new film
  Matt Damon tells why he would love to make a movie in Australia. Listen to Audio
  Hollywood star Matt Damon inadvertently researched his latest film's storyline a decade ago, the actor said in Sydney.
  Damon, 31, is in Australia to promote the action spy thriller, The Bourne Identity, in which he stars alongside German actress Franka Potente.
  The screenplay is based on the popular Robert Ludlum novel, The Story of the Bourne Identity.
  "This one's a pretty famous airport novel in our country (the United States)," Damon said at his central Sydney hotel today.
  "It's sold in just about every airport, if you go through you can catch a Ludlum book, they're kind of like (Tom) Clancy books, they're right there on the rack.
  "I was in a long-distance relationship about 10 or so years ago when my girlfriend was living in New York and I was living in LA, so I was through a lot of airports.
  "I ended up picking up (The Story of) The Bourne Identity and ended up reading the trilogy very quickly."
  He said he was surprised when director Doug Linman asked him to star in the film because he never saw himself as the lead character of Jason Bourne.
  "I was just reading it for pleasure, entertainment-type reading," he said.
  Damon said one of the things that had scared him before making the movie was being seen in an action role.
  He said the inclination was to always make action films bigger and better.
  "The more money that goes in, the more stuff you've got to blow up," he said.
  "So they get dumbed-down the higher the budget gets."
  But the star said despite the $US60 million ($A110.7 million) budget, the film maintained its integrity and kept its character.
  "I guess ending up in a movie that sucks is one of my bigger worries professionally," he told journalists.
  Damon also revealed that even Hollywood's big names can get nervous about kissing scenes.
  He said on the day he was scheduled to shoot a kissing scene with Potente, 28, they both drank a bottle of bitter German liqueur, Jagermeister.
  Damon said he felt nervous about kissing his co-star because he was friendly with her boyfriend at the time.
  More than 300 fans braved Sydney's wet weather to catch a glimpse of the star at Monday night's invitation-only screening of the film.
  Damon made his way slowly down the red carpet accepting many requests for autographs from the mainly teenaged crowd.
  Inside the cinema, Damon introduced the film after first fielding questions from compere, ABC radio broadcaster James Valentine.
  More than 600 guests at the cinema laughed when it was suggested that they hadn't seen him "do much exercise" in previous films.
  "I think it was just to get fit, that's why I took this one," Damon jokingly told the audience.
  He is scheduled to depart for the Melbourne leg of his promotional tour today.
• Bec wrote:
  Matt was interviewed by Kyle and Jackie O on Hot 30, a national radio show.
  Just a brief summary of the interview:
  He re-told the 'Good Morning Mr Affleck' story again. Then said that he and Matt are mistaken for each other all the time. People also always asked Matt where Ben is and vice versa....LOL!
  His fave film is Good Will, because of the fact that they put 6 years into it, plus lots of emotion.
  They chatted about what Matt did before he was a movie star, and Kyle jokingly said that Matt stripped...and Matt really got into the whole table dancing scenario! Matt then seriously answered the question, saying that Ben, Matt and Casey would pretty much take it in turns, getting work and paying the rent.
  He said that winning the Oscar was very surreal. The fact that he won didn't hit him until a year and a half later, when he and Ben were out with high school friends. Kyle mentioneed how everyone dreams of winning an oscar, and what they'd say in their speech, and asks Matt if you just forget those thoughts. Matt said they just got up there and screamed, and any sense of decorum and suaveness just went right out the window, so much so that he even forgot to thank his own brother!
  Matt also told the mobile phone during the play story.
  Jackie then told Matt that in Allure magazine, Elton John said that Matt was the celeb he'd most like to see naked. Matt goes "You're kidding me? I thought you were going to tell me it was Elle McPherson or something.." They then asked Matt who he'd like to see naked, but Matt said it was a no win situation if his girlfriend was listening. Kyle suggested Matt say someone like the Queen, but Matt said that then people would think 'pervert!'
  They then discussed ex-girlfriends, asking if any old gf's from high school had wanted him back, or sold their stories. Matt said that none of the women he'd dated were ever that shameless! One girl said they had slept together, 15 years ago, he knew her well because she was in his brothers year at high school, and when asked if he'd slept with her, he was like 'Are you kidding me? I would have done anything to sleep with that girl! Believe me I'd remember if I'd slept with her! I wish I'd slept with her!" LOL!
  Once again, Matt was very friendly, charming and impressed Jackie and Kyle!
• And Felicity sent in her take:
  • The interview on "Rove" was pretty standard, with a mostly serious discussion on old stuff (Ben, getting the script made), dispelling some rumors etc. Bec will probably give a much better and lengthier description!
    Matt looked tired and the show is less than average - I'm waiting for a decent interview with new and interesting questions, but that is unlikely.
  • Matt did the rounds of Sydney radio stations Tuesday morning, including 2DayFM and TripleM.
    The complete 2DayFM interview and a photo is at their site: here.
    The interview lasts almost 16 minutes and is fun and informal. Matt talks about a range of things from Britney Spears, "Get Smart", award parties and the paparazzi, which he claims are like "special forces guys without any training."
  • More on the international box-office from Variety:
    Matt Damon was on hand to tubthump "The Bourne Identity" in Taiwan, its first foreign date, paying off with $875,000, the industry's sixth best of 2002, behind the spring/summer tentpoles.

• Wireimage has pictures from the Sydney premiere: here.
• Good pics at: here, here, and here.
• A photo agency has pics of Matt and Odessa at the theatre last Saturday night. Available at: here and click on photos.
• The "Today" show appearance was a taped junket interview, but Matt was really charming and likeable, as noted by the interviewer and show hosts.
• A summary of the press conference also appeared in "The Canberra Times", conducted by a woman who was asked to get an autograph by her teenage daughter, but said she wouldn't:
  Damon, at his press conference, was utterly charming. The Harvard-educated actor sat jiggling his feet, but he was attentive, earnest and focused.
  He was relaxing in Sydney, on his first visit, even had a chance to climb the Harbour Bridge and thought it was a hoot a reporter tracked down his climbing companion.
  "Pleased with the film, Matt?"
  "Yes, delighted. Because, y'know, when you do a good job the Press smiles at you. But if you don't, it's like facing a firing squad."
  Smiles. Reminds everyone that while he loves his work, he spends a great deal of time with family and friends.
  It's time to go. A cameraman asks if he'll sign a DVD case. And I think, what the hell, I could use a few brownie points with the teenager. And Matt Damon is such a nice young man, he doesn't mind a bit.

• From Felicity:
  • No photos online yet from the premiere (at this time), but some coverage on local news. Matt came with Odessa to an enthusiastic welcome, both looking great and very happy.
    Not much Matt-press today before the premiere. Channel 10 news ran a short interview conducted in a bar, where Matt talked about going for a jog and not being recognised by anyone, except one guy who said "Good morning, Mr Affleck."
  • Bourne's international box-office has started well in Taiwan, presumably boosted by Matt's visit there:
    Meantime, the fish-out-of-water comedy "The Guru" saw lusty business in its world premiere in the U.K, and "The Bourne Identity" kicked off its international campaign in Taiwan with gusto. The Matt Damon headliner "Bourne Identity" captured an estimated $500,000 in two days in Taiwan. That was 59% bigger than the recent debut of "The Sum of All Fears."
  • I can't find any photos from the premiere online. Will keep looking or scan some pics in if they appear in hard copy.
  • From Daily Telegraph:
    Matt's just fan-tastic
    August 27, 2002
    MATT DAMON last night dragged out more than 300 fans on a wet Sydney evening, eager to see the Oscar-winner charm his way down the red carpet. He was at George St's Hoyts Cinema Complex for a special preview of his new movie The Bourne Identity.
    And he thrilled at least one admirer by taking a photo of them together, another victory in his campaign to win over Sydney.
    At the weekend the Hollywood gentleman admitted to uncharacteristic feelings of jealousy, while sitting in an Australian theatre.
    He was at a preview of Andrew Upton's new play The Hanging Man.
    "[My Oscar] doesn't mean anything," he told showbiz editor Michael Bodey after being blown away by Upton's work.
    "I was envious sitting there. Good writers, when you see their stuff, it's pretty easy to identify good writing," he added of Upton, whose wife, Sydney star Cate Blanchett, introduced the two on the set of The Talented Mr Ripley.
  • Another version from the Telegraph:
    High praise from an Oscar winner
    27aug02 MATT Damon's an Oscar-winning screenwriter but he admitted to feelings of jealousy while sitting in an Australian theatre, of all places, at the weekend.
    Damon was at a preview of Andrew Upton's new play for the Sydney Theatre Company, The Hanging Man.
    "[The Oscar] doesn't mean anything," Damon told showbiz editor Michael Bodey.
    "I was envious sitting there. Good writers, when you see their stuff, it's pretty easy to identify good writing," he added of Upton, whose wife, Cate Blanchett, introduced the two on The Talented Mr Ripley.
    Not that Damon's seen much recently. He hasn't done a film for a year and conceded "I'm trying to be choosy but I don't think my standards are that prohibitive that I wouldn't see anything good but I haven't seen anything."
    Self-effacingly, the Good Will Hunting Oscar winner, even said "I wasn't exactly at the top of the list before [his film] The Bourne Identity opened."
    But now he is, having turned himself into the action star for the smart set in the adaptation of the Robert Ludlum thriller.
    So did he feel like Tom Cruise, Pierce Brosnan or Ben Aflleck.
    "None of them," Damon laughed. "I was running through thinking 'I hope this f...ing works!"
  • This is the longest interview - from the Sydney Morning Herald. There's also a link to a video interview at the page. here Photo at: here.
    A little goodwill goes a long way
    By Garry Maddox
    August 27 2002
    He has risen from nowhere to Hollywood roles paying a reputed $US10 million ($18 million) a film. He has won an Oscar as a screenwriter and been nominated for his acting. And now he has made a big-budget spy thriller that has worked at the American box office.
    But don't talk to Matt Damon about sequels. Contrary to the Hollywood logic that says every successful film has to spawn a "franchise", the star of The Bourne Identity is not sure whether he wants to be involved in two rumoured sequels.
    "A lot of times you see these sequels and it just looks like they're all milking the cash cow," he said in Sydney yesterday. "The movies are really sub-par. I wouldn't want to do it unless I really felt we could all make a better movie than the first one."
    The clean-cut and articulate Damon, who rose from obscurity when he and Ben Affleck co-wrote and starred in Good Will Hunting, showed that fame has not dulled his instincts for what cinema audiences like.
    "You wear out your welcome pretty quickly when an audience can see that you're just doing it because you made a good one the first time out and now you're just trying to squeeze more money out of it.
    "I think audiences are hip to that. For me, I'll have a much longer career if people say 'that guy makes movies that I like'. The minute I start making movies that are crap, people will go, 'I'm not trusting that guy with my ticket any more'." After a mixed bag of films since winning a screenwriting Oscar for Good Will Hunting - including Saving Private Ryan, The Talented Mr Ripley, The Legend of Bagger Vance, All The Pretty Horses and Ocean's 11 - Damon agreed that it seemed like an eternity since he and Affleck were Hollywood no-names.
    "We've both been buried in work for the last five or six years so in some ways that's kind of avoided the huge changes that have gone on for both of us. That's one way to duck and cover. You just bury yourself in your work."
    The biggest change to their lives was that they started working. "We had trouble getting jobs before Good Will Hunting came around. So I think we've both handled it the same way by just making hay while the sun shines and working while there's work."
    On the question of how fame and wealth have affected his daily life, the 31-year-old said he had not really had a life outside film-making for five years.
    "That's what I'm working on now. I've got an apartment in New York and I'm trying to settle in there a little bit and trying to live a bit of a normal life."
    The appeal of The Bourne Identity (opening next month) was that it was character-driven rather than just a formulaic Hollywood action movie.
    "It seemed to have a bit of intelligence to it. That was what attracted me to it - just the things that the character did. It's the first time in a movie that I can recall seeing the guy look at a map before he goes into a car chase. With some of the other things like [his character throwing a gun away] and getting a map and a radio off the wall when you're stuck in a building to try to get out, it just seemed like a unique type of action movie."
    With a glancing blow at another Hollywood convention - the superhero film - Damon said he was less interested in movies "where the story is the special effects or I have to run around dressed in something covering my face the whole time".
    While he has hardly had time to see a film lately - apart from ducking out to see Attack of the Clones while performing in Kenneth Lonergan's This Is Our Youth on the London stage - Damon clearly enjoys the fact he and Affleck are starring in rival Hollywood blockbusters this year, The Bourne Identity and The Sum of All Fears.
    "It's nice that at least in America the two movies were so close in terms of what they did at the box office or we probably wouldn't have heard the end of it."
    Only recently has Damon returned to screenwriting with Casey Affleck, Ben's brother. They worked on the largely improvised Gerry, which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival this year.
    "I just saw Ben about a week ago and we were talking about writing again," he said. "He's got a couple of movies he's doing back-to-back. When he's done with those we're going to try and sit down and write some more because we miss writing - we had a great time writing the first one."
  • Another interview at: here.
• Bec (many thanks!) also wrote from "Oz":
  • Matt was on the channel 10 news tonight (I saw it in Adelaide, but I'm guessing it's a national thing), drinking beer in a pub....just like he wanted to! He was very charming, talking about Sydney in very glowing terms. He said that he could live here, and that there was no city like Sydney in the US. He also mentioned that he's not that well known, well not recognisable at least, in Sydney. He went for a run this morning, and no one...except one person who said "Morning, Mr Affleck" ...even noticed him! Then he chatted a bit about the film. I think it's safe to say that Matt has made quite an impression in Oz!
  • Channel 7 late news showed Matt and Odessa at the premiere, both looking gorgeous and very happy. Matt mentioned what they've been up to, him climbing the bridge, while Odessa shopped at the Paddington Markets, and the two of them enjoying the cruise and the play. He also said that he was reminded of how great it is to be able to be anonymous...mentioned the person calling him Mr Affleck again...LOL! Oh, he also said that he would love to come back to Sydney to make a film. (Just quietly, we'd love that too!)
  • Matt was on both Sunrise and Today this morning...at the same time, which was very annoying! The Sunrise interview was basically about the movie, talking about how he did his own fighting scenes, and the work he puts into a role. He said that his piano playing for Ripley gave him a better posture (he sat up straighter to show that!) He also laughed at the fact that he and Ben's movies came out at around the same time, and are of a similar genre....but obviously thought that was no big deal.
    On Today, he talked about the movie, and about Doug Liman wanting it to be like a European action film, rather than an American one, which is why they used European crews. Matt said that had they used an American crew, the Eiffel Tower probably would have been framed in the shot, because American films shot overseas often tend to be like tourism videos.
    He talked about the Oscar win, and about he and Ben's relationship.....he's quite upset that he's been dumped for JLO! LOL! He also said that he wishes he's actually dated all the people he has been linked to over the years (some he hasn't even met), there are a couple of women on the list he wouldn't have minded being with....and then hastily mentioned that this was before he was with his girlfriend! He also said that for about a week after Good Will Hunting was released, the paparazzi followed him, but then they realised he's a pretty boring guy.
    The general opinion of the interviewer, Richard Wilkins is that Matt's a good bloke, and very likable. The hosts, Steve Liebman and Tracy Grimshaw were also impressed, Tracy saying he's a "good sort" and Steve saying that there are some people you take an instant like to, and that Matt really seems like a "good bloke." LOL...how Aussie's that?
  • article and pic from ninemsn
    Damon ready for action in new film
    27.8.02
    Hollywood star Matt Damon inadvertently researched his latest film's storyline a decade ago, the actor said in Sydney.
    Damon, 31, is in Australia to promote the action spy thriller, The Bourne Identity, in which he stars alongside German actress Franka Potente.
    The screenplay is based on the popular Robert Ludlum novel, The Story of the Bourne Identity.
    "This one's a pretty famous airport novel in our country (the United States)," Damon said at his central Sydney hotel today.
    "It's sold in just about every airport, if you go through you can catch a Ludlum book, they're kind of like (Tom) Clancy books, they're right there on the rack.
    I was in a long-distance relationship about 10 or so years ago when my girlfriend was living in New York and I was living in LA, so I was through a lot of airports.
    "I ended up picking up (The Story of) The Bourne Identity and ended up reading the trilogy very quickly."
    He said he was surprised when director Doug Linman asked him to star in the film because he never saw himself as the lead character of Jason Bourne.
    "I was just reading it for pleasure, entertainment-type reading," he said.
    Damon said one of the things that had scared him before making the movie was being seen in an action role.
    He said the inclination was to always make action films bigger and better.
    "The more money that goes in, the more stuff you've got to blow up," he said.
    "So they get dumbed-down the higher the budget gets."
    But the star said despite the $US60 million ($A110.7 million) budget, the film maintained its integrity and kept its character.
    "I guess ending up in a movie that sucks is one of my bigger worries professionally," he told journalists.
    Damon also revealed that even Hollywood's big names can get nervous about kissing scenes.
    He said on the day he was scheduled to shoot a kissing scene with Potente, 28, they both drank a bottle of bitter German liqueur, Jagermeister.
    Damon said he felt nervous about kissing his co-star because he was friendly with her boyfriend at the time.
    More than 300 fans braved Sydney's wet weather to catch a glimpse of the star at Monday night's invitation-only screening of the film.
    Damon made his way slowly down the red carpet accepting many requests for autographs from the mainly teenaged crowd.
    Inside the cinema, Damon introduced the film after first fielding questions from compere, ABC radio broadcaster James Valentine.
    More than 600 guests at the cinema laughed when it was suggested that they hadn't seen him "do much exercise" in previous films.
    "I think it was just to get fit, that's why I took this one," Damon jokingly told the audience.
    He is scheduled to depart for the Melbourne leg of his promotional tour today.
• LisaM wrote:
  Not sure if you've seen this picture. It was taken at the airport in Taiwan upon Matt's arrival.
  (Thank you, Lisa - the photo (shown far right, with flowers)'s new to us.)

8/26/02

• Scarlett wrote from Hong Kong:
  Hello! Good morning!!!!!!!!!! I just got a nice Matt's picture (see right) from the Taiwanese news today..........the four chinese words showed on the picture is Matt Damon's name translate in Chinese.
• From Felicity:
  • A story from the Sydney Morning Herald, which includes a good photo: here.
    Photos at here and here.
    Includes talk about the bridge climb:
    By the time Damon reached the top of the bridge, he was "in awe of what he was seeing" and clapped along with other groups who had completed the climb. "I've taken a few people up on the Bridge and he would have to be one of the most genuine, down-to-earth fellas I've met," Mr Culliver said.
  • Another story from the Daily Telegraph:
    Hunky Matt's a natural Bourne charmer
    26aug02
    WHILE Confidential won't dump Jerry O'Connell as our favourite visiting Hollywood actor just yet, we have to admit Matt Damon is fast heading for second place.
    The talented Oscar winner and his lovely girlfriend Odessa Whitmire were happy to pose for Confidential's lensman after a preview performance of new play Hanging Man at the Sydney Theatre Company's wharf headquarter's on Saturday night.
    Damon had a special interest in the production, which is directed by Cate Blanchett's husband Andrew Upton.
    The Saving Private Ryan star and Blanchett are old buddies from their days on the set of The Talented Mr Ripley and Damon has expressed his admiration for Upton's work.
    "I'm really glad I saw it," Damon told Confidential of the play, which premieres on Wednesday night.
    "Andrew is such a gifted writer."
    Meanwhile Damon, who is here for a special screening of his new film The Bourne Identity at the George St Cinema Complex tonight, spent yesterday cruising the Harbour with his girlfriend and mates.
    "It's a shame the weather wasn't the best, but at least the sun was out when he did the Bridge Climb on Saturday," said a friend.
    Refreshingly Damon didn't meet Whitmire on the set of a film -- she was personal assistant to his best pal Ben Affleck.
    Action thriller The Bourne Identity -- which stars Damon as an agent on the run and is receiving amazing reviews around the world -- doesn't open officially until September 26. But Confidential has learned there will be sneak previews of the film next Sunday -- which should make more than a few dads happy for Father's Day.
  • Another TV alert for Australian readers:
    Matt will be on the "Today" morning show Tuesday.
• And Jamie (thanks!) also sent in the Morning Herald article:
  Here's an article i found in smh.com.au ( here)
  (Head over heels . . . Matt Damon falls for Sydney. ) - pic caption
  Visiting Hollywood star Matt Damon's intense martial arts preparation for his latest film served him well when he stepped up to the challenge of conquering Sydney's Harbour Bridge.
  In his first visit to Australia, Damon wasted no time on Saturday getting acquainted with Australia ahead of a hectic promotional schedule for his latest film, action spy thriller The Bourne Identity.
  And by all accounts, Damon fell in love with Sydney after his two-and-a-half hour climb.
  Damon, 31, arrived in Sydney from Taipei on an overnight flight at about 6am (AEST) on Saturday. He was in his central Sydney hotel before 8am and within two hours was on his way to climbing the Harbour Bridge.
  The star trained for months in martial arts, boxing, and weapons handling for his European-flavoured latest film in which he stars alongside 28-year-old German actress, Franca Potente.
  And according to the man who escorted Damon up Sydney's best known icon, the star was obviously fit.
  "We do outfit them in grey suits and it's obvious if someone isn't that well conditioned. It was obvious he looked after himself," BridgeClimb senior climb leader Ben Culliver told AAP yesterday.
  Mr Culliver and fellow climb leader Kenyon Metford - who accompanied the star on the climb - usually spend time telling clients how great Sydney is. But not this time.
  "He just wouldn't stop telling us how good our city was," Mr Culliver said.
  "It was almost as if it was his own city and he was gloating about it. He was just astounded at how good it was."
  By the time Damon reached the top of the bridge, he was "in awe of what he was seeing" and clapped along with other groups who had completed the climb.
  "I've taken a few people up on the Bridge and he would have to be one of the most genuine, down-to-earth fellas I've met," Mr Culliver said.
  On Saturday night he caught up with Australian co-star in The Talented Mr Ripley, Cate Blanchett, to watch her husband Andrew Upton's new play, Hanging Man.
  Yesterday, Damon continued his Sydney sightseeing activities with a three-hour harbour cruise, enjoying himself despite overcast and at times wet weather.
  "He had a great time, Matt's very impressed with Sydney," a United International Picture (UIP) spokeswoman said.
  Jon Anderson, marketing manager for The Bourne Identity's distributor, UIP, said previews will be screened at 200 locations on September 1 ahead of its release later next month, to take advantage of the interest generated by Damon's visit.
  Australian fans would get a chance to see Damon before a special invitation-only screening of The Bourne Identity at Sydney's Hoyts cinema complex in George Street on Monday night, he said.
  Later in the week, he would also appear at a Melbourne screening of the film.
  Damon has written and starred in a string of Hollywood hits including Saving Private Ryan, The Rainmaker, Ocean's Eleven and Good Will Hunting.
  The Bourne Identity opens in Australian cinemas on September 26.

• Scarlett wrote from Hong Kong:
  This is a picture I find it today, it's about Matt Damon and his girl friend leave Taipei to Australia.
  (Pic shown to the right and also as feature for the day.)
• Kerry in U.K. wrote:
  anyone know if matt will be promoting in uk? like a premiere or anything- went 2 c him last time in TIOY
• From a very excited Felicity (who hails from Down Under):
  • I see why Matt receives such a good response from the press wherever he goes - try this for a first day in Australia. Arrival in Sydney from Taiwan after a long flight, climbs the Sydney Harbour Bridge, walks around the city's historical centre and major landmarks, quick press conference by the harbour, and then attends opening night of a play written by Cate Blanchett's husband, and "hopefully" dinner with Cate.
    Today was expected to include a harbour cruise, a run, and a pub visit to "make friends."
  • A local report on Matt's first day in Sydney, from the Sunday Telegraph:
    Damon's hunt for good will
    By PHILLIP KOCH
    25aug02
    HOLLYWOOD hunk Matt Damon flew into Sydney yesterday morning with his girlfriend, Odessa Whitmire – and her mother in the role of chaperone.
    Dressed in black pants, a white T-shirt, an unbuttoned blue shirt and a baseball cap, the movie star looked relaxed and happy.
    While Damon met the waiting media with a big smile, his new girlfriend appeared shy and remained in the background.
    He later took advantage of Sydney's unseasonably good weather and strolled around Circular Quay, admiring the Opera House and Harbour Bridge.
    The Oscar-winning actor is in Sydney for tomorrow night's red-carpet premiere of his latest film, The Bourne Identity. Damon plays an assassin with amnesia in the action-packed thriller, which is based on a novel by Robert Ludlum.
    Fans can catch a glimpse of the Good Will Hunting and Saving Private Ryan star from 6.30pm tomorrow at the Village Greater Union cinema complex in George St, where he will introduce the VIP screening of his latest blockbuster.
  • Bourne isn't due to open in Australia until late September, but there will be a day of previews to capitalise on Matt's visit on 1 September: here
  • A different version of the Sunday Telegraph story (this one appeared in the hard copy):
    Damon's hunt for good will
    August 25, 2002
    HOLLYWOOD hunk Matt Damon flew into Sydney yesterday morning with his girlfriend, Odessa Whitmire and her mother Deanna in the role of chaperone. "This city is incredible," he told The Sunday Telegraph. "It's unbelievable. I think I'll go for a run and check it all out."
    Dressed in black pants, a white T-shirt, an unbuttoned blue shirt and a baseball cap, the movie star looked relaxed if a little weary when he arrived.
    "I'd love to have time to hit a pub," admitted Damon, who attended the theatre last night and planned to take a harbour cruise today.
    "Every guy I've met close to my age has asked when I'm going to the pub. I figure that's a good place to make friends."
    Damon yesterday took advantage of Sydney's unseasonably good weather and strolled around Circular Quay, admiring the Opera House and Harbour Bridge.
    Fans can catch a glimpse of Damon at tomorrow night's red-carpet premiere of his new film, The Bourne Identity, at Village Greater Union cinema complex in George St.
    Both papers included photos of Matt near the harbour, and one also had a photo of Odessa with Matt arriving at the airport or hotel.
    The Sun-Herald reported that Odessa tried to "drag him off shopping" but Matt said he would rather have a root canal. Matt also said he extended the trip so that it could be a working vacation.
    He will appear on "The Panel" this week; for non-Aussies, the main panellists are the Australian creators of local films "The Castle" and "The Dish."
  • Next date for the world tour: Mexico on 24 September

• Here's a summary of some upcoming tour dates:
  Monday August 27 - Bourne premiere at the George Street Hoyts cinema in Sydney
  Tuesday August 28 - Interview on "Rove Live", Melbourne
  Wednesday August 29 - Matt to introduce a screening at the Rivoli Cinema, Melbourne
  Tuesday September 3 - Screening of Bourne in London
  Friday September 6 - Bourne at the Deauville Film Festival, France
  Saturday September 7 and Sunday September 8 - Berlin, Germany
• A really warm article about Matt's visit to Taiwan, including a photo from the media conference from the Taipei Times: here
  Taiwan embraces Matt Damon
  Taiwanese are star-struck by the actor and screenwriter as he's in Taipei promoting his latest film, 'The Bourne Identity'
  By Yu Sen-lun
  STAFF REPORTER
  With his "American boy-next-door" persona, always in T-shirts and jeans, Matt Damon has easily captivated the hearts of Taiwanese movie fans in just a four-day visit of Taiwan. Thousands joined the Taiwan premiere of his latest film, The Bourne Identity, on Thursday night, and hundreds of them have followed Damon for the past four days -- from Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall to the National Palace Museum -- and then waited for him at the Far Eastern Plaza Hotel.
  Taiwanese media hasn't missed the chance to embrace this Hollywood golden boy and make him feel at home. The first step was to teach him to say a few Mandarin phrases to greet his fans. Then TV reporters presented him with a cup of pearl milk tea, asking him to drink it right in the middle of the interview. There were also female reporters asking Damon to give them a hug on behalf of their audience.
  This kind of media zeal is no less than what it was when Tom Cruise came to visit Taipei. No wonder Damon teasingly told his audience "Da jia hao, I'm Tom Cruise!" on the night of the Taiwan premiere.
  In response to the warm welcome, Damon expressed his appreciation several times at the premiere and press conference. "I will definitely come back," he said, adding that he'd tell his buddy Ben Affleck that he's "got to come to Taiwan!" Indeed, in his short visit, the 32 year-old actor and screenwriter has shown a kind of natural stardom with his constant smile, openness and cordiality under the unblinking gaze of the media.
  Talking about his first action film, The Bourne Identity, Damon said the script was the main aspect that drew him to the role of a CIA special agent. "The script is always important to me," he said. Damon said he's always been an action film fan and had felt that many action films look all too similar in style and plot.
  "I love the stories of novelist Robert Ludlum and Doug Liman is an independent filmmaker that I like a lot. The combination of the two makes a very different action film."
  In order to portray Jason Bourne, the CIA agent in this spy thriller, Damon said he took three months to train in martial arts, boxing and weapons use. As a agent who loses his memory, Bourne discovers he posses superior fighting skills, sharp and precise observation and a cold heart for killing, but somehow cannot remember his name or what he has done. While searching for his identity wandering around the European cities of Zurich and Paris, he finds that there are always people trying to kill him wherever he goes.
  This cool and tightly-paced film also has the impressive acting of Franka Potente, who played the wild girl in the stylish German film Run Lola Run. Together with Damon, they begin a breathtaking flee from the police and the CIA, which includes a long, fascinating car-chase.
  The Bourne Identity has so far grossed more the US$100 million. For his part, Damon has also lifted his salary up to the US$10 million mark.
• Many thanks to the readers in Taiwan for sharing the news of Matt's visit there.
  (Indeed - many, many thanks, and thank you, Taipei, for the warm reception for Matt!.)

• Hi! I returned from a week-long trip to find a jam-packed mailbox. I thank all who sent in items during my absence. I have collected them below - and it's a plateful!
  Enjoy!
• Lisa sent in this VCR alert:
  travels with harry
  sunday 8/25 7:00 am on A&E
  Interview matt damon and billy bob thornton.
  found this on www.tvguide.com.
• And, from Laura:
  the bourne identity mexico's premiere october 11
• Julie wrote:
  I was watching tv and I saw a clip of Matt on some news show that was in Chinese. He was in Taipei, Taiwan to promote "The Bourne Identity". The reporter asked him if he's a fast driver (they had shown the car scene along with some other short clips from the movie). Matt said that yes, he is a fast driver, but not as fast as Jason Bourne. The reporter then asked him if he would drive in Taipei and he responded saying that he would rather ride a scooter because it's faster. They ended the segment by showing him at the screening waving, autographing, shaking hands, and of course flashing that nice smile of his. He might have said a few other things before I started watching, but it probably wasn't anything we haven't heard before. I can't wait for Gerry to come out. Is there any new news on that?
• Scarlett from Hong Kong wrote:
  I have collected lots of pictures and news about Matt Damon's trip to Taiwan. He will be staying in Taiwan from August 20-23, and leaving there for Australia at 23.
  He went there to promote his new movie "The Bourne Identity", tour around Taipei and enjoy some cultural foods from Taiwan. One of his favourite Hong Kong style dim sum called "Roast Port Dumpling".
  Enclosed I sent you a lot of pictures as an attachment and I hope you can enjoy this news.
  Matt and Odessa in Taiwan to promote "Bourne"
• Jenny also wrote about the Taiwan promotion:
  i'm a fan of matt in taiwan,and he came here to promote his new film with his girlfriend. every people thought he'll only go australia,but he did came here.. and i'm really excited...i didn't go to the premiere though,i was to but i didn't got the tix.. i 've got some cool pix also..
• Felicity wrote:
  • From yahoo - Matt's arrived in Taiwan to start the Bourne promotion.
    Text: Actor Matt Damon smiles to reporters and fans as he arrives in Chiang Kai-shek International Airport in Taoyuan, 40 kilometers (25 miles), south of Taipei, Tuesday, Aug. 20, 2002. Damon is in Taiwan to promote his latest movie entitled "The Bourne Identity." His movie will be released island-wide on Aug. 23.
    Good photo from the airport at: here.
  • From TV Guide:
    THEY'RE LAYING OUT THE WELCOME MATT: Matt Damon will guest star on another episode of Will & Grace this season, exec producer Max Mutchnick confirms to TV Guide Online. Damon will reprise his role as Owen, a sketchy straight guy who faked homosexuality to beat out Jack for a spot in a gay chorus. No word on when the episode will air, but we have a hunch it'll be during a sweeps month.
  • ET showed a few photos from the Bernie Mac appearance today.
  • Summary of upcoming TV appearances, but this is increasing weekly:
    Saturday Night Live premiere
    Bernie Mac Show
    Will & Grace
    Project Greenlight
  • Matt, Ben and Chris Moore were on GMA Monday morning to talk up Greenlight.
    On ET Matt mentioned that he will appear in "Jersey Girl" very briefly, and that the Bourne sequel is still a possibility.
    Here's the story and some of the video from the fun Access Hollywood interview, where Matt jokingly gets upset at not receiving an Emmy nod for "Will & Grace": http://accesshollywood.msn.com/tv/0819_benmattproject.asp
  • From Tuesday's Boston Herald Inside Track:
    Marvy Matt Damon munched his lunch at the California Pizza Kitchen in Copley Place yesterday without causing a stir. Imagine! The Hollywood hottie, who is in town with his galpal for the summer hols, was hardly hiding behind that black baseball cap!
  • From the Philadelphia Inquirer - the first reports of Ben's 30th party. Certainly not the whole Cambridge gang, as planned.
    Stars are out at Affleck birthday bash
    By Michael Klein Inquirer Columnist
    The feature flick Jersey Girl is about to begin a 21/2-month Philadelphia shoot.
    The first Ben Affleck-Jennifer Lopez sighting: Thursday was leading man Affleck's 30th birthday. He and costar J. Lo, with a dozen others, took the top floor at Alma de Cuba, the Walnut Street Latin hot spot.
    Our source says Affleck looked a bit "University of Vermont-scruffy" in baggy pants and an untucked blue oxford. He had the chicken. Lopez, though, radiated star: hair down in ringlets, black-and-white geometric-print wrap dress, spike heels. She ordered pork.
    Affleck and Lopez, who play a married couple in the Kevin Smith dramedy, sat side by side, as is their wont these days.
    Affleck got well-wishes from his brother, Casey (for whom the kitchen whipped up a vegan special); pal Matt Damon (simple beans and rice); and director/writer Smith (chicken).
    All told, a dignified outing. Lots of gifts. One bodyguard. No off-key singing.
  • TV alerts: A special edition of "Travels with Harry" on the A&E network, Sunday 25 August, includes interviews with Matt and Billy Bob Thornton talking about "All the Pretty Horses."
  • Byron Allen's "Entertainers" program on 31 August and 1 September repeats Matt's interview for Bourne.
  • Two photos from a Taiwan press conference are available on yahoo, including this one: here
  • A yahoo story where Matt says he would like to work with Taiwanese director Ang Lee (watch for the Australian equivalent in a few days): here
  • A competition for a UK resident to meet Matt at a special screening in London: here.
  • Here's a long interview to enjoy from a London press junket conducted pre-Bourne's US release, which includes some incorrect facts, but is certainly worth reading. Available at the Daily Telegraph's website: here.
    Opening:
    Matt Damon is the student who swapped Harvard for Hollywood, winning an Oscar in the process. Now he's turned himself into an all-action hero. Too good to be true? Tim Willis finds out Hollywood's tall poppies can have you itching for your scythe. But not Matt Damon. Unless he's just acting, the 31-year-old New York-based Harvard dropout really is an intelligent, creative, philanthropic, regular guy.
    And:
    You can't even fault his 9/11 position. He was there, for goodness sake. He still lives it. He came out of his Lafayette Street apartment to meet 'an exodus of dust-people, like a protest march of the dead - with no hysteria, but some people laughing because they were so happy to have survived'. Yet he can still venture that America 'needs a world-view that can encompass a greater understanding of other people.'
  • Here's a shock. Matt and Odessa have actually appeared together at the Taiwan Bourne premiere. Two photos are at yahoo - Odessa looks lovely but Matt's suit belongs at a 1980's wedding: here, and here.
    Caption: U.S. actor Matt Damon and his girlfriend Odessa Whitmire pose for photographers in Taipei, August 22, 2002. Damon is in Taiwan to promote his latest movie, "The Bourne Identity." REUTERS/Kenny Wu
  • E! News Live next Monday, August 26, will be broadcasting live from Sydney, and Jules Asner will be interviewing Matt. I don't know what it all means with the timezone differences, but Jules was promoting it on a local show.
  • From E!'s TV Scoop, who is reporting that Brad Pitt will return for two episodes of Friends: Elsewhere, Matt Damon (who should have been nominated for his guest spot on Will & Grace last season) will play himself on an episode of Ocean's Eleven costar Bernie Mac's self-titled Fox sitcom.
  • From the NY Daily News Thursday:
    Gwyneth's ex Ben Affleck and his current Earth angel, Jennifer Lopez, hung out with his "heterosexual lifemate" Matt Damon at Lupa on Friday. The pals launch a double Project Greenlight contest Sept.19 - one for screenwriters and one to find a director to shoot the winning script. The prize is $1 million to make the movie (for rules, click on projectgreenlight.com) ...
  • Matt's first scheduled appearance in Australia is on talk show "Rove Live" next Tuesday, at 9.30pm on Channel 10.
    There's really only one other local talk show - "The Panel", and they don't announce guests before the show airs live on Wednesday evenings.
  • If my German translation is correct - Bourne will be at the Deauville festival on 6 September with Matt, Doug Liman and Frank Marshall in attendance.
    The group will then meet the German press in Berlin on 9 and 10 September, before the film opens in the country on 27 September.
  • A story from the NY Daily News about the stage show "Matt and Ben", now playing at the NY Fringe Festival: http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/story/12409p-11739c.html
  • A USA Today story on Greenlight Mark 2: here.
    Affleck, Damon buddy up for a second 'Greenlight'
    By Donna Freydkin, special for USA TODAY
    The secret to their alliance?
    "The occasional romantic dinner," Damon jokes.
    "We want to establish this as a viable way of making movies," Affleck says. "And a way for people to break into this business."
    The contest kicks off Sept. 19, and unlike the first Project Greenlight, this one is open to both screenwriters and directors. (They can apply online at www.projectgreenlight.com.)
    "Five years ago, I would have done anything to get that chance," Damon says.
    The winning writer and director will get $1 million to make their movie, which will be executive-produced by Affleck, Damon and partners Sean Bailey and Chris Moore. The novice filmmakers' trials and travails will be documented for an HBO series; the film itself will be released by Miramax Films while the TV show is still on the air.
    Affleck and Damon kicked off the first Project Greenlight in September 2000 to much fanfare, with Pete Jones winning the big prize. He wrote and helmed Stolen Summer, a drama starring Aidan Quinn and Bonnie Hunt. But the film, bashed by most critics as little more than a schmaltzy after-school special, barely made a blip in theaters in March and earned only $134,000. The show, which premiered on HBO in December 2001, is nominated for an Emmy in the reality series category.
    "The idea of having a screenwriter-auteur kind of director didn't work out," Affleck says.
    "We realized that early on," Damon adds. "This is not a money-making proposition, and one of the biggest comments we got was from writers who said they signed up for a screenplay competition and had no aspiration to be a director. We thought we did them and ourselves a disservice. If we can do the competitions separately, we'll get the best of both worlds."
    It's Affleck's and Damon's way of sharing a little bit of the good fortune that launched their own careers back in 1997 with Good Will Hunting, which netted them a screenwriting Oscar.
    These guys have the easy camaraderie of longtime buddies. They finish each other's sentences and chuckle at inside jokes. Affleck reclines on the chaise, looking, according to Damon, like a Roman emperor. Damon, meanwhile, sits in the easy chair and lights up one cigarette after another.
    It's Affleck, 29, in his crisp blue shirt, dark jacket and slacks and perfectly coiffed hair and goatee who exudes the air of the consummate Hollywood power broker. The much more low-key Damon, 32, wears jeans, a baggy blue sport shirt and scuffed shoes and appears bemused by their joint stardom.
    The secret to their ongoing alliance, Damon jokes, is "the occasional romantic dinner. Don't let the romance die."
    Of course, the relationship on everyone's minds is the increasingly high-profile one between Affleck and Lopez, 33, who met on the set of their crime caper Gigli.
    Affleck would much rather talk about longtime pal Damon. "You're fortunate if you get to do the work you like, and you're doubly fortunate if you get to do that work with people you like, trust and respect," he says. "We know we're in trouble if we're ever not able to work together. So we've tried to make our professional and personal lives convergent in that way."
    These two Bostonian college dropouts have been close since elementary school. Today, they're larger-than-life superstars, each headlining big-name projects and canoodling with A-list celebrity women. But both say they would, without hesitation, take on roles in the second Project Greenlight film. They insist that quality work comes first and celebrity a very distant second.
    "It's fleeting, no matter who you are," Damon says of fame. "What really matters is your life and the kind of person you are."
    "And the caliber of relationships you have," concludes Affleck, who's about to finish up a long day and join his girlfriend on this muggy Manhattan Saturday night.
  • Gerry will be shown in the "Visions" section of the Toronto Film Festival, scheduled from September 5-14.
  • A press conference with Matt and Ben was held Friday in NY to discuss Greenlight. First story at the Boston Herald: here.
    ET apparently promoted a segment for Monday's show as "Ben and Matt talking about their love lives" (minimal PGL coverage there). Access Hollywood and the others are also promoting stories for Monday.
    Here's a story from the NY Post on "Contest Searchlight", said to clearly spoof Greenlight: http://www.nypost.com/entertainment/54882.htm
• Bec wrote:
  Just thought I'd let all Aussies know that Matt will be a guest on Rove Live next Tuesday (27/8). For those who don't usually watch Rove, it's on at 9:30 pm, on Channel 10. Can't wait to see Matt!
• Kelly in L.A. wrote:
  • Matt is scheduled to host the season premiere of Saturday Night Live on October 5th.
    Musical guest will be Bruce Springsteen.
  • Got this from a friend who got it from tvguide.com:
    MATT DAMON RETURNS TO WILL & GRACE
    According to producer Matt Mutchnick, Matt Damon has agreed to make another guest appearance in the next season of WILL & GRACE. Damon will resume the role of Owen, a straight man that faked being homosexual to get a spot in a gay chorus. The episode will likely air during sweeps.
    Source: TV Guide
• Aubree wrote:
  I just wanted to tell you that Matt Damon is in the September issue of Cosmo Girl. He is by his car... i cant tell what type of car it is, but its black, and hes in a white t-shirt, black hat, Dark blue blue jeans and hes talking on the cell phone. Just wanted to let you know!

• Reminder: Matt on Letterman's this Friday 8/16, a rerun
• Felicity wrote:
  • From Army Archerd's column in Variety:
    Archerd: Newman Sets Nov. 4 L.A. Stage Appearance
    Mon Aug 12, 9:11 PM ET
    By Army Archerd, Daily Variety Senior Columnist
    HOLLYWOOD (Variety) - You can bet on one stage appearance by Paul Newman -- and it's not "Our Town" on Broadway. In "The World of Nick Adams" at the Kodak Theater in Hollywood, he will be joined by wife Joanne Woodward, Warren Beatty and Annette Bening. The one-night benefit gets a new date: Nov. 4.
    As reported here June 11, others hoped-for include Matt Damon, Julia Roberts, Morgan Freeman, Kevin Kline, Alec Baldwin, James Naughton, Meryl Streep. It will benefit the Painted Turtle Camp for kids with life-threatening ills. Allstate Insurance sponsors the evening; A.E. Hotchner is producing, as he had when the play was performed at Lincoln Center's Avery Fisher Hall.
  • I've contacted a journalist in Sydney regarding the details of Matt's visit to Australia. She says the information hasn't been provided yet, but will let me know.

• Matt's most recent appearance on David Letterman's will be re-broadcast this Friday 8/16.
• From Felicity:
  • A local paper mentions today that Matt will be visiting Sydney, Australia, before the end of the month to promote Bourne. There's no further information, but I will seek more details - it's probably a really quick visit to Sydney and Melbourne before or after the Asian part of the tour.
    The press tour will include Deauville, France, where the Film Festival runs from 30 August to 8 September (unknown when Bourne is being screened). Other likely cities (depending on the scale of the tour) would include London, Berlin and Tokyo.
    If anyone has further information on any part of the tour, please let us know.
  • Lead story in the NY Post - the golf match mentioned must have been part of the Mark Bavis benefit, but this story just repeats old news:
    IT'S WAR BETWEEN THE ‘LIGHTS'
    By RICHARD JOHNSON with PAULA FROELICH and CHRIS WILSON
    DENIS LEARY and Lenny Clarke are furious because Miramax executives are supposedly threatening court action to kill their Comedy Central series, "Contest Searchlight." "I can't believe these idiots at Miramax are trying to sue us," fumed Clarke, Leary's pal and co-star in "The Job."
    But Miramax says the duo are overreacting. "We are not suing him, we only sent him a legal letter asking for information about the project," a Miramax rep said. "[Clarke] is demonstrating remarkable creativity in translating a basic request for information into a lawsuit."
    At issue is whether "Contest Searchlight," a behind-the-scenes look at the making of a TV series, is too similar to "Project Greenlight" on HBO, a behind-the-scenes look at the making of a movie.
    Miramax gave the greenlight to "Project Greenlight," created by Ben Affleck and Matt Damon. It was about the the making of "Stolen Summer," which debuted at the Sundance Film Festival.
    "They made a movie no one saw," fumes Clarke. Now, "they're coming after me - a first-time producer. My show is a TV series that has nothing to do with their movie."
    Leary is also said to be furious at Miramax and has aired his views privately.
    Clarke reserves his ire for Miramax exec Harvey Weinstein, and leaves Affleck and Damon out of it. "I played golf with Matt Damon a week ago in Cape Cod. I got nothing but nice things to say about him," Clarke said of his "Rounders" co-star. "I said, ‘Hey Matt, if you hear some horrible things about you in the next few weeks, it's not me.' "
    As for "Stolen Summer," Clarke scoffed: "I got nothing good to say about that - the movie was a big bomb."
    "Contest Searchlight" airs on Comedy Central on Wednesday night. A second season of "Project Greenlight" is already in production

• From Felicity:
  • Here's the details on the Bernie Mac appearance, firstly from USA Today, which also has a picture from the episode on its site: here, and story at here.
    Damon gets Mac teed off
    By Gary Levin, USA TODAY
    The Bernie Mac Show is turning to one Damon to battle another. Mac's Ocean's Eleven co-star Matt Damon will play himself in an episode of Fox's comedy likely to air Sept. 25, the day Damon Wayans' My Wife and Kids has its third-season premiere on ABC. The comedies, among only a few with black casts, will compete head-on on Wednesdays at 8 p.m. ET/PT, a move Wayans has angrily criticized.
    In the Mac episode, Bernie plays in Damon's celebrity golf tournament, which turns into a grudge match after he learns Damon boasted of beating him while shooting Ocean's. Bernie causes a PR disaster, witnessed by Access Hollywood's Pat O'Brien and Damon's golfing partner, Lucy Lawless (Xena, Warrior Princess), also playing themselves.
    "He just makes a spectacle and blames everybody but himself for his bad golf game that day," says executive producer Larry Wilmore. Damon and Mac "had so much chemistry" shooting at a Malibu, Calif., golf course this week, Wilmore says. "Bernie has such a big energy level, and Matt is so understated." Wilmore says fans Will Smith and Serena Williams also have expressed interest in doing a guest shot on Mac, schedules permitting.
  • Variety's report:
    Damon sets "Mac" attack
    Thu Aug 8,10:20 PM ET
    By Melissa Grego
    HOLLYWOOD (Variety) - Matt Damon is taking a swing at "Bernie Mac."
    The actor will guest star as himself in an episode of the Fox comedy during which he and Mac face off on the golf course. Lucy Lawless, who also guest stars as herself in the episode, plays Damon's golf partner.
    Airdate for the episode has not yet been confirmed.
    In the episode, Mac's manager talks him into playing in a charity celebrity golf tournament to help his image. But Mac's competitive spirit kicks in after he learns he'll be playing against Damon, who has been telling everyone he beat Bernie at golf while they were shooting "Ocean's Eleven."
    "The Bernie Mac Show" will make its second season premiere at 8 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 18.
  • And the Hollywood Reporter:
    Damon: 'Mac' attack
    Following his successful guest-starring stint on NBC's "Will & Grace" last season, Oscar winner Matt Damon will pay a visit to his "Ocean's Eleven" co-star Bernie Mac on the comedian's sophomore series for Fox, from Regency TV and 20th Century Fox TV. Damon will play himself in an episode of "The Bernie Mac Show," which also will feature "Xena: Warrior Princess' " Lucy Lawless. Damon and Mac will square off in a charity celebrity golf tournament, where Mac will seek revenge for Damon's telling everyone that he beat him at golf during the shooting of "Ocean's Eleven." Lawless, also appearing as herself, will be Damon's golf partner. Damon, most recently seen in "The Bourne Identity," is repped by Endeavor. (Nellie Andreeva)
  • There's a few comparisons between new film "xXx" and "Bourne Identity" appearing in reviews. Including this one from the Boston Herald:
    If you want a new James Bond, look no further than Matt Damon in ``The Bourne Identity.'' ``xXx'' is a spy movie for people who couldn't find Prague on a map if their lives depended on it.
    Or USA Today:
    People already are comparing XXX to a James Bond movie, but it has been only a couple of months since The Bourne Identity showed us how to craft high-grade entertainment out of what film critics used to call international intrigue.
• Scarlett wrote from Hong Kong:
  Today I got a news about Matt Damon's movie The Bourne Identity will show on Taiwan on 23 of August (I am not really sure which day, but it should be around 20 -23 ). And they say he will come to Taiwan on 20 of August (also with his g/f) :o))))))))) (Can) anybody (verify that) this news is true or not?????

• K. wrote:
  I saw this over and newsaskew:
  Matt Damon will play himself on an episode of "The Bernie Mack Show" next season (FOX). Damon is finishing up his 3 days on the set of the show today.
• A reader wrote: is there any pictures of matts girlfriend anywhere?
  Okay, here they are again: pics of Matt's significant other, Odessa:
  Happy now? ;-) :-)
  

• News from Felicity:
  • From the Boston Globe:
    Looking for a hit on 'Searchlight' By Carol Beggy and Stephanie Stoughton, Globe Staff, 8/6/2002
    IS THE LIGHT GREEN? Miramax Film Corp. apparently isn't amused by the upcoming reality show ''Contest Searchlight,'' produced by Massachusetts natives Denis Leary and Lenny Clarke. In its Aug. 12 issue, New York magazine reports that Miramax's attorneys sent a letter to Comedy Central asking for the skinny on the show, which sounds similar to ''Project Greenlight,'' the HBO series produced by Ben Affleck and Matt Damon. In ''Contest Searchlight,'' writers compete to have their own sitcom. In ''Project,'' the developers of the best script get to direct a movie. Miramax coproduced the show and financed the production of the winner's film, ''Stolen Summer,'' which didn't exactly attract raves. Clarke isn't bothered by Miramax's letter and said he welcomed a lawsuit. ''They should stick to movies,'' he said of Miramax. We think Miramax's people might have gotten rankled by a recent Daily Variety article in whic