Matt Damon wants to go to Mars

"The Martian" actor Matt Damon has joked he wants to go to Mars to escape the everyday stresses of family life.

"It's funny because in my life I'm rarely by myself. With four kids I could use some time alone on Mars," Damon, who plays an astronaut in the new Ridley Scott-directed sci-fi movie, told telegraph.co.uk.

Despite being among the most bankable stars in Hollywood, Damon said his stable family life means he finds it easy to escape the attention of the paparazzi cameras and fans.

"I'm a married man with kids and there's no scandal about me," the 44-year-old, who has four daughters with his Argentine wife Luciana Barroso - stepdaughter Alexia, 17, and Isabella, nine, Gia, six, and five-year-old Stella, said.

"So long as the photographers get an updated picture every six months, they're okay.

"A picture of us isn't as valuable as a picture of somebody who may cause some scandal and I don't think I've done anything to create any mystique around myself," he added.