Matt Damon Talks About Dad with Cancer: 'We'll Take Any Prayers You Got'
Matt Damon makes a plea to his fans to pray for his father, Kent Damon. The 75-year-old has a rare type of cancer, which was diagnosed in 2011, but the last few months have been a struggle for the family.
The "Jason Bourne" actor had to skip an appearance in London in October, where he was supposed to receive an award because Kent had an emergency. Matt also scaled down in doing promotions for his latest movie because he needed to be with family.
In the middle of an interview with Extra, however, Matt opened up about his father's condition. He said that his father's disease has been a "slow unfolding."
"We'll take any prayers you got, so throw 'em up there," the actor said.
Kent has multiple myeloma, which causes frequent infection and bone problems. The actor's father was then in remission when Matt first opened up about cancer in 2011.
"I never thought it would happen to my dad, the marathon runner," Matt told E! News. "It sucked."
Kent is obviously proud of his A-lister son. He publicly complimented Matt at a fundraiser several years ago for the hospital that took care of him.
"[Matt is] all you could ever for ask for in a son," the Damon patriarch said. "It's been a wonderful ride being his dad."
The actor also talked about his family in an interview with Parade. He recalled a time in his young life where Sundays were usually spent playing football, basketball or baseball with his dad and brothers.
Matt said that keeping kids active was one of his father's parenting rule. Kent also made sure that they ate plenty of food for energy for their many activities.
The actor's parents divorced when Matt was 2-years-old. He grew up in two loving and supportive households despite his parents' marriage breaking down.