Matt Damon Doesn't Like Going Shirtless

It's no secret that Matt Damon has plenty of admirers — and not just because of his acting talent. Ever since he played sexy roles in movies such as School Ties (1992) and Good Will Hunting (1997), his most adoring fans have looked forward to seeing his buff body onscreen. But, if you've been paying close attention, then you've probably noticed it's been awhile since Damon has bared his chest for the camera — a choice, he says, he's made consciously.

"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," Damon, 41, told Parade. "I try to stay away from the beefcake shots."

Perhaps lately fans' expectations of shirtlessness have been lowered by Damon's choice of daddy roles. Earlier this year, he played the grieving father of teenage girl in Contagion. In We Bought A Zoo, his next film due out December 23, Damon plays the dad again.

According to Damon, he sees his sex appeal as having severely diminished. "I was down by NYU getting a cup of coffee at Starbucks, and there were a bunch of college-age students working there," he said. "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."

OK, so he may not be winning over the teenaged girls like he used to, but he shouldn't sell himself short. There's still a wide range of people out there for whom "sexy dad" is someone they'd love to see shirtless.