Matt Damon Deeply Depressed Filming His Worst Movie
Matt Damon says he once “fell into a depression” while working on a movie that wasn’t what he expected when he accepted the job. The actor made the revelation during a recent interview on Jake’s Takes YouTube channel. Although honest about his feelings, Damon did not mention the film by name.
“Without naming any particular movies… Sometimes you find yourself in a movie that you know, perhaps, might not be what you had hoped it would be, and you’re still making it. I remember halfway through production and you’ve still got months to go and you’ve taken your family somewhere, you know, you’ve inconvenienced them.”
Matt Damon
“I remember my wife pulling me up because I fell into a depression about like, ‘What have I done?’” Matt Damon continued. “She just said, ‘We’re here now.’ I do pride myself, in a large part because of her, at being a professional actor, and what being a professional actor means is you go, and you do the 15-hour day and give it absolutely everything, even in what you know is going to be a losing effort.”
Was Matt Damong Talking About The Great Wall?
“And if you can do that with the best possible attitude, then you’re a pro, and she really helped me with that,” Matt Damon added. Interestingly, the Good Will Hunting actor has previously talked about films he felt would be awful after working on them. Among them is The Great Wall, a 2016 monster movie directed by Zhang Yimou.
This particular film faced criticism due to its white savior storyline and received negative reviews from almost everyone. Matt Damon played a European mercenary who reluctantly joins forces with Chinese forces to combat an extraterrestrial menace. Despite its hefty $150 million production budget, The Great Wall failed to surpass the $50 million mark in the United States.
I do pride myself, in a large part because of her, at being a professional actor, and what being a professional actor means is you go, and you do the 15-hour day and give it absolutely everything, even in what you know is going to be a losing effort.”
Matt Damon
“I was like… this is exactly how disasters happen. It doesn’t cohere. It doesn’t work as a movie,” Matt Damon said about the movie on the WTF podcast in 2021. “I came to consider that the definition of a professional actor; knowing you’re in a turkey and going, ‘OK, I’ve got four more months. I am definitely going to die here, but I’m doing it.’ I hope to never have that feeling again,” he added.
Matt Damon’s Disappointment With The Bourne Ultimatum
Another film Matt Damon candidly expressed his disappointment with is 2007’s The Bourne Ultimatum, the third installment in the action franchise. The initial trilogy of films drew inspiration from the novels penned by Robert Ludlum, focused on CIA operative Jason Bourne who experiences amnesia following a botched assassination attempt.
Speaking with GQ in 2011, Matt Damon explained why he was so disappointed with the film, saying some significant issues with the script negatively impacted the production. The problems began when it became apparent that screenwriter Tony Gilroy wasn’t fond of the material. According to Damon, he tried to ditch the franchise during the first film.
When he couldn’t leave, Gilroy decided to share his screenwriting credit so he wouldn’t be solely to blame if the movie failed. Although that never panned out, the entire situation left Matt Damon with an unflattering impression of Gilroy and tainted his time in the Bourne franchise. When The Bourne Ultimatum came along, Gilroy struck a highly unusual agreement with the studio.
He would receive a substantial amount of money to write a solitary draft of the script while refusing to entertain any feedback or notes on his work. This arrangement deviated significantly from the typical process of studio projects, where writers usually submit multiple drafts and incorporate notes from diverse sources, including producers and the director.
Matt Damon In Oppenheimer
Fortunately, Matt Damon’s next big movie, Oppenheimer, seems to be a guaranteed blockbuster. The movie is written and directed by Christopher Nolan, based on the critically acclaimed 2005 book American Prometheus by Kai Bird and Martin J. Sherwin. The story explores the life of J. Robert Oppenheimer, the American theoretical physicist who created the atomic bomb during the Manhattan Project of World War II.
Boasting a remarkable ensemble cast, including the talented Matt Damon, Oppenheimer showcases the insightful portrayal of various characters. Among them is Leslie Groves, portrayed by Damon, who directed the Manhattan Project. “Groves was a military man, and so much of that ethos is about compartmentalization and the need to know all the stuff,” the actor previously said about his character.
“And the scientists were all about sharing information so that they can get the truth right… there was this constant tension,” Matt Damon added. Oppenheimer is set to hit theaters worldwide on July 21.
