After the well-received Ocean’s film trilogy, Matt Damon worked with George Clooney on the war film, The Monuments Men. The film directed by Clooney himself was inspired by the efforts of museum directors, curators, and art historians from the Monuments, Fine Arts, and Archives program, aka the Monuments Men. The story explores how this team, as part of the Allied forces during the Second World War, worked to recover culturally important items from Nazi Germany.
Damon played Lieutenant James Granger, a museum curator with the Monuments Men. The Oppenheimer actor revealed that he was one of the victims of George Clooney’s famous pranks during the filming of this movie.
George Clooney’s Meticulously Planned A Prank Against Matt Damon
Matt Damon was aware of his Ocean’s Eleven co-star’s pranks. However, the Ford v. Ferrari actor did not expect to be at the receiving end of one of his carefully planned pranks. George Clooney unveiled this prank when he & Damon appeared at a press event for The Monuments Men.
The American actor made the costume department alter Damon’s outfits every week. This subtle plan was to make the Good Will Hunting actor feel that he was gaining weight. The Martian actor became increasingly worried about his physique before he realized what was happening. It appears that the prank managed to fool him for quite some time.
However, The Departed actor’s favorite prank was the one Clooney pulled on his father, Nick Clooney, who appeared as the older version of Clooney’s character in the movie. The Batman & Robin actor arranged a private screening of the film for his father, after placing an end credit that read “In loving memory of Nick Clooney”.
Matt Damon Feared Of The Countermeasures If He Retaliated
Matt Damon later revealed that after he figured George Clooney was the mastermind behind the prank, he did not want to retaliate against the Michael Clayton actor. Although he was humiliated in front of the crew, The Last Duel actor shared that the consequences would have been severe if he retaliated. Damon said on the Red Carpet News TV:
“I’ve never tried to get George back for anything because I just know the countermeasures are going to be so severe.”
Earlier in another interview, Matt Damon revealed that though his Syriana co-star was a great prankster, Clooney got furious at a prank against him orchestrated by Brad Pitt. Pitt sent letters to the local crew, pretending to be Clooney’s team, asking them not to make eye contact with the Gravity actor nor address him by his first name.
That prank might have been a bit too much for Clooney. The Monuments Men gained $158 million from the box office against a budget of $70 million. George Clooney’s The Monuments Men is now available for streaming on Hulu.
Source: Red Carpet News TV – YouTube