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Matt Damon is an A-list actor for a reason. Not only has he shown surprisingly longevity, but he also has tremendous range. He’s as dependable as they come, and while he’s has had his fair share of flops, he’s weathered the misfires to find success time and again in a variety of genres. He’s shown himself equally adept at drama, comedy, and action, and always seems willing to challenge himself. There’s no typical “Matt Damon character”, and he has a chameleon-like tendency to disappear into roles even though he’s unmistakably a movie star.

It was tough to narrow this down to his top five performances, but I feel like these roles show off his talent and range the best.

Team America

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Image via Paramount

Okay, seriously, here’s the Top 5.

Good Will Hunting

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Image via Miramax

For a film that isn’t particularly well written (it’s a nice movie that’s skillfully directed and well acted, but most of the characters talk in monologues), it’s surprising that Damon’s lone Oscar win is for co-writing the script with Ben Affleck. And yet Damon gives a breakthough performance that utilizes his charm and angst in equal measure. Will Hunting is a funny guy and we can see why people like him, but we can also see the toll domestic abuse has done to his life. It’s not Damon’s most complex character, but he gives the role everything he has, and there’s a reason it ended up making him a star.

The Talented Mr. Ripley

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Image via Paramount

While I’m not a huge fan of this film overall (Anthony Minghella movies never seem to work for me), there’s no ignoring Damon’s creepy, wounded sociopath as anything but a masterclass in acting. Ripley is a fascinating character, and Damon digs deep into the role to discover someone who is both longing for affection and yet also deeply dangerous. It’s a balancing act, and while I’m sure there was a temptation to pick a side, Damon keeps us on edge with this fascinating creature who is incredibly creepy and yet also overwhelmingly tragic. It kind of blows my mind that Damon wasn’t even 30 when he gave this masterful performance.

The Bourne Supremacy

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Image via Universal

Although The Bourne Identity was able to sell Damon as an action hero, it wasn’t until The Bourne Supremacy that his action chops were given a terrific dramatic arc. In Identity, Bourne is still learning about his past, and seems as surprised as anyone at what he’s able to do. In Supremacy, he’s haunted by what he did as a special agent, and while he’s still kicking ass and taking names, he must also live with the shame of his action and seek forgiveness for the killing he did. While he’s also good in The Bourne Ultimatum, Supremacy is the best balance of all his Bourne performances.

The Departed

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Image via Warner Bros.

In a film filled with terrific performances, Damon does a magnificent job as a snake in the grass. Whereas Leonardo DiCaprio has to strip away his charm and affability to play a twitchy undercover cop, Damon smiles and glad-hands his way playing an undercover criminal. It’s Damon at his most despicable, yet he never goes for the obvious choices. It’s a fun performance in a fun film, and while it’s more of a supporting turn for an actor used to playing heroic lead, he excels at playing the villain.

The Informant!

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Image via Warner Bros.

While it’s no surprise that Damon is hilarious, he takes his comedy to a new level in Steven Soderbergh’s bizarre, charming, and outrageous The Informant! What starts out as Damon playing a seemingly incompetent whistleblower eventually transforms into the study of a pathological liar who’s desperate for attention. As his true character is revealed over the course of the movie, Mark Whitacre transforms from a lovable buffoon into a deeply disturbed and pitiable figure, and Damon plays both sides of the character beautifully.