‘The Odyssey’ required Matt Damon to grow out his beard
Matt Damon explains why he grew out a real beard for “The Odyssey” and what his kids thought of it.
As Matt Damon makes his “Odyssey” around the world, he has the constant support of his wife and their children.
The 55-year-old actor was accompanied by his wife of more than two decades, Luciana Damon, and their younger daughters Gia, 17, and Stella Damon, 15, as he stepped out for the Christopher Nolan film’s South Korea premiere in Seoul on Tuesday, Aug. 4.
Their older daughters, Alexia Barroso and 20-year-old Isabella Damon, were not photographed on the red carpet.
While the Oscar winner’s family typically stays out of the spotlight, they have made occasional public outings to support his projects, some of which are executive produced by Luciana Damon.
All four daughters joined their parents at the London “Odyssey” premiere on July 6, and Isabella Damon posed on the red carpet with Matt and Luciana Damon at the July 14 New York premiere. Prior to this, the family of six attended the premiere for Apple TV’s “The Instigators” in 2024.
“We’re all having fun while I’m working, but I’m so happy they’re here. Everybody’s so grown up; I had a real dad teary moment seeing them here today,” Damon told Entertainment Tonight on the London red carpet.
How Matt Damon’s daughters reacted to his ‘Odyssey’ transformation
Though the Damons keep their family life private, the “Bourne” franchise star keeps his love for the women in his life front and center with their names tattooed on his arm.
Luciana Damon isn’t the only one involved in Matt Damon’s work; his daughters also don’t hold back in giving the “Good Will Hunting” star feedback.
In preparation for portraying Odysseus, Damon not only did an “overhaul” of his physique through a gluten-free diet and a strict workout regimen, but also grew out his facial hair, per Nolan’s request.
“I had a big, bushy beard for a year or so. My kids thought I looked like Santa Claus,” he recently told USA TODAY.
Sometimes, the Damon girls have not-so-great reactions to his work, like when Damon’s youngest, Stella, took a nap during a screening of 2020 Oscar winner “Ford v Ferrari.”
“It was a little past bedtime,” Damon told USA TODAY in 2019. “She said to me, ‘Dad, I fell asleep twice, but only for 10 seconds.’ She said it was really exciting.” He added, “I told her, ‘It’s OK, when it comes out on iTunes we’ll get it for the missing parts.”