Matt Damon has mentioned in several interviews that someone told him when Good Will Hunting first came out that it would be fun to be famous for about a week but that he never got his week. You don’t really hear him complaining about the problems that come along with fame, though. He seems to take it in his stride and sound grateful for everything that film success has afforded him. Damon has a new interview with German television station Tele 5. (You can see the original article in German here.) He talks about how his friends Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie are hounded by paparazzi, saying that they’re like “prisoners,” but adds that he does fine with his non-famous wife in New York, where people give them their space.
For an Oscar-winning, top box-office star who has also been PEOPLE’s Sexiest Man Alive, Matt Damon happily lives life low-key.
He can’t say that for some of his high-profile pals.
“I have friends who are like prisoners. Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, for instance,” Damon, 40, told German television TELE 5 over the weekend. “They can’t just go someplace. If they go for a walk, it turns into an international incident.”
In contrast, says Damon, “I’m really lucky, because I have the best of both worlds. I do the work that I love and need, but don’t need paramilitary troops to protect me when I walk out my front door.”
Besides, fame just isn’t Damon’s game.
“Ever since I found my wife [Luciana] and we had children, my whole life revolves around that. It gave my life a dramatic change in direction,” he says.
Married in 2005, the couple have four daughters.
“I’m not as crazy as most of the other stars. I don’t really know why, probably because I married a woman who isn’t an actress. And we live in New York,” he said. “As long as we don’t show up in typical tourist spots, we can walk the streets without being noticed. New Yorkers are very cool, they don’t flip out if they see me.”
[From People]
It seems more about location for these celebrities than the fame level of their partners, but Brad and Angelina didn’t get peace from the paparazzi in far-off Namibia or France so it almost doesn’t matter where they go. I’m surprised Damon didn’t say anything about his friend Ben Affleck and his famous wife, who get hounded in LA where they live. He did mention Affleck later in the interview, recounting a saying that Affleck told him, “My success does not depend on the failure of others.”
In response to a question about how new media has changed our lives, Damon mentioned the old “perils of digital media” standby – the sex tape. Here’s a translated version of his German interview, so some words are surely inaccurate in that this was translated to German and back again, but you get the drift. He generally said “We have not yet fully realized what media can do to us. So we make mistakes, send nude pictures of ourselves or something similar. The next generation will be more careful and say ‘Maybe we shouldn’t tape ourselves having sex. It could backfire badly.‘” So no Matt Damon nude photos or sex tapes are coming. Schade.
Matt Damon and his wife are shown at the opening of Spider Man: Turn off The Dark in NY on 6/14/11. Credit: Fame and WENN
Love him
Well I’m sure Brangelina could have more privacy if they really wanted to.
Save Brangelina!!!!!!!!!! Somebody call 911, SWAT, FBI, CIA and PETA!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I think what Damon said was a back handed slap at the Brand. He is basically saying that it is possible to live normally. The hoopla created by the Brand has been intentional as a result of them selling themselves. Interesting that he described the Brand’s body guards as a para military unit. We all know that is the case.
I like sex tapes. I don’t see why people can’t make them, you just need to not get careless and lose them and don’t make one with an A-hole who will turn on you, show his friends and stuff. IDK. Such a shame you can’t trust people nowadays.
Brad and Angie rarely complain about the paps, they are able to find privacy, like when they are in the house or when they go to a secluded location but anywhere public they do tend to draw attention. I think they are happy though. I think Matt just really likes that his EVERY SINGLE MOVE isn’t dissected and photographed like Brad and Angelina.
But for most “celebrities” it is a prison almost entirely of their own construction, as they very often have the financial security to retire tomorrow but choose not to.
Methinks a certain couple might just miss the attention!
@Love Angelina: Sadly, people are generally evil f**kers and every nude photo you send to or tape you make with your girlf/boyf will be public property (handed around their friends, if not actually on the internet) the moment you break up, however genuine they seemed at the time. Maybe it’s wise to follow Reese Witherspoon’s advice and keep the camera pointing neck-down!
Ok here we go.. Brad and Angie are yet again going to be trashed because of something someone else said and not them.
They are not talking about being prisoners. Matt said it. But let the Oh they call the press, they are always being photographed. they sold baby pics.
well they are not talking Matt is so why is it ok to trash them when other people throw their names in interviews.
Matt should talk about his life and leave his friends out of it. They are not talking about him in their interviews. But without the mention of Brad/Angie would this even have been posted.
NOPE.. easy answer.
Woe is me. Money in the bank, beautiful kids, great career and adoration. Brad and Ange are doing it tough. Forget about the plight of those in Africa at the moment. I mean we have more pressing issues such the privacy if celebs. Woe is me.
Btw I would still do Matt
Just another post to have the lunatics bash brad and angelina.
Lol on the floor at olivia’s sad and pitiful desperation to make this look bad for Brad and Angelina. The Damons are close FRIENDS with Brad and Angelina. There is no way that is a back-hander, no matter how much you desperately wish it to be. He knows, as we all know, that Brad and Angelina are hounded by the paps through no fault of their own. They are a notoriously private couple but its their beauty and star power that sells. The very fact that this article was printed referencing Brad and Angelina, PROVES they don’t have to do anything to make headlines. Just their names sell. Too bad certain exes use them to coat-tail into a Hollywood career.
compared to most celebrities (like Matt Damon), brangelina barely leave the house. So, to have more privacy, they need to never leave the house? Hearing snark like this makes me admire them even more- Brad & Angie never complain, are so humble, make great movies and find time to help others. I’m glad they leave the house once in a while!
Prisoners? really? With millions of dollars, big houses, a chateau in France, lots of helps, nannies, travelling all the world in private jets….Please! They want attention and fame. Lots of other celebrities (Meryl Streep, Julia Roberts, Tom Hanks, Spielberg, Johnny Depp, Robert DeNiro …) have no difficulty to have privacy because they don’t call the paps, they don’t make a show of their life, they don’t sell the image of their kids to tabloids for millions, they don’t talk about their kids in all their interview during the promotion of their movies, they don’t sell private photos made by their partner to mags ….
And remember, it’s Angelina who called and invited the paps in Namibia. She likes attention. And in France, every celebrity have calm and privacy (Johnny Depp and Vanessa Paradis, John Malkovic, Brigitte Bardot, Patrick Bruel…). If Angie and Brad wanted more privacy they would. French Laws about privacy are very strict. You can’t publish the photo of a child in a magazine without the permision of his parents for example.
They are NOT like prisoners, they want this lifestyle. It’s their choice.
CB please focus more on getting recent pics of a Balded Matt Damon looking hot in Canada and not on some interview that was actually done back in Feb but people just decided to us now. Thanks.
Bubulle@ Brad and Angelina do keep it privet, we can go months with out seeing them. Their not even the most photograph celeb’s around that award goes to:
Jennifer Garner
Gwen Stefani
Jessica Alba
Katie Holmes
Halle Berry
Tori Spelling
Hidie Klum
David Beckham
All of these people and many more are photograph and a daily or weekly basses.
Monica@ From what you saying than all of the people I listed above most be calling the paparazzi and FYI we all most never see photos of them when they’re in France or LA.
I think Matt’s doing it right. He’s managed to have a long and very successful career so far and is involved in a lot of things, yet manages to really keep his private life private. I’m sure it helps that his wife was not famous on her own, but I think they do what they can to keep their family private. Off the top of my head I doubt I know any of his daughters names, ages, what they look like, etc. At least there are some A list kids who the tabloids haven’t made into celebrities.
@Monica Exactly. I seriously do not think we should feel sorry for Brangelina. The thought alone is actually kind of funny…
There’s one thing I not agree with you about, though: ‘And in France, every celebrity have calm and privacy.’ Have you ever read Brigitte Bardots autobiography? I think it came out ten years ago. She’s the GRANDE DAME of all super-rich, super-priviliged stars who constantly complain how hard their life is… She literally said that paparazzi RUINED her life. Whereas without these same paparazzi, she would have been a normal housewife without all this money and fabulous lifestyle.
My point: people with millions in the bank, big houses, French chateaux and private jets whining about they’re really just prisoners of their own fame are to be found anywhere, anytime.
As said above, this interview is from February and it wasn’t a television interview. Matt’s not trashing anyone and there is no story here.
Monica your statement about Angelina calling paps is false. You shouldn’t repeat unsubstantiated rumors. You really don’t know much about Brad and Angelina anyway based on your whole comment.
Come on it’s a well known fact that Brad and Angelina call the paps whenever a not so flattering story hit the tabloids or they have something to promote , thus they kind of control what is being said about them.
his wife looks gorgeous for having 4 children. Matt really hit the jackpot with her! 😉
I think what Damon is saying is that HE wouldn’t want to live like they do…but as someone said, the Brange don’t complain about the paparazzi.
they just have the Empress shoot them death glares.
EDIT: RHONYC, I agree that she’s is stunning. I think she’s got the most beautiful hair.
@cherry…
when where Brad/Angie whinny.. OH you mean because of that MATT DAMON said and not them.
seriously..I think Matt should call Brad/Angie and apologize to them for putting them in the media YET again for what he said not them. I read the comments and that is the point. The negative is directed towards them for what someone else said.
Both Brad/Angie have said that while the paps things is silly they wouldn’t trade their lives. They take the trade off so to speak.
But don’t let the fact that this was not their statement but someone else.
the truth never seems to stand in the way.
I think most “celebrities” could choose to successfully go under the radar more. It might take some time, but it would happen, especially given the world’s short attention span now.
His wife is beautiful.
@Katnip You’re right, the Brangelina’s are not whining here, it’s rather Matt Damon who seems to think we should feel sorry for them. With which I do not agree, obviously. My comment was more about whining celebs in general.
Bubulle, that is absolute total bs!!! It couldn’t be more CONTRARY to the actual truth. Angelina and Brad are forever smeared in the tabloids, so if they phoned the press, don’t you think the smearing and lies about them would STOP?!?? The very fact that they are the MOST LIED ABOUT in the tabs proves they have no influence at all, but everyone knows that. And lets face it, they never rebut any of the stories. They just ignore them all.
@cherry..
sorry if I miss read it. But Matt should have talked about Ben/Jen who get photographed on a daily basis. well Jen anyway..
and for the record. If pics of Matt/Family sold he would be photographed all the time.
Tabloids make more money off of bullshit obviously false stories about Brangelina than genuine cheating scandals, custody battles, and gambling rackets. I’m not saying that Brangelina never court the paps or do photo-ops to control the story but regardless of what they do the paps will be waiting at their door. On the other hand Jen Garner has a floundering career couldn’t sell a tab cover anymore than she can sell a movie ticket and their are pap shots of her every flipping day even more so now that her hubby’s gambling problems have come to light.
Actually, Jennifer Garner has a higher box office average than Jolie (according to box office mojo), and she seems like a really good, down-to-earth mother. Why trash her? It doesn’t make Angelina look better by comparison.
@ Anonymous: Yes! He looks really good bald!
@Hannah I’m not trashing Garner, not calling her a bad mom etc just pointing out the obvious that she’s always papped because she wants to be you can talk about her BO average but IF she has a higher box office rating it’s only because she’s been supporting in a hits like Pearl Harbor not because she can carry a film in a lead role. Jolie is the highest paid actress and even the much maligned Tourist made nearly 300 mill worldwide. They aren’t at the same level of fame you may find Garner more likable than Jolie but that doesn’t change the facts that she’s done a lot of dirty conveniently forgotten by the media.
How do you know for sure the tabloids are lying ? are you friends of the Brangelina ? Or maybe you think they’re lying because everytime the tabloids trash them they are pictured all of sudden playing dotting mom and dad. See Laughternrain that’s exactely my point, they keep control of their image thanks to photo op and it seems to be efficient since a lot of you think tabs only print BS when it comes to the two of them.
Everyone knows the trashloids are lying (only gullible fools believe ANY THING they say) because they have yet to get one single story right about them. Do the research. Surely no one believes anything they say – about anyone let alone Brad and Angelina. They have been PROVEN over and over again to be lies. How many times has she said to have been adopting someone from China? How many times have they been going to marry? How many times have they broken up? See? The trashloids have NEVER been right. The PROOF, is obvious for all to see. And because they are so famous, are such hands-on parents and have star power as evidenced by this story the trashloids post photos of them all the time. A better question would be *when have they ever been right about Angelina and Brad?* Stop being mislead by the lying trashloids.
Outside of the bourne series when was the last time Damon made a hit movie..
True Grit.
@Bite me V:
Ummm The Adjustment Bureau released earlier this year which has made almost 3 times the production costs.
Last Year – True Grit which made 4.5 times the production costs
The Hereafter made double the production costs
Invictus made double the production costs
Want me to go on?
@Hannah:
Total box office gross on J. Garner’s movies: $2,218,485,000
Total box office gross on A. Jolie’s movies: $4,595,594,000
(Source: http://www.the-numbers.com)
Thanks for the inf…it’s seems like Damon works a lot do if of his fans know if his family Tavel with him…I don’t really know much about his family life
@Cheyenne thanks that sounded really off but I can’t research right now I’m on my phone 🙂
@Laughternrain Don’t get me wrong I also believe tabloids print a lot of BS whenever it comes to Brangelina or other celebs just because they not there to tell the truth but just to sell papers. But I’ve also learned with time that a lot of celebs have become masters at manipulating the medias by leaking false information to the press and setting up photo ops, and Brangelina is probably one of the best example. Don’t you remember back in the days when Brangelina were rumoured to have an affair, how Angelina claimed she will never go after a married man because of what his dad did to his mom, and when the tabs claim that Brad and Jen were over they were pictured vacationing together looking all lovey dovey and a couple of days later they officially filed for divorce. You talk about the adoption and marriage stories that have been proven to be false it’s also possible that Brangelina leak those kind of BS stories to the tabs to make them lose credibility. You say stop being mislead by the lying trashloids, I say stop being mislead by the equally lying celebrities.
Bubelle, Angelina never had an affair with a married man, so not sure what you are getting at with that. She made the statement, and so far she has stuck to it. And Aniston and Brad’s marriage was over, that vacation was said to a last ditch effort to work things out. It doesn’t prove anything. There is no evidence at all that Brad or Angelina leak anything to the trashloids. The idea is a desperate attempt to believe that Brad and Angelina are bad people and to look for a conspiracy because you want to believe the bad in the stories. Its crazy and gullible.
It is a waste of time to engage in a rational conversation with Bubulle. The tabs is her bible. Everything written in the tabs she believes especially when its about Brangelina. Rather sad and pathetic
@Blubulle I have to disagree with you I think as much as I like them they’ve handled their PR terribly and over managed themselves into a corner. Angelina is successful despite the fact that a vast majority of the public thinks she’s a maneating junkie who collects/ abuses her children and has wild S&M orgies on every movie set. She needs to get a publicist and do a sit down with Barbara Walters instead of letting the tabs run endless stories about how she hates Thanksgiving. The tabs run nasty stories about them because it’s good for business and there is no incentive for them to be nice whereas a publicist can give crumbs of info or offer access to their lesser clients.
@ Olivia, no we don’t ALL know. Please don’t usurp yourself the right to speak for *everyone*, it’s high school rhetoric.
He calls the Jolie-Pitts his friends, so I think you’re trying really hard to read things into that.
I don’t think Damon would go for a back handed slab – he seems to be a too decent guy to do that. If you want some proper back handed slabs, go for JA’s interviews.
Sadly, it’s when two high-profile stars marry that the real pap abuse happens. But Brad and Angie seem to do well in New Orleans. When they’re there in their house, maybe one photo or two at the most pops up.
I don’t think Ben wants to live in California, more like Boston, but I think Jennifer talked about them thinking of living elsewhere once. I’ve forgotten why they didn’t. When they lived for almost a year in Boston while he filmed The Town you saw no photos of them.
@mln76 I’m not an Angelina Jolie or Brad Pitt hater actually, believe me or not I genuinely believe Angelina doesn’t deserve all the trash she has received. I think she’s a very smart woman and that her humanitarian engagement is actually sincere. By comparison that horse face Julia Roberts who is nothing but a homewrecker and a raging bitch who likes to treat people like dirt has never been called out for her despectable actions, for some reason she’s still seen as america sweatheart which is absolutely BS. So there’s definitely an unbalance treatment of celebrities by the media.
That being said there is no doubt in my mind that her and her significant other are using their relashionship and their kids to serve their interests.
I admire Matt Damon. He handles himself and his fame very well. I don’t think that he is taking a slap at Brangelina in any way. He is only saying that he wouldn’t want to live his life in the middle of a media storm (most of us wouldn’t). I’m not saying that Brangelina calls paps or anything like that. They don’t need to, I’m sure. Also, I do think that Brad and Angelina both make statements that are provocative (to certain members of the public) such as Brad’s statements about contemplating marriage. Now there is nothing wrong with that in and of itself however, I believe Brad is very media savvy and knew that a storm of their getting married/they’re never getting married/Brad wants to marry/Angelina wants to marry/Neither or both want to marry stories would hit the tabloids. I would admire him more and believe that he wished for more privacy if he had only said the obvious which is, “We’re a happy family” if and when he was asked about possible marriage rumors. I mean if they do get married we will, no doubt, all know about it and he just seems to be lending fire to tabloid magazines. I know that I’m now going to be attacked that think that the Brangelina are perfect. So understand this, I’m not saying that they are bad people. I am saying that they are smart people and they know how to play the media game. Oh, and as far as their “provocative” statements, in reality, I find them very mundane but gossip columnists and tabloids go to town with these things and I believe that Brad and Angie are smart enough to know that.
Tabloid journalism has always been around — some form — in the US (not as bad as in the UK). The US USED TO HAVE many more daily newspapers and some were more…..tabloid in their coverage — than others. Today, there’s quite a large separation between “tabloid press” and “legitimate press” in the public sphere — in the “investing” arena….and in doing business with the two.
Matt Damon always keeps it classy in his remarks. But he does seem smart about his career….and his “friendships”.
Interesting comment from Vincent Cassel (interviewed by no one else but Portman’s infamous baby daddy) that illustrates the level of Pitt’s fame.
BM: Having worked with stars like George Clooney and Brad Pitt, you’ve seen first-hand the more extreme examples of an actor in that position – how did they handle it?
VC: One funny example comes to mind. We were leaving the hotel in Rome – the city of paparazzi – so it was terrible, they were like flies. “George! George!” they were screaming his name, and he went to them and said Brad Pitt’s coming behind me. And they all ran off and went for Brad Pitt instead.
http://thelabmagazineonline.com/2011/03/vincent-cassel/3/
He has privacy because no one is interested in him and his wife. There’s only one brad and Angelina in HW and people are fascinated with them and their children.
It’s pretty clearly a joke from Matt, or a huge over-exaggeration. He’s not serious with the prisoner comment.
In defense of Matt Damon, his “prisoner” comparison would seem to be about the gross and intrusive interest that the public and the paps have in Brangelina. I think that he said what he meant in that it appears that paps are interested in Brangelina even when they are doing nothing interesting. I mean c’mon people wouldn’t it be nice if the entire Brangelina family could go out to dinner without paps everywhere? Some people seem to have inferred that Matt Damon was attacking Brangelina and, imo, it doesn’t read that way at all. Matt used the word “prisoner” as hyperbole. It’s not literal. Furthermore, being a personal friend of theirs, I’m sure he speaks from his experience. If you don’t like what he said, okay but there was certainly nothing ugly about it. It was just an observation.
@ Cheyenne, the reason I didn’t use their total career box office gross is because Jennifer Garner has done roughly HALF as many movies. I’m sure you’d agree that their average gross is a much fairer way to judge their success.
http://www.the-numbers.com/people/AJOLI.php
http://www.the-numbers.com/people/JEGAR.php
And @ mln if you take away supporting roles, then maybe voice over work should be excluded too? I don’t care much for either of them, and I agree than Angelina is the bigger ‘star’, can better carry a movie, and is probably paid a lot more, but the numbers don’t lie.
OMG, these are the first pictures I’ve seen of Damon’s wife not either pregnant or nursing!
Poor woman-I hope she’s done popping out babies. Or is Damon gonna insist on “Going for the boy”? He doesn’t seem like that kind of a guy.
As per above, I agree-she looks great even so. And I think she has good genes rather than a live-in personal trainer.
@Hannah I’m not sure what your point is about numbers there are a lot of different ways to use numbers to make whatever argument you want. As I said before I’m on the phone so I can’t mull the details over. Take out Kung-Fu Panda and Angelina’s last 3 live action films The Tourist, Wanted , and Salt did much better than Garner’s last 3 and she recently has been relegated to supporting roles in drivel like that Arthur remake. Her next big project is a PBS film ( no disrespect to public tv). So yes I find it plausibleif not probable that she sees a benefit in keeping herself and her family visible as much as possible especially since her more famous, budding director husband has a wandering eye do I blame her not at all.Now for Brangelina we know thee is going to be a story about them regardless for her the pap walks which are much less than Garner’s are in effect to refute the negative press that’s constant.
So we’re not including The Changeling in Jolie’s last 3 non-animated movies? Weird.
The truth is that Jolie, like Tom Cruise, is a movie star and a brand. And like Cruise, she has a big following overseas. They also both use their private lives to further their careers, and try to maintain a certain image in my opinion.
But she also has not had a number one non-animated movie since 2005, has not won a prestigeous acting award in over 10 years, while her last movie did poorly in the US and was widely panned by the critics. I understand that you love her, but if you believe that she’s not just as dsperate for a big hit as Jennifer Garner, and with the added pressure of being paid a hell of a lot more, then you’re being incredibly naive.
To #12, Monica, exactly my thinking, too. I do not feel that Brad needs the attention so much as Angie, and does she ever…she’s been wanting attention her entire life & doing things to get it….so, yes, I think it is mostly invited and without the attention, she would cease to feel important and cool.
@ Hannah sorry I omitted the Changeling she got nominated for an Oscar, not by any definition a failure nor is not having a number one movie if it brings in strong numbers like Wanted, and Salt. I’ve never said she doesn’t want people to like her or doesn’t have an image to protect just that it’s hypocritical for commenters to claim Jen Garner is chased by the paparazzi and can’t help the attention she gets while Jolie who is a bigger star and sells more magazine covers is only getting papped because she wants to.
Why can not a person to give their opinion without being attacked? I think everyone has that right. I think Matt Damon was frank and gave his opinion, and you’re right, it’s true that Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie can not step in and put one foot in the street without forming a circle media.