Matt Damon’s Hollywood career has been defined by diverse films and roles across genres that have earned the actor the title of being one of the most bankable stars in the industry. From action to drama to comedy, The Martian star has covered the whole gamut of characters without being typecast in any particular genre.
In 2002, Damon portrayed one of his most successful roles as an action star when he took on The Bourne Identity which was followed by 3 more films in the series of successful novels by Robert Ludlum. Not only did these films cement the Oscar winner’s place as a bonafide star in the genre, they also gave him the opportunity to tap into a very different side of an action hero that made him more human and relatable.
Here’s Why Matt Damon Was Grateful To Play Jason Bourne
Among the gamut of roles that Matt Damon has done over the years, his swashbuckling avatar as Jason Bourne in The Bourne franchise brought out the action hero in him. Beginning with The Bourne Identity followed by 3 more films, the series went on to give Damon a lot of fame and success in the genre.
While the movies were expectedly characterized by slick action sequences and fast-paced narratives that were expertly adapted from Robert Ludlum’s novels, the Interstellar star believed that these films were very unique in the way they used action with regard to depicting the emotions of the protagonist.
Speaking to Movies.ie, Damon elaborated on the conscience of Jason Bourne that played a major part in how the character reacted to violence and killing, especially when it came to inflicting pain on others. The sense of regret and accountability that the protagonist feels was what appealed to The Departed star in terms of moving away from the traditional template of an emotionally hardened action hero.
When in a big American movie have you seen the protagonist kill two people in the middle of the second act and then at the end go and apologize for it and to start to understand the consequences of his actions?
I really thought that was a good thing to put out in a mainstream movie, particularly with everything going on in the world. And that was the big attraction for me.
This kind of character sketch also stands out when pitted against roles done by other big superstars like Arnold Schwarzenegger, whose protagonists although iconic, are not traditionally known for these multi-dimensional shades.
The Bourne Identity Became Matt Damon’s Saving Grace
Matt Damon is arguably one of Hollywood’s most successful stars who has received an equal share of critical acclaim and commercial success over the years. While his impressive filmography is the envy of many, the Good Will Hunting actor went through a bad patch in his career when he was part of a series of films that bombed at the box office.
With failures like Rounders, The Legend of Bagger Vance, and All The Pretty Horses, Damon’s position and influence as an actor in Hollywood were under threat. In an exclusive interview with Playboy (via Fortune City News), he spoke of his reputation hanging by a thread, auditioning for films without success, and his next project The Bourne Identity already being judged before release.
I was off that list you want to be on. And everyone in the industry was whispering, ‘I heard The Bourne Identity is in trouble’ because we had done two rounds of reshoots and the release had been postponed. I thought, ‘Well, this f***ing movie is gone, and that’s three movies in a row that I’ve tried to headline, so that’s it.’
Fortunately for Damon, the stars aligned at the opportune moment, with The Bourne Identity becoming one of the actor’s biggest blockbusters. This film was closely followed by The Departed actor’s presence in the star-studded Ocean’s Eleven, which further served as a catalyst for him to regain his lost glory while making huge collections at the box office.
The Bourne Identity Is streaming on Peacock TV.
