Matt Damon has given many memorable and jaw-dropping performances on the silver screen as a leading star in Hollywood. Damon’s versatility knows no boundaries as he has starred in dozens of multi-genre projects, playing challenging, complex, and intriguing characters. He has remained consistently a fan-favorite star since the late 1980s by showcasing his cinematic skills. He has collaborated with many top-tier directors, including Martin Scorsese.
The 52-year-old star once revealed while working with Brad Pitt in Ocean’s 12, the actor asked him if he would like to star in Scorsese-directed The Departed. He also opened up about the intriguing elevator climax scene featuring him and Leonardo DiCaprio. He said this shot was surprising, claiming that the audience wouldn’t have expected DiCaprio’s character to be shot dead in the end.
Matt Damon Reveals How Brad Pitt Approached Him to Star in The Departed Movie
Matt Damon has had the perks of working with award-winning directors like Martin Scorsese. The actor-director duo teamed up on his 2006 directorial American crime thriller The Departed. There is an intriguing tale behind his casting in the film, as Damon once shared he was working with Brad Pitt in Ocean’s 12, and that’s when the Se7en movie star asked him if he would like to star in Scorsese’s film. The Mystic Pizza star disclosed that he was surprised when Pitt handed him the script, as he initially thought the actor was kidding. He told GQ magazine,
“I remember, we were shooting Ocean’s 12, and Brad came up and said, ‘Hey, do you want to be in a Martin Scorsese movie?’ Because Brad, I don’t know if you know, produced that. Brad was going to play either Leo or my role.”
The Air movie star continued,
“I can’t remember which one. I guess they had spoken to Marty, and Marty was like, ‘No, I’d like to have Matt.’ I thought Brad was joking. What actor do you ask that question of? You’re like, ‘Shut up, man.’ He’s like, ‘No, I’m actually serious.’ And then he handed me the script, and it was fantastic. I just felt like that was one of the things that fell from the sky. I’ll always be grateful that I had that chance.”
It was a monumental opportunity for the Cambridge native star to work with top-notch directors like Martin Scorsese. Damon did a remarkable job in the movie and earned critical acclaim.
Matt Damon on the Elevator Scene Starring Him and Leonardo DiCaprio
During his interview with the outlet, The Last Duel movie star also shared how the climax scene of The Departed featuring him and his co-star Leonardo DiCaprio in an elevator has become famous over the years. He explained that the film features a lot of suspense, but the audience would not have expected to see DiCaprio’s character get shot in the head in the end.
In the scene, Colin Sullivan (Damon) finally gets caught by Costigan (DiCaprio) on the rooftop, and as they both go down in the elevator, Sullivan starts to babble, “I know I’m screwed, I’m begging, just kill me,” to which Costigan responds, “I am killing you.” When they come down, doors get open, and Costigan gets shot in the head by another cop who is trying to save Sullivan.
The Academy Award-winning star claimed this was shocking, as he told the outlet,
“No one’s ever going to believe that Leonardo DiCaprio’s just got his head blown off. Like we knew that surprise was going to work.”
Martin Scorsese-directed The Departed movie stars Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon, Jack Nicholson, Mark Wahlberg, Martin Sheen, Ray Winstone, Vera Farmiga, and Alec Baldwin. It received critical acclaim for its over-the-top plot, excellent direction, and the performances of its star cast.
The Departed is available for streaming on Amazon Prime Video.
Source: GQ
