Matt Damon Finally Explains the Tension on the Saving Private Ryan Set

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Matt Damon recently revealed the surprising story of how he landed his role in the acclaimed war film Saving Private Ryan. In an interview with GQ, he explained that the late Robin Williams helped him get the part. Williams introduced Damon to Steven Spielberg while Spielberg was filming in Boston.

Williams thought it was always a good idea to meet a filmmaking legend, and that introduction turned out to be pivotal for Damon’s career. Spielberg had actually already noticed Damon’s work before they met, seeing him in Courage Under Fire. He believed Damon was the right person to play Private Ryan, although he was initially concerned the actor looked too thin due to his role as a heroin addict in that film. After Damon was cast, Spielberg used a unique method to build tension on set.

Unlike the rest of the actors who trained intensely as a team, Matt Damon was deliberately excluded from the preparation. Director Steven Spielberg wanted the others to genuinely dislike him, which would create believable tension and frustration in scenes where they were supposed to be risking their lives to save his character. Damon has said his only task during this time was to do nothing at all, and this helped build the serious, intense mood in some of the film’s most dramatic moments.

Despite not having much time to bond off-camera, the actors shared incredible chemistry on screen, especially Tom Hanks as Captain Miller. Damon explained that this distance actually enhanced the impact of their performances. The film became one of the most realistic and captivating depictions of World War II ever made, allowing Damon to experience the harsh truth of his character’s circumstances through the performances of the other actors.

Matt Damon is continuing his run of successful films with a new hit on Netflix. He recently teamed up with Ben Affleck for the crime thriller The Rip, which premiered on January 16th and quickly became the year’s biggest streaming success.

Damon is also starring in what’s expected to be one of the year’s biggest movies, Christopher Nolan’s epic fantasy The Odyssey. Set to release on July 17th, the film features Damon as Odysseus, a king trying to return home after the Trojan War. The movie boasts a huge cast, including Tom Holland, Anne Hathaway, Robert Pattinson, and Zendaya, and is notable for being the first film ever shot entirely using IMAX 70mm cameras.

Matt Damon is still a major force in Hollywood, with hit movies and a new role as a Greek hero on the way. He and Ben Affleck are also building their production company, Artists Equity, which is getting attention for its innovative ways of compensating film crews.

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2026-02-09 16:44