Matt Damon Reveals Which Film Almost Destroyed His Career

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Even before most people knew who Matt Damon was, he was busy writing movies. He and Ben Affleck actually started working on what would become their famous film, Good Will Hunting, while they were still in school.

The story was eventually adapted into a film, and everything came together when Robin Williams signed on to star. The movie won an Academy Award for Best Screenplay and helped launch Matt Damon’s career, leading to prominent roles in films like The Talented Mr. Ripley and Saving Private Ryan.

Damon didn’t anticipate much success when he first accepted the role of Jason Bourne. He explained to GQ that he initially signed on for only one film, with a possible two more if the first did well. He said that nobody really expected the franchise to take off, so committing to just one movie seemed safe at the time.

The original Bourne film was a huge surprise success, leading Matt Damon to reprise his role as the agent with memory loss in the following movies. Although he loved working on the initial films, he confessed to being very concerned when he first read the script for The Bourne Ultimatum written by Tony Gilroy.

Universal Studios paid Tony Gilroy a substantial amount of money upfront, even before the screenplay was complete. He then submitted one of his initial drafts as the finished script. Matt Damon later described his first impression of it in an interview with GQ.

I understand why Tony accepted a large sum of money for his work, but unfortunately, the final product was very poor. It’s so bad that it could seriously damage his career. Honestly, it’s embarrassing and suggests he simply completed the job for the money and moved on.

Although he was initially shocked by the script, Damon later felt that changes made to the film created a fitting end to the series, finally giving Bourne a conclusive story. He ultimately apologized to Gilroy for his earlier, critical reaction.

Matt Damon admitted he regretted speaking publicly about a personal issue with a colleague, explaining that he only reacted because he respected the person’s talent and felt hurt. He now recognizes that it was a foolish and unprofessional thing to do, something that should have remained private. The situation highlights that even established actors experience insecurities, and filmmaking often involves unexpected challenges.

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2026-01-24 13:15