Matt Damon may live a high-flying life of luxury in Hollywood, but when in Australia he\u2019s more than happy to slum it with us regular folk in economy class.<\/p>\n
On Monday afternoon, the actor and his wife, Luciana Barroso, were seen joining locals board a commercial Virgin Australia flight from Sydney to Ballina.<\/p>\n
Ironically, The Bourne Identity star was accompanied by a group of friends among which included Aussie businessman Paul O\u2019Brien, who is the founder of AVMIN, an Australian-based aviation service provider specialising in private jet charters.<\/p>\n
Still, there was no Hollywood VIP treatment or celebrity fanfare for Damon, who was casually dressed in a chequered shirt, dark jeans and black sunglasses, as he waited in line before wheeling his own luggage along to the check-in counter. <\/p>\n
It was the same story at Ballina Airport, with the 55-year-old seen disembarking like every other passenger.<\/p>\n
Just days prior, Damon added some Hollywood spice to Sydney\u2019s biggest race day, stepping out at Rosehill Gardens<\/a> for the 70th TAB Golden Slipper on Saturday.<\/p>\n Unlike his airport outing, the actor was dressed to the nines in an M.J. Bale suit and tie where he joined Aussie actor Luke Hemsworth in a private area hosted by Arrowfield Stud owner John Messara and son Paul. <\/p>\n The actor has quietly built a connection to Australian racing, owning stakes in racehorse Are You Kidding, trained by Leah Gavranich. The horse was expected to run at Rosehill on Golden Slipper Day before being scratched earlier in the week.<\/p>\n Indeed, Damon is no stranger to Australia \u2013 he has spent extended periods here with his family and formed close friendships with fellow actors Chris Hemsworth and his wife Elsa Pataky, who are based in Bryon Bay just a short drive from Ballina.<\/p>\n Damon has also been a familiar face at local events, including AFL matches, and he was even seen at the Queensland agricultural show<\/a> at the Ekka back in 2023 with his wife and daughters, Isabella, 19, Gia, 17 and Stella, 15. <\/p>\n \u201cI love it here. This is our second year in a row coming here,\u201d he said in a video shared on the event\u2019s X page at the time. <\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s turned into a family tradition so thanks for having us back. Shout out to everyone at the Ekka, you guys do a great job.\u201d<\/p>\n