Matt Damon Opens Up About the Struggle to Stay Present with His Kids Amid a Ruthless Hollywood Career

Balancing work and parenthood is never easy. And that balancing act is something that actor Matt Damon has been thinking about more and more.

In a new interview with GQ about his upcoming role in Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey, Damon reflected on how he has begun to focus on being present—especially when it comes to his family. “I think about it a lot, especially as my kids are getting older: really trying to be here now,” he said. “And it’s hard for me to do that.”

Damon and his wife Luciana Barroso are parents to four daughters: Alexia (born 1999), Isabella (2006), Gia (2008), and Stella (2010).

Damon went on to muse that while a big part of his struggle may have to do with his "own nature," his Hollywood career has also made staying present hard. "It also has to do with this career where you’re always trying to figure out what’s ahead because it’s such an uncertain business and a pretty ruthless one," he said. "Those kinds of things have conspired to, I think, maybe take me out of where I am, more than I’d like.”

Apparently, Damon finally found a sense of presence while making The Odyssey, because he sees it as his last big blockbuster movie. "To do it on film, in camera, a story that big, all on location, there are only a couple people who can mount a production like that at this point, and so those things just aren’t available," he explained. "And, specifically, probably not for me as I get older.”

And so, making the film “was an experience that I just was in it every day and loving it. And the funniest thing happened, which is just all of the things that might have been difficult for me at an earlier point in my life weren’t difficult. They became fun.”

Damon and his four daughters last appeared together earlier this year when they all made a joint family appearance on the red carpet at the premiere of The Rip.

The actor previously spoke about how quickly his family had grown up. In 2024, he told People, "It's like suddenly your kid's going to college, and it's at a blistering pace."