Damon protects privacy with alter ego

LONDON - Hollywood star Matt Damon invented an alter ego so he could keep his life private.

The 40-year-old, who has four-year-old Isabella, two-year-old Gia, and three-month old Stella with wife Luisiana, as well as has been raising her 11-year-old daughter Alexia from a previous marriage, was advised by then-girlfriend Minnie Driver to make people think he was bland and quiet when he first shot to fame, in a bid to reduce interest in him, reports imdb.com.

“Whenever I did interviews, I pretended to be this other guy, Mike Smiley. So this boring, smiley guy Mike would turn up and do my interviews for me, which let me get on with my life,” he said.