Matt Damon’s resume can boast of some of the most critically and commercially successful films in the history of Hollywood, which makes him one of the most accomplished movie stars in the world. Joining him on that list is none other than his best friend and prolific actor Ben Affleck, who together with Damon, won their first Oscar award.
Ever since then, both stars have been seen several times sharing the screen and continuing to soar high in the industry. But in the past, Damon could’ve easily been part of one of the most critically acclaimed films that his friend was in and even directed, titled The Town. The reason why he rejected the role was because he didn’t like the script, while Affleck claimed that it was because he was too expensive for the project’s budget.
Ben Affleck Revealed Matt Damon Was Too Expensive To Bring On Board For The Town
Celebrity pals in the film industry are quite hard to come by, especially the ones as close and tight as Matt Damon and Ben Affleck, two of the biggest names in Hollywood history as well as best friends for 40 years at this point. From winning their first Academy Award for their screenplay in Good Will Hunting to starring in many films, they have done so together.
And despite such a rich history, when the Oppenheimer star was given the chance to become part of The Town, an extremely well-received film by critics and audiences alike in 2010, he refused the offer on the get-go. The reason Damon gave up on the film related to the script, which he felt was quite unimpressive when he went through it.
But according to his best friend, the major reason why they couldn’t bring him on board the project was simply because his salary was significantly more than what the film’s budget could afford since he was doing quite well in his career with the Bourne series. He said (via The Ringer Podcast):
“Let me tell you the truth: we couldn’t afford Matt Damon. Matt Damon cost what the movie cost.”
But after Damon’s rejection, the original director for the film quit the production, which led to the Gone Girl star taking the creative control of the film. Affleck rewrote the entire script from scratch and executed it with precision, which led to it becoming one of the most amazing films back in the day, and even got MCU star Jeremy Renner an Oscar nomination in the Best Supporting Actor category.
What Was The Town About?
The exceptional nature of The Town does not come from the story so much as it does from the creative and unique take on the execution of the film by Affleck, which solidified him as one of the most amazing filmmakers in the industry.
The movie follows the tale of Doug and his three lifelong friends who decide to rob a bank one day to make life easier for them going forward. During the robbery, one of them named Jem takes the bank manager hostage but leaves her after Doug says. To ensure that she does not report Jem to the police, Doug tries to follow her around but inevitably falls in love with her. Now, for the safety of both her and his friend, Doug has to maintain this facade for as long as he can.
The Town, streaming on DIRECTV.
