Matt Damon Recalls Clint Eastwood Brutally Shutting Him Down on Set

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Matt Damon has worked with many great directors, but he says working with Clint Eastwood was special because of how quickly and efficiently Eastwood worked. On the podcast Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend, Damon recalled filming the 2009 movie Invictus. He played Francois Pienaar, a South African rugby player, and had to learn a very challenging accent for the part.

Let me tell you, Matt Damon really committed to this role. He spent six months, a full nine-to-five schedule, working with a dialect coach, Tim Monich, to nail the South African accent. As he told Ryan O’Brien, it’s not just about how they say things, but the actual muscle movements in their mouth are different from ours. He was so prepared, he couldn’t wait to show the director everything he’d learned on day one of filming. He was eager to demonstrate all the nuances he’d practiced!

Eastwood quickly lived up to his reputation for filming entire scenes in a single take. After finishing the first shot, Matt Damon, a bit puzzled, asked if they could do another one. Eastwood sharply responded, questioning why they would waste everyone’s time. Damon, admiring Eastwood as a hero, had no choice but to accept the director’s decision and move on.

The actor observed that despite the quick pace of filming, he realized Clint Eastwood prioritized respecting the time and effort of his crew. Damon remembered Eastwood being genuinely kind and a pleasant person to work with. However, Damon noted a difference when they worked together again on the 2010 film Hereafter. He recalled Eastwood directing over forty takes of a single scene with a young actor who wasn’t a professional.

By early 2026, Matt Damon is riding a wave of success thanks to his new movie, The Rip, which premiered on Netflix on January 16th. This crime thriller, directed by Joe Carnahan, stars Damon alongside Ben Affleck as Miami police officers who uncover $20 million in a hidden stash and get tangled in a corruption scandal. The film also features Steven Yeun, Teyana Taylor, and Kyle Chandler, and it’s quickly become a streaming hit.

In 2026, Matt Damon will star in what’s expected to be one of the year’s biggest movies: Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey. The film, releasing July 17th, is a large-scale adaptation of the classic Greek story, with Damon playing the hero Odysseus. He’ll be joined by Anne Hathaway as his wife, Penelope, Tom Holland as their son, Telemachus, and Zendaya as the goddess Athena, creating a stellar cast.

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2026-01-28 01:14