As audiences rave about Matt Damon’s latest performance in “The Odyssey,” the 55-year-old is reflecting on his iconic Hollywood career.
Back in the ’90s, he and Ben Affleck were desperately trying to get their foot in the door. They had big dreams of becoming Hollywood stars, but struggled to get their names out there. After both actors lost out on an iconic role, they knew they needed to reevaluate their approach.
Learn more about how losing the role eventually led to Matt Damon and Ben Affleck’s big breaks as Hollywood legends.
Matt Damon & Ben Affleck Lost Out on a Role Which Kicked Them Into Gear
“The Odyssey” stars Matt Damon and Tom Holland recently discussed their favorite action movies. Holland immediately picked “Primal Fear,” starring Edward Norton. Damon agreed and noted that he had a personal connection to the film.
“It was a great, great, great role. I couldn’t believe that it made its way down to the masses,” Damon shared, admitting that he auditioned for the role too. “It was actually a real impetus behind us writing ‘Good Will Hunting.’”
Damon’s childhood friend and writing partner, Ben Affleck, also lost out on the role, which made the friends realize they needed to make a change.
“[We] looked at each other, and we were like, ‘There’s never gonna be a role that good that comes down into the category of unknown actor, and we all can take a shot at it,’” Damon continued, noting they started working harder on “Good Will Hunting” in the aftermath. They knew if they wanted to truly break into the industry, they needed to make their own way in.
Finishing the project ultimately paid off in the end, securing both Matt Damon and Ben Affleck spots in the pop culture zeitgeist. “Good Will Hunting” was nominated for several categories at the 70th Academy Awards, including Best Picture. The late Robin Williams won the award for Best Supporting Actor, while Damon and Affleck won for Best Screenplay.
‘The Odyssey’ Star Reflects on Landing the Role of a Lifetime
After “Good Will Hunting,” Matt Damon went on to star in many other highly successful projects. But even so, starring as Odysseus in Christopher Nolan’s take on “The Odyssey” has been incredibly life-changing.
“I felt like this was the best role I’d ever been offered,” Damon shared in a recent interview with USA Today. “It’s such an iconic character and he goes through so much, internally and physically. It was an extraordinary opportunity.”
“Anybody with a news feed can understand Odysseus’ point of view,” “The Odyssey” lead continued. “This traffics in a lot of the same themes as ‘Oppenheimer.’ So much of it is about him feeling a sense of complicity and responsibility in what is going to be the end of civilization. It’s why the character is so interesting to play in Chris’ version, because he is carrying a huge weight. This film jumps around in time and reveals why he’s behaving the way he does.”
Christopher Nolan’s “The Odyssey” is now available to view in theaters.
