Matt Damon is Hollywood’s nice guy yet the actor is absolutely incredible when it comes to action movies. Starring in one of the most popular action franchises of all time, the Bourne movie series, the actor’s portrayal of an action hero is as good as it can get.
A tale of resilience and fragility, Damon’s portrayal of the enigmatic spy, especially in the last movie Jason Bourne, has made him a cinematic legend. Yet the movie turned out to be his personal hell, even more so since the last Bourne entry starring Marvel star Jeremy Renner nearly killed the entire $1.6 billion franchise, making it all the more difficult for the then 45-year ord actor.
How Jason Bourne Became Matt Damon’s Personal Hell
Matt Damon is now in his 50s yet the actor has never said never to transform for many of his action roles. The best example of this is his many transformations in his role as the titular spy, Jason Bourne in the Bourne franchise. Starring in 4 of the 5 movies, the actor went absolutely brutal on his body while starring in the movie series.
By the time it came to the last movie of the series, Jason Bourne released in 2016, the actor was in his late 40s yet showcased his best physical transformation for the role. From his washboard-like packs to his enormous biceps, the actor went absolutely all out for the movie.
Yet it was not easy because of his age, as the actor’s trainer, Jason Walsh, revealed in an interview with Men’s Health.
“Matt was reluctant to work with anybody. I went out to talk to him. He said: ‘Listen, I’m injured. My back is jacked, my shoulder is hacked. And it all came from trainers. I’ve worked with a dozen different trainers and every one of them has hurt me.'”
Not only did the actor do some of the most brutal and weird workouts, but he would also train to the point of exhaustion since the character was required to be in an exhausted state. Furthermore, Damon was also simultaneously training for The Great Wall while trying to revive his billion-dollar grossing franchise, which became yet another reason why Jason Bourne was a nightmare for him (see USA Today).
Matt Damon Trained In A Random Chinese City To Save His Bourne Franchise
Jeremy Renner was poised to take over the mantle from Matt Damon when he starred in his critically and commercially failed movie, The Bourne Legacy. Not only did the movie receive lukewarm reviews (see Rotten Tomatoes) but it also became one of the lowest-grossing movies of the entire franchise (via The Numbers).
Not only did it fail to kickstart Renner’s journey as an action hero but its effect was such that it would have nearly ended up killing the entire franchise had Damon not stepped up (see Variety). However, stepping up was as difficult as easy it is to say yes to such an incredibly loved and fan-favorite action franchise.
Since the actor was shooting The Great Wall in China, the actor and his trainer were basically stranded in the middle of nowhere with no equipment as Walsh revealed while talking to Men’s Health. And so they would literally work out on the streets of Dunhuang in northwestern China, where the locals would understandably give them incredulous stares.
Well, fortunately, their hard work and efforts paid off and Matt Damon got into the best shape of his life at the astounding age of 45!
