Matt Damon Makes Surprise Cameo on Hit Show’s Season Premiere

Getty

Matt Damon

The fourth season of HBO’s hit drama series “The Gilded Age” premiered on November 1. However, in addition to the beloved cast of the show, which includes the likes of Carrie Coone and Christine Baranski, the season premiere included blink-and-you-miss-it appearances by Matt Damon as well as late-night legend David Letterman.

Matt Damon and David Letterman Were In a Few Seconds of ‘The Gilded Age’

Per Vulture, at about the 8:33 mark of the premiere episode of “The Gilded Age,” titled “Ring the Bells,” Damon and Letterman can be seen as background extras. The 56-year-old actor and former TV host are both dressed stylishly in the episode as they cross the street between the Van Rhijn and Russell residences.

Neither has lines in the episode, and they appear for only about six seconds. Of course, because of the facial hair and period attire, both Damon and Letterman are largely unrecognizable.

Per Vulture, appearing as an extra in a TV show had been Letterman’s dream for quite some time after seeing his friend Gary Mule Deer appear as an extra in “Annie Hall” in the late 1970s.

Additionally, Damon is set to appear as a guest on Letterman’s “My Next Guest Needs no Introduction,” and the former late-night host pitched the idea for the two of them to play background characters on “The Gilded Age.” Damon agreed, as did the producers of the hit HBO show.

Both Damon and Letterman attended costume fittings for the show but were not included in the end credits.

What to Know About ‘The Gilded Age’ Season 4

Season four of HBO’s “The Gilded Age” will include eight episodes, with the finale airing on December 20. The new installment of the series picks up 9 months after the events of season three.

Per the official logline for the season, “Bertha Russell changed Society at a cost. Now, her family must reckon with the consequences as Agnes van Rhijn seizes an opportunity to regain her position. Meanwhile, Marian forges a new path for herself, and Peggy works to be accepted by her future in-laws. In this new era, you must be careful what you wish for.”

Following the season premiere, “The Gilded Age” co-showrunner Sonja Warfield spoke to The Wrap. “We like to start with very big openings where we have all of our characters so we can kind of reset for people,” she began.

“And there was, in fact, a tropical storm historically at that time. So we used that to help increase the drama and the stakes.”

The show’s creator, Julian Fellowes, also discussed the season. “The Oscar and Enid story is illustrative of the rules they were living by and that mercifully, we are not,” he said. “I like people who rewrite their own lives and just think, ‘No, this isn’t the life I want. I want this one.'”

The cast also includes Cynthia Nixon, Morgan Spector, Louisa Jacobson, Taissa Farmiga, Harry Richardson, Blake Ritson, and more. Neither Damon nor Letterman is expected to appear again this season.