Matt Damon is not a name that goes unnoticed. Every household knows who the legendary actor is and can name at least one of his movies from the top of their heads. The influence that the actor has had is greatly underrated because he is one of the best actors currently standing in Hollywood. Damon has worked fiercely throughout his career and not a moment has gone by when he did not give it his all.
Damon has done a lot of movies, played various different characters, won awards for the same, and even directed a whole bunch of projects. There have been moments where he tried to escape being typecast and there have also been moments where he jumped to the exact opportunity to do exactly that.
Matt Damon Was Not Sure He Wanted To Be In Ridley Scott’s Film
Matt Damon got to work with some of the biggest directors including Christopher Nolan and Ridley Scott. However, what both these directors have in common is how they cast the actor as a lonely man on an empty planet. There was a slight chance that would not have been the case. Damon had just done Interstellar and was picked for The Martian. Although the former had not yet not been released; the actor was hesitant about taking the part.
“I am a guy alone on a planet you know, I don’t know if I should follow it up,” the actor added. “Ridley: ‘Nobody gives a sh*t about that.”
Damon was more than happy to have listened to Scott because had he given up the opportunity for his belief, he would have regretted it for a long time going forward. The movie played a significant role in his career and he is forever grateful for it. However, there was a time when the actor was in a similar situation and he rejected the film instead.
Matt Damon Feared Being Typecast
When it comes to playing similar characters, Matt Damon may have had a knack for it because he was often offered similar roles. The actor is best known for playing Jason Bourne in the Bourne franchise and one feature that stood out was his character’s amnesia. Damon was once offered another role where his character would have had amnesia but he had to give it up.
Unlike his leap with The Martian, Ben Affleck’s Paycheck was a film he could not believe he had to reject but it was an important decision on his part. He did not want to be labeled as one particular type of actor but Damon knew he had no other option. However, to not lose the script entirely, he immediately told his best friend, Affleck about the role, who jumped at the opportunity.
Source: GQ
