Matt Damon shared in a GQ magazine cover story that his wife, Luciana, suffered a brain aneurysm in early 2024. She underwent surgery just one week before the 96th Academy Awards, the same night the film "Oppenheimer" won Best Picture.
The couple did not attend the ceremony due to her medical situation. However, they did attend an after-party. Damon explained that Luciana felt guilty about missing the Oscars years prior when "The Departed" won Best Picture. Damon noted that he was in Miami at the time with an infant and was watching the ceremony from bed. He recalled being excited for Marty and then realizing "The Departed" had won, at which point he told Luciana, "Shit, we should be there!" He said he received calls from the cast and studio asking where he was, admitting, "I totally blew it."
Damon described the situation surrounding the "Oppenheimer" win as a "scary thing" because of his wife's aneurysm. He stated she is "totally fine, thank God," but she had surgery the week before the awards. He said it was the first night she felt well enough to get up and regain her energy. She surprised him by getting a dress so they could go to the after-party because she remembered him missing the previous win. Damon called her actions "pretty fucking heroic" and "really meaningful."
While "The Departed" and "Oppenheimer" both won major awards, Damon was not nominated for supporting actor for either film. He told GQ that he does not mind the snubs, stating it is not something one can control and that the reward is simply doing the work. He suggested that people judge movies differently years later and argued that awards should be judged 20 or 25 years later to see which films truly endure. He expressed pride that a new generation is still watching "Good Will Hunting."
Damon is expected to be involved in the upcoming awards season for Christopher Nolan's "The Odyssey." He is widely expected to receive a best actor nomination, with some viewing him as the frontrunner to win. Nolan is also expected to be a contender for best director, with the film favored for best picture.
