Matt Damon could be a flashy superstar with a constant paparazzi following. But the Miami-based family man prefers to keep quiet and away from the Hollywood scene—unless he's with pal George Clooney, of course. Then the Hollywood scene comes to them. But when he's not working on sequels, threequels, and think pieces, Damon is working on behalf of global charities and/or watching baseball. Contrary to rumor, he is not working on another script with Ben Affleck. But we do have the inside scoop on two upcoming projects, both book adaptations: "Imperial Life in the Emerald City" with Bourne director Paul Greengrass and "The Informant" with Ocean's director Steven Soderbergh.

How do you feel about the LA Dodgers?
DAMON: I always root for Derek Lowe. He's an old Red Sock. But you know, there's an old saying in Boston: We have two favorite teams, the Red Sox and whoever's playing the Yankees. When the Dodgers play the Yankees, they're my second favorite team.

Have you ever been to the stadium?
DAMON: I haven't been in years. But I used to go a lot because I used to live in Eagle Rock and it was pretty close by. It was always a good thing to do because you could always get seats. It's a great stadium; I'm a big fan.

We hear you started a bowling league in Berlin. Do you do much bowling in the US? Any in LA?
DAMON: Remember that I don't live in L.A. But I used to bowl at a place way down on Santa Monica, east. It's the place where they shot The Big Lebowski. Not all the way Downtown, but it's east of Vine. I'm forgetting the name of it because I haven't bowled there in years. I've literally been out of L.A. for about five or six years.

You’re involved in so many charitable organizations. Does your work involve a lot of appearances and schmoozing, or do you try to stay behind the scenes?
DAMON: Well, I'm trying to focus on certain things and do what I can as much as I can. Right now, I'm working a lot with the ONE Campaign. I'm going to keep doing that, keep going to Africa, and try to spread the word about issues surrounding extreme poverty.

What’s your favorite or most memorable thing you’ve done on behalf of a charity?
DAMON: Last year, I went to Zambia and that was an amazing, wonderful trip. I met some incredible people and I learned a lot. It wasn't a public trip, it was a very quiet trip so I could get educated about some of the issues that people are facing in some of these countries in Africa.

What are your thoughts on continuing the Bourne franchise?
DAMON: The reality is that the story for this trilogy, this guy's search for his identity, is over. He's got all the answers. So what would the fourth one be about? There would have to be some kind of external antagonism that would draw him back in. I don't see anything happening for, probably, 10 years, that would serve as kind of a story engine to do a fourth one.

How do you feel when George Clooney classifies you as a “whore for money”? [Clooney was obviously joking when he said this.]
DAMON: I'd worry if George Clooney were nice about me in public. That's when I'd really worry that something was wrong.
By Katherine Spiers & Bob Strauss