Actor Matt Damon to speak before class of 2016 at June commencement
Cambridge native and Harvard dropout is first entertainer in 17 years to receive the honor of addressing the Institute’s graduates
Actor and filmmaker Matt Damon will be the commencement speaker for the Class of 2016, MIT announced Dec. 10.
At MIT’s 139th commencement this June, he will become the first entertainer in 17 years to give the keynote address, and the first speaker in six years from a non-science background.
“I am humbled and thrilled by this invitation,” Damon told the MIT News Office. “I feel a deep affinity for MIT having grown up in the neighborhood. It’s quite an honor to be the commencement speaker at a school that I couldn’t have gotten into.”
Damon attended Harvard University, where he wrote the first draft of what would become his breakout film, Good Will Hunting. The Cambridge-born actor starred as the film’s title character, a self-taught genius who works as a janitor at MIT, and whose brilliance is discovered after he solves a challenging problem in algebraic graph theory.
Recently, Damon starred in The Martian, which was released last October and had grossed $573 million as of Dec. 6. In the film, Damon plays astronaut Mark Watney, who is forced to survive on Mars after a NASA mission leaves him behind.
Throughout his career, Damon has been nominated for six Golden Globe Awards. Good Will Hunting, which Damon co-wrote, won an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay, and Damon received a nomination for Best Actor.
In 2006, Damon embarked on a humanitarian mission, co-founding the H20 Africa Foundation to advocate and raise money for clean water initiatives in Africa. The foundation later merged with WaterPartners to become Water.org, and now provides microfinance loans to people in developing communities to help them gain access to safe water and sanitation.
Along with actors George Clooney, Brad Pitt, and others, Damon co-founded international aid organization Not on Our Watch to bring global attention to human rights violations.
“Mr. Damon couples a passion for his art with a passion for making the world a better place, much as our students couple a passion for science and technology with a passion to improve the world,” Eric Grimson, chair of the Commencement Committee, told the MIT News Office. “I am sure his message will inspire our students to follow that passion and tackle some of the world’s great challenges, such as in water, health, or education.”
Damon is “an inspiration to MIT students, teaching us that humility knows no bounds,” Anish Punjabi, president of the Class of 2016, said in a statement. “The world needs more well-rounded leaders who are passionate about improving society through one genuine act of kindness at a time.”
The most recent commencement speakers have included U.S. Chief Technology Officer Megan Smith ’86, DuPont CEO Ellen Kullman, Dropbox founder Drew W. Houston ’05, and Salman A. Khan ’98, founder of Khan Academy.