Matt Damon: I'm More Than A Hot Body

Matt Damon wants fans to know he's more than just a piece of meat.

The 41-year-old actor, who we distinctly remember seeing shirtless on a number of occasions, recently told Parade, "On the first Bourne movie, I was in the best shape of my life, and we purposely never did a shot of me with my shirt off. I try to stay away from the beefcake shots."

It's not because he's shy about his physique, but more that he's playing the long game.

During a recent trip to New York City, the actor realized that while good acting can be sustained, eight-pack abs might not have the same staying power.

"I was down by [New York University] getting a cup of coffee at Starbucks, and there were a bunch of college-age students working there. The girl at the counter said, 'Oh, wow, I just loved you in The Departed.' I said, 'Thanks a lot.' And she goes, 'I know, I know, it was a long time ago.'

"And I thought, well, there you go. Because to her, if she's 19, it probably came out when she was 13 or 14, so it feels like a generation ago. Every five years there's a new crop [of moviegoers], and they have no idea who you are. If your identity is somehow tied to that, you're in deep trouble. Because if it's not happening now, it's going to happen at some point."