The man, the myth, the legend: Matthewian Johannes Damonocco. (Not his real name, but “Matt Damon” is so generic, we’re going to assume he changed it from something more intriguing.) There’s a constant Sisyphean struggle in Hollywood to be perceived as a fun, friendly, relatable person by the public. Given that 90 percent of actors are essentially sentient bags of need and insecurity, this can be a real challenge for some of the population. But when someone comes along who actually happens to be a legitimately cool human being, it stands out—it’s why Tom Hanks is one of the most universally beloved people on the planet, even after making Larry Crowne.
But Hanks’ mantle of “Nicest Guy In Hollywood” may have officially passed to Damon, as demonstrated by GQ’s new feature, “The Encyclopedia Of Matt Damon.” It’s a compendium of topics related to Matt Damon, Actor, as recounted by the man himself, his colleagues, and friends. Basically, it’s an excuse to round up some of the most entertaining and random anecdotes about Damon, as told by his fellow stars, and put them all in one place. It makes for the kind of mindlessly entertaining Hollywood stories best consumed while getting a haircut, or killing 20 minutes before that afternoon meeting you really don’t want to go to, or when you’re a die-hard Matt Damon aficionado. It’s the internet doing what it does best, really, giving behind-the-scenes stories about Kevin Smith passing on the script for Good Will Hunting, or Damon diplomatically telling a post-cancer Michael Douglas they should wait a year to shoot Behind The Candelabra. And, of course, there’s some necessary discussion of “I’m Fucking Matt Damon,” without which no discussion of his career is complete.