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Matt Damon of ‘The Martian’ wins Globe for comedy actor

In this image released by NBC, Matt Damon introduces the film "The Martian," nominated for best comedy film at the 73rd Annual Golden Globe Awards on Sunday, Jan. 10, 2016, at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, Calif. (Paul Drinkwater/NBC via AP) In this image released by NBC, Matt Damon introduces the film "The Martian," nominated for best comedy film at the 73rd Annual Golden Globe Awards on Sunday, Jan. 10, 2016, at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, Calif. (Paul Drinkwater/NBC via AP)

By Associated Press January 10, 2016 1 min read

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. (AP) – Matt Damon has won a Golden Globe award as best actor in a motion picture comedy or musical for “The Martian.”

He played an astronaut accidently left behind on Mars by his crew.

In his acceptance speech Sunday, Damon noted that 18 years have passed since he was at the Beverly Hilton accepting his first Globe for best motion picture screenplay with friend Ben Affleck, with whom he wrote “Good Will Hunting.”

Damon told the audience that he knows how lucky he is to act for a living.

He has been nominated five other times over the years but had not won until this year.

Damon beat out Christian Bale and Steve Carell of “The Big Short,” Al Pacino of “Danny Collins,” and Mark Ruffalo of “Infinitely Polar Bear.”