Matt Damon is now an A-list actor who has starred in Bourne and Marvel franchises. Along with this, the actor also has other hit movies to his name like The Martian, Good Will Hunting, and more. Yet, just like any other actor, he also has roles that he rejected.
But there was one movie he rejected even when he was struggling and earning just $20,000. Doing this film would have given him more than $200,000. But he refused and that might have been a mistake. After all, it went on to become a cult classic with Leonardo DiCaprio and Sam Raimi at the helm.
Matt Damon Turned Down A Cult Classic Movie At The Beginning Of His Career
In 1995, Matt Damon was broke and a nobody. He was just another young face trying to break into Hollywood. The actor was still a few years off Good Will Hunting and his Oscar win. But he had a break. Damon was contacted by TriStar Studios about a Western film called The Quick and the Dead. His role was going to be of Fee Herod, which was eventually portrayed by Leonardo DiCaprio. The company was willing to pay him $250,000 for the role.
But Damon refused even though he was only getting $20,000 for every film till then. The actor closed the door on the deal because he thought that doing a film set in a genre that was long past its prime was going to be career suicide. In a 2006 interview with The Hollywood Gossip, the star expressed what kind of a career he wanted to have. He said:
“I want the kind of career Robert Duvall has. I don’t feel [that] chasing movies like this is going to lead to a 40-year career. I’d rather be broke.”
The movie ultimately grossed $47 million on a budget of $35 million. So it wasn’t a hit by any margin. But over the years it has become a cult classic that adorns the filmography of DiCaprio. While Damon’s decision can seem shocking to many, it makes sense from his point of view. After all, a supporting role in a Western probably seemed like a path that would lead nowhere for him.
Yet, Leonardo DiCaprio is one of the few stars who is perhaps a few rungs above Damon in Hollywood. While The Martian actor might have some regrets about not doing the film, he probably doesn’t have that about a Marvel film he refused.
Why Did Matt Damon Refuse Daredevil?
If there’s one film, fans of Matt Damon will be glad to know that he refused, then it’s Daredevil (2003). The actor turned down the role of the titular character even though he was a massive fan of Matt Murdock/ Daredevil as well as a comic book geek. So why did he refuse the role? In an interview with Daily News, he admitted it was because he had no confidence in the director. As per Damon:
“For us, it was always Daredevil. That’s the comic we read when we were kids. When that one came along I chickened out because I couldn’t tell. I hadn’t seen the director’s work and I didn’t know. So I just said, ‘No.'”
The film went on to gross $179 million on a budget of $78 million. But Damon revealed that his best friend Ben Affleck, who went on to do the role wasn’t quite happy with it. In the end, the Ocean’s 13 star said that he would do a Daredevil movie if Christopher Nolan was helming it. While that probably won’t happen soon it would be amazing to see Matt Damon play a full-fledged superhero like Affleck did.
The Quick and the Dead is streaming on Netflix, while Daredevil is streaming on HBO Max.
Source: THG and Daily News
