Matt Damon is one of the biggest movie stars in the world. Heading into this year, he was already the face of some of the biggest and most influential films ever made, from his indie breakout Good Will Hunting to the blockbuster Bourne Identity franchise. However, he took things to the next level by starring in Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey. This was, arguably, the most ambitious movie for both of them, and one that could have gone catastrophically wrong. Instead, the movie went on to earn over a billion dollars at the box office.
Thanks to all of his personal success, you might not realize that Matt Damon’s greatest contribution is often hidden. Not in a Trojan horse, mind you, but behind the scenes. His stepdaughter, Alexia Barroso, has proven to be one of the biggest talents in Hollywood, though she prefers to work behind the scenes. Because of this, most movie lovers don’t know about her impressive accomplishments. Once you find out, though, you may agree that this young woman is, in many ways, even more impressive than her old man.
Forging her own path in Hollywood
It would have been the easiest thing in the world for Alexia Barroso to become a nepo baby. Her father is one of the most famous men in Hollywood; if she really wanted to, she could have taken his famous last name as her own; this, combined with her beauty, would have made Barroso one of the biggest names in the movie business. However, she decided that this wasn’t the right path for her. And after a brief role in her father’s movie We Bought a Zoo, she stopped appearing in front of the cameras altogether.
That doesn’t mean she lost her interest in the film industry altogether, though. Early on, Barroso showed extreme talent behind the camera. She took up cinematography, and she has used her skills to work on several of her father’s most ambitious movies, including The Last Duel. Furthermore, this young talent (who received world-class training from The New School in New York City) developed considerable skills in photography, helping her land a job at Paramount+. She also worked as a camera loader for Netflix.
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Making daddy proud
So, how does Matt Damon feel about his stepdaughter making her own mark in Hollywood? Unsurprisingly, he is very proud of everything that Alexia Barroso has managed to accomplish. In an interview this year with E! News, he gushed about her accomplishments in front of the entire world. “She’s done about 12 movies,” he said, pride evident in his voice. “[She’s] worked on the camera team all over the world.”
In some ways, Barroso’s chosen career path proves that she’s the perfect blend of her mother and father. Damon, obviously, has chosen to live a flashy life as a major Hollywood actor. His wife, Luciana Barroso, however, prefers a quiet life…after all, she was a bartender when she met her future husband. As for Alexia, she falls exactly in the middle, working on major movies enjoyed by millions of fans, all while hiding her face from the world whenever possible.
She’s always happy to promote her famous father
One of the cutest things about Alexia Barroso’s relationship with Matt Damon is that she always goes out of her way to promote his work. You could argue he doesn’t really need additional PR since he became a household name long ago. However, she still goes to bat for his films in her own little social media corner, especially the ones that are in danger of getting overlooked.
Case in point? Back in January, she posted an Instagram carousel with pictures of Matt Damon and Ben Affleck. The pictures also included Joe Carnahan, the director of a movie that dynamic duo had just starred in: The Rip. “Go check out the movie ‘The Rip!’ Watching the movie will help give all members of cast and crew a one-time bonus if the film performs well!” At the end of her caption, Barroso added a kind of miniature review: “Also, it’s a good time!”
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Tough but fair, even with celebrities
Growing up, Alexia Barroso developed a very interesting relationship with Hollywood. She didn’t want the limelight for herself, but she regularly encountered some of the most famous people in the world. In her position, most people would indulge their inner fangirl and say whatever these celebs wanted to hear. Not Barroso, though. In fact, she cultivated a reputation for being brutally honest about actors’ performances in various works.
Obviously, it can hurt when she tells someone a performance was bad. Conversely, though, her praise means that much more because it is hard to earn. Pedro Pascal found this out when she was watching his episodes of Game of Thrones. As Yahoo! reports, his reaction to her critique was very charming. “It was really cool to see her watch it. She’s a hard critic, though. She’s very, very sharp, like her mom and dad.” Fortunately, she approved of his performance, and to Pascal, that “was the biggest stamp of approval I could’ve ever gotten.”