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Matt Damon was just on the Today Show brightening up my morning with his deep voice and new chrome dome. (That video is above.) He’s promoting Contagion, the killer virus movie by Steven Soderbergh. It’s out this Friday and fingers crossed that it will dominate the box office. I know I’ll be seeing it.

To start the interview, Matt Lauer wore a face mask and said that he uses Purell all the time and found the movie terrifying. Damon explained that it was based on real science and that he learned filming the movie that the people at the Center for Disease control are excellent scientists. He said they “are really a competent, capable, dedicated group of people. … I feel like there’s a great group of minds that are constantly vigilant about protecting us.”

As for the takeaway from the film, Damon said “Don’t panic.” Here’s more:

On remaining calm in the event of a potential real-life outbreak
“That’s the quandary that a lot of these people when they have this information are in. ‘How do we disseminate this information in a way that creates the least amount of panic?’

“When you think about anthrax, which killed two people and shut down an entire airline industry. So if we can’t kind of take a deep breath and count to ten and make a reasonable assessment of what we need to do… the media incidentally is a bit part of that.”

On if the media makes too much of these health scares.
“You’re under pressure to get people to tune in. Fear sells a lot better. In a real situation like that, I think the media would have to resist the temptation to sell the panic because that would actually be putting gasoline on the fire.”

On making six movies with Soderberg
“We’re shooting [the Liberace movie] next summer. I could talk your ear off about him. He’s just a brilliant director. This movie he used just two lenses. The camera’s at eye level the entire time, it moves only when the characters move… When I stand next him and he’s directing I just learn so much, and I’m always very proud of the movies we make.”

On his bald head
“It is [for a role] but it is called the Lauer. [The movie] is called Elysium it’s coming out in 2013.”

On his girls going back to school.
“Red alert [the nickname his wife gave him] is going to be there. Lot of drop offs tomorrow. We have a seventh grader starting a new school,I love it. I used to walk to school as a kid; I just love that part of it. We have a 7th grader starting a new school, and my kindergartener is really excited because she’s going back to school and seeing her friends…. [The 3 year-old] still doesn’t know she’s going to school!”

I know this guy says he’s not going to go into politics, but he would be a damn natural at it. Once he amasses his millions and another Oscar for acting this time, he needs to look into it. He’s gracious, funny, smart and continues to impress me as one of the most genuinely decent actors around. I know there are rumors about him (read the comments on this earlier post) but I don’t believe them at all. You can’t kill my crush, damnit!

Here’s the trailer for Contagion again.

Photos are from the Contagion premiere in Venice on 9/3/11 and of Matt arriving. Credit: Fame Pictures, WENN.com and Kika Press, PacificCoastNews.com