Ketanji Brown Jackson Confirmed Acting with Matt Damon in Harvard Drama Class

Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson and Academy Award winner Matt Damon share an unexpected history.

In an interview with CBS Sunday Morning on Sept. 1, ahead of her memoir release Lovely One, Jackson, 53, reminisced about a notable encounter with Damon, also 53, during their Harvard University days. Both now powerhouses in their fields, they once crossed paths in a drama class.

“So, is it true you were here at the same time as Matt Damon?” CBS’ Norah O’Donnell asked Jackson about their time in school.

Jackson confirmed, saying Damon was “a year ahead” of her. Although they never performed together officially, they were scene partners in a drama class.

“He’s not going to remember this, of course,” she remarked about their scene from Waiting For Godot.

The pairing left an impression on Jackson, who noted that Damon was already somewhat famous both on and off campus. “It was kind of exciting to be his scene partner for a particular class,” she said, smiling.

Jackson and Damon were required to memorize scenes for the two-person play, and Jackson excelled more than she expected.

“At the end, the professor said, ‘Ketanji, you were very good. Matt, we’ll talk,’ ” she recalled. “I was like, ‘Oh my God, I was better than Matt Damon in a scene.’”

Though Damon attended Harvard, he did not complete his degree. In February 2022, the same year Jackson became the country’s first Black female justice, Damon’s representative confirmed to the Associated Press that the actor did not recall working with Jackson for Waiting for Godot.

However, Damon found the story impressive. “That’s so cool!” he remarked.

Jackson’s time at Harvard included drama and musical theater courses, as well as involvement in an improv group called On Thin Ice, despite her main focus on government studies.

On Sunday, Jackson discussed with CBS Evening News her thoughts on supporting a plan to enforce a code of conduct for justices, issued in November 2023.

“A binding code of ethics is pretty standard for judges, and so I guess the question is, is the Supreme Court any different?” she said. “I guess I have not seen a persuasive reason as to why the court is different than the other courts.”

Jackson’s memoir, Lovely One, is set to be released on Tuesday, Sept. 3.

Source: Associated Press, CBS News