Matt Damon became the ultimate action hero of the 2000s with the Jason Bourne series, starting with The Bourne Identity. Based on Robert Ludlum’s popular spy novels, the films were known for their signature shaky-cam action sequences which inspired many films of the genre at the time.
When asked what was the most challenging scene for the actor, Damon recounted one scene in The Bourne Supremacy that required him to do tasks underwater. Damon mentioned that he was trained by the stunt coordinators for months so he could get used to it, but the scene still kept him up at night.
Matt Damon Went Through Underwater Training For A Scene In The Bourne Films
Matt Damon’s Jason Bourne films are some of the most successful action films of the time. The actor played the role of the CIA assassin suffering from amnesia for four films, with Jeremy Renner briefly replacing him in The Bourne Legacy. Damon collaborated with Paul Greengrass to craft an action hero for the generation.
The Good Will Hunting star also reportedly trained extensively for the action-heavy role. When he was recently asked which scene made him prepare the most and was tough to execute, Damon chose one scene from the second film The Bourne Supremacy. He spoke about the scene after Marie’s death, which takes place in Goa, India.
Talking about the underwater scene where he tries to revive Marie after she is shot and then lets go, Damon spoke to Collider about the months of training that went into the scene. He said,
I spent a couple of months in a swimming pool after work every day, just practicing with the stunt guys being underwater and getting my air taken away. It was really smart what they did; they gave me little tasks like tying a shoe underwater or little things, and they built a car out of PVC pipe, so I could swim up and out if I had to, but just to be used to being in an enclosed area underwater.
The actor mentioned that the stunt coordinators intended to make him feel comfortable underwater and that it helped him execute the scene well.
The Underwater Scene From The Bourne Supremacy Kept Matt Damon Up At Night
The Jason Bourne films were some of Matt Damon’s most successful films. A franchise that still has the potential to be revived, the first film earned $214 million while The Bourne Supremacy earned $290 million (via Box Office Mojo). The franchise itself has crossed over $1.6 billion across five films (via The Numbers).
While the films have many sequences that have become popular among action-film lovers, Matt Damon was reportedly affected by the underwater scene in The Bourne Supremacy. He said to Collider,
So I was just getting ready to be able to be underwater in an enclosed space without any vision. That took a while. It wasn’t hard when we shot it because we shot it relatively easily because I’d worked so hard in prep, but it kept me up at night a lot. That was definitely one that got my attention.
He also mentioned how the stunt coordinators filmed the sequence in a tank and added milk to make it look like a river.
The Bourne Supremacy is available to stream on Starz.
