It was the year 2011 when veteran actor Matt Damon starred alongside Scarlett Johansson in a film titled We Bought A Zoo. The comedy film became quite famous and even kept Damon’s fame alive in Hollywood.
Well, Damon had a sense of relief when he was approached for the 2011 movie. Since he became a father, a third daughter was born to The Martian star in 2010, and he felt that it was the perfect timing for him to star in a father-figure role on the big screens!
Matt Damon Felt It Was The Perfect Time
Starring in some iconic franchises like The Bourne franchise and the Ocean’s franchise, Damon has had an iconic filmography over the years. The actor took on some action roles before he portrayed the role of Benjamin Mee in We Bought A Zoo.
Starring alongside Scarlett Johansson, no one expected that the 2011 film would turn out to be this great. Being a comedy/family film about a father buying a zoo after his wife’s death, the film struck an emotional cord with the audience.
In an interview with Metro, Damon talked about how it almost felt like it was destiny that he starred in the film. Stating that he too was a father of three daughters, Damon revealed that it was the right time in his career to star in a family movie.
Ten years ago, I wouldn’t have been able to play the part. I wouldn’t have understood quite how. I think it was the right time in my life to do it. Being a husband and a father, it felt like everything was synched with the character.
He further continued,
I always think of the ending to that story How The Grinch Stole Christmas, where the Grinch’s heart grows three sizes. That was my experience of parenting
With a plethora of movies to his own name, Matt Damon has never held back while talking about other directors, actors, and, films. Talking about veteran director Steven Spielberg, Damon talked about his iconic movies.
While discussing the mastermind that is Spielberg, Matt Damon admitted that despite working with Spielberg in Saving Private Ryan, he doesn’t consider that film as one of Spielberg’s finest!
Matt Damon Talked About His Favorite Steven Spielberg Film
Back in 1998, Matt Damon worked alongside Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks in a film titled Saving Private Ryan. Damon talked about Spielberg’s imaginative mind and how the director made some iconic movies.
In an interview with Rotten Tomatoes, Damon stated that the 1975 film Jaws was quite extraordinary. During his conversation, Damon stated that Spielberg’s finest film for him was Jaws.
That’s a terrifying, perfect movie. It’s simple and kind of perfect and beautiful. It’s early Spielberg, and it just shows … I mean, I know it was a mistake that the shark wasn’t ready, but the idea of not seeing the shark is just absolutely brilliant. It tapped into the most primal and terrifying aspects of swimming in the ocean.
Well, to each their own. Damon’s 2011 film, We Bought A Zoo, received a rating of 7/10 on IMDB and an average of 65% on Rotten Tomatoes. As per a report by IMDB, the film earned a whopping $120 million at the global box office.
The film was considered a success. Starring Matt Damon and Scarlett Johansson in the lead roles, We Bought A Zoo is available to stream on Disney+ in the U.S.
