# Matt Damon Starred In Scorsese's Oscar-Winning Crime Thriller

> Matt Damon's role in Martin Scorsese's 2006 crime drama 'The Departed' earned the director his first Oscar for Best Director.
- Title: Matt Damon Starred In Scorsese's Oscar-Winning Crime Thriller
- Summary: Matt Damon's role in Martin Scorsese's 2006 crime drama 'The Departed' earned the director his first Oscar for Best Director. Martin Scorsese won the 2006…
- Keywords: matt damon, the departed, martin scorsese, oscar, best director, crime thriller, leonardo di caprio, jack nicholson, mark wahlberg, alec baldwin, imdb top 250, entertainment
- Source: SlashFilm — https://slashfilm.com/2269145/matt-damon-movie-the-departed-20-year-anniversary
- Author: Witney Seibold
- Published: 2026-10-06T12:00:00+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: matt damon, the departed, martin scorsese, oscar, best director, crime thriller, leonardo di caprio, jack nicholson, mark wahlberg, alec baldwin, imdb top 250, entertainment
## 20 Years Ago Today
Martin Scorsese's 2006 crime drama 'The Departed' was released 20 years ago today.
## Based On Hong Kong Film
The Departed was adapted from the 2002 Hong Kong film 'Infernal Affairs' directed by Alan Mau and Andrew Mak.
## Scorsese's First Oscar
Scorsese won his first Oscar for Best Director for The Departed, despite previous nominations for Raging Bull, The Last Temptation of Christ, GoodFellas, Gangs of New York, and The Aviator.
## Moral Conflict
The film depicts two characters crossing moral lines: Matt Damon's Colin Sullivan as a cop working for a criminal empire and Leonardo DiCaprio's Billy Costigan undercover as a criminal.
## Key Cast
Mark Wahlberg and Alec Baldwin star as high-ranking Boston police officials in the film, with Baldwin's cigarette speech being a standout moment.
## Oscar Nominations
The Departed was nominated for five Academy Awards and won four, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay, and Best Editing.
## IMDb Ranking
The Departed is ranked 40th on IMDb's top 250 movies list, a position it held in the mid-2000s.
## Key takeaway

Martin Scorsese won the 2006 Oscar for Best Director for 'The Departed', a crime thriller starring Matt Damon and Leonardo DiCaprio.