Matt Damon is one of the most prolific actors of this generation, and apart from his acting prowess, he is also known for being super competitive. The Massachusetts native started his career back in the ‘80s, and he has since then amassed a solid fan base and a number of box office hits.
When it comes to his career as an actor, many would wonder what made him pursue this profession and what was in it that persuaded him to join Hollywood. Interestingly, he’s also got a rival in the industry who was born in the same state.
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Matt Damon Reveals The One Career Advice He Gives To Aspiring Actors
In a Reddit AMA segment, actor Matt Damon shared how he usually responds when people who want to dive into the entertainment industry ask him for advice. He says:
“When I was younger, everybody told me not to be an actor and, to this day, I say that to people who come up to me and say, ‘I’m thinking about going into acting, what’d you think?’ I say, ‘Absolutely not. It’s a terrible idea, don’t do it.’ ”
He warned about the disadvantages of being a celebrity, which is being constantly faced with disappointments and even criticism. Damon added:
“That’s what everyone said to me, and I think if you’re going to make it in this business that is full of rejection and hardship you need to believe in yourself despite what everybody you love and trust tells you.”
Damon is grateful to his high school drama teacher for inspiring him to become an actor. When asked what advice he gave to the Oppenheimer star, he said:
“Just do your work, kid. He repeated that so many times to me, and that is what I can always retreat to, that’s my touchstone, when in doubt, just focus on the work.”
He was only 18 when he landed his first professional acting project, Mystic Pizza. Interestingly, he also auditioned for Dead Poets Society with Ben Affleck. The role went to Ethan Hawke, and to make matters worse, Damon and Affleck were forced to work in a movie theater only to see the audiences bawling their eyes out after witnessing how beautiful the film was.
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Matt Damon And Ben Affleck Are Competitive Rivals
It is not a secret that Matt Damon and Ben Affleck, both from Massachusetts, have become rivals in the industry despite being practically neighbors. The actor said in an interview via The Off Camera Show that he and the Justice League star would often try their luck at auditions:
“I think my one skill is that I’ll outwork anybody. Like I’ll work harder. Especially at [an early age], right? Certainly starting out. Ben and I would go to auditions where kids would be there with their parents like their mom was making them go.”
Damon has always been the most driven guy, and instead of moping around whenever he gets rejected, he uses that to improve and hone his skills.
“Like, I’m going to beat that guy. I want it way more than him, right? And then as you gain more experience auditioning, you get better at it, and you start to get feedback.”
Being an actor entails a lot of hard work and perseverance, and Damon telling people that this job is a terrible idea is just a warning for all the difficulties they may have to face.
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