Matt Damon took break from 'Bourne' to lend voice to PBS children's show

BOSTON -- Matt Damon, who plays former assassin Jason Bourne in "The Bourne Ultimatum," has a much fuzzier role in an upcoming episode of PBS' "Arthur."

Damon, bedecked with bear ears, plays himself as part of "Postcards From You," an initiative to encourage young viewers to make their own videos. He voices the character.

His guest appearance on the animated children's show about a friendly aardvark is set to air Sept. 3.

Damon, 36, took a break from filming "The Bourne Ultimatum" to tape "Arthur" at a studio in Miami, said Pierre Valette, executive producer of the show, based at WBGH in Boston.

An animator also drew the actor.

"As we were thinking of possible guests, Matt Damon made sense," Valette said.

Damon is a filmmaker, he's from the Boston area, he's a young father and the head writer -- Peter Hirsch -- was Damon's classmate at Harvard, Valette said.

When the producers were creating the surroundings for Damon's character, they turned to works by his brother, Cambridge-based artist Kyle Damon, for inspiration.

"I thought why not decorate his studio and his home with his brother's artwork," Valette said.

"Arthur" airs on PBS stations nationwide.