Jesse Plemons and Matt Damon are two of the most popular actors in Hollywood, but they also share a striking resemblance that has often confused fans and critics alike. Are they related by blood or just by chance? Here’s the truth behind the lookalikes.
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Who is Jesse Plemons?
Jesse Plemons is an American actor who began his career as a child actor and achieved a career breakthrough with his major role as Landry Clarke in the NBC drama series Friday Night Lights (2006-2011). He subsequently portrayed Todd Alquist in season 5 of the AMC crime drama series Breaking Bad (2012-2013) and its sequel film El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie (2019). For his role as Ed Blumquist in season 2 of the FX anthology series Fargo (2015), he received his first Primetime Emmy Award nomination and won a Critics’ Choice Television Award. He received a second Emmy nomination for his portrayal of Robert Daly in “USS Callister”, an episode of the Netflix anthology series Black Mirror (2017).
Plemons has appeared in supporting roles in several films including The Master (2012), The Homesman (2014), Black Mass, Bridge of Spies (both 2015), Game Night, Vice (both 2018), The Irishman (2019), Judas and the Black Messiah, Jungle Cruise, and The Power of the Dog (all in 2021). He starred in the psychological thriller film I’m Thinking of Ending Things (2020). He was nominated for the Independent Spirit Award for Best Male Lead for his role as David Mulcahey in Other People (2016). For his performance in The Power of the Dog, he was nominated for a BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role and the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor.
Plemons was born on April 2, 1988, in Dallas, Texas, to Lisa Beth and Jim Bob Plemons. He has an older sister named Jill. He grew up in Mart, a small town outside Waco, Texas, where he played football in high school. He is a great-great-great-great-great-grandson of early Texas settler Emily Margaret Brown Austin, the sister of Stephen F. Austin, known as the “Father of Texas,” who colonized Texas in the early 1800s.
Plemons began dating his Fargo co-star Kirsten Dunst in 2016 and they announced their engagement in January 2017. They have two children together: Ennis Howard Plemons, born on May 3, 2018, and James Robert Plemons, born on September 4, 2021.
Who is Matt Damon?
Matt Damon is an American actor, producer, and screenwriter who is one of the highest-grossing actors of all time. He has received various accolades, including an Academy Award, two Golden Globe Awards, five BAFTA Awards, seven Emmy Award nominations, and nine Screen Actors Guild Award nominations.
Damon is best known for his roles as Jason Bourne in the Bourne franchise (2002-2016), Will Hunting in Good Will Hunting (1997), which he co-wrote with Ben Affleck and won an Oscar for Best Original Screenplay, Linus Caldwell in the Ocean’s trilogy (2001-2007), Mark Watney in The Martian (2015), which earned him a Golden Globe for Best Actor in a Musical or Comedy, and Carroll Shelby in Ford v Ferrari (2019).
Damon has also appeared in films such as Saving Private Ryan (1998), The Talented Mr. Ripley (1999), The Departed (2006), Invictus (2009), True Grit (2010), The Adjustment Bureau (2011), Contagion (2011), Elysium (2013), Interstellar (2014), The Great Wall (2016), Suburbicon (2017), Downsizing (2017), Stillwater (2021), and The Last Duel (2021).
Damon was born on October 8, 1970, in Cambridge, Massachusetts, to Kent Telfer Damon and Nancy Carlsson-Paige. He has one brother named Kyle. He attended Harvard University but dropped out to pursue his acting career. He made his film debut in Mystic Pizza (1988) and gained recognition with School Ties (1992) and Geronimo: An American Legend (1993).
Damon married Luciana Bozán Barroso in December 2005. They have four daughters together: Alexia Barroso, from Luciana’s previous marriage; Isabella Damon, born on June 11, 2006; Gia Zavala Damon, born on August 20, 2008; and Stella Zavala Damon, born on October 20, 2010.
Are Jesse Plemons and Matt Damon Related?
No, Jesse Plemons and Matt Damon are not related, they just happen to share a resemblance. Plemons was nicknamed “Meth Demon” when he was cast on Breaking Bad because he looks like Matt Damon. Plemons has admitted to looking like Damon and has shared his experience on various platforms. Fans have even mistaken Plemons for Damon in some movies and TV shows.
According to Glamour Buff, Plemons said in an interview with Conan O’Brien that he once met Damon at a party and they joked about their similarity. He also said that he was once approached by a fan who thought he was Damon and asked him to sign a Bourne DVD. Plemons said he signed it as “Matt Damon” and added “I’m sorry, I’m not Matt Damon.”
According to Your Next Shoes, Plemons also said in an interview with Jimmy Kimmel that he was once mistaken for Damon by a driver who picked him up from the airport. He said the driver kept talking to him about Damon’s movies and he didn’t have the heart to correct him.
Plemons and Damon have also played related characters in some films. Plemons played a younger version of Damon’s character in All the Pretty Horses (2000) and Hoffman’s son in The Master (2012). They also co-starred in The Last Duel (2021), where they played cousins.
Plemons and Damon have both expressed admiration for each other’s work and have said they are fans of each other. They have also said they are friends and enjoy hanging out together.
Conclusion
Jesse Plemons and Matt Damon are two talented actors who have a lot in common, but they are not related by blood or by chance. They are just lookalikes who have embraced their resemblance and have used it to their advantage in their careers. They are also respectful and supportive of each other and have formed a friendship over the years. They are both examples of how Hollywood can be a place of collaboration and camaraderie rather than competition and rivalry.
