Matt Damon's father Kent dies of cancer at 74

Dec. 24 (UPI) -- Actor Matt Damon's father Kent has died after a long battle with multiple myeloma. He was 74.

Damon's publicist Jennifer Allen confirmed the man's Dec. 14 death to the Boston Globe on Saturday.

"It's been a slow, unfolding, my dad's sick, so that's been a process we're going through," Damon told Extra earlier this month. "We'll take any prayers you got, so throw 'em up there."

The Downsizing and Good Will Hunting star has helped raise awareness and funds for cancer research and treatment since his father's diagnosis in 2010.