“This is a relatively small role”: Matt Damon Refused Christopher Nolan for The Dark Knight, Begged to Get Cast in Interstellar After Turning Down James Cameron for $250M Avatar Salary

“This is a relatively small role”: Matt Damon Refused Christopher Nolan for The Dark Knight, Begged to Get Cast in Interstellar After Turning Down James Cameron for $250M Avatar Salary
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Matt Damon is one of the most well-known and respected actors in Hollywood. With a career spanning over three decades, he has starred in some of the biggest films in the world, earning critical acclaim and box office success along the way. However, not every role his way is a perfect fit, and Damon is known for being selective in his chosen roles.

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Over the years, he has turned down some major opportunities in some of the biggest films in the world. These missed opportunities have sparked curiosity and interest among fans and critics alike. One of Damon’s most notable missed opportunities was the chance to star in James Cameron’s 2009 sci-fi epic Avatar. The film ended up being the highest-grossing film of all time.

All The Missed Opportunities

Matt Damon
Matt Damon

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Another missed opportunity for Damon was the chance to play Harvey Dent in Christopher Nolan’s 2008 film The Dark Knight. The role eventually went to Aaron Eckhart, and Damon cites scheduling conflicts with another project as the reason for passing on the role. Despite missing out on the opportunity to star in The Dark Knight, Matt Damon was excited to be a part of Nolan’s team, and his character in Interstellar was small but memorable.

Matt Damon Interstellar
Matt Damon in Interstellar

Damon’s missed opportunities don’t stop there. He also passed on other successful films, such as Tom McCarthy’s Spotlight and Ang Lee’s Brokeback Mountain. These missed opportunities could have changed the course of Damon’s career, but he has learned to take it in stride and is content with his choices.

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Despite these missed opportunities, Damon has had a successful career, with numerous critically acclaimed films and a slew of awards and nominations. He’s known for being a versatile actor, able to take on a wide range of roles and characters, and his fans look forward to seeing him in many more films in the future.

Aaron Eckhart as Two Face
Aaron Eckhart as Two-Face

In an interview with The Playlist, Damon revisited the story of missed opportunity with Harvey Dent. The actor was offered a small role in Dark Knight but chose not to take it, as they were headlining another big movie at the time:

“Well, ‘Dark Knight’ was a small role that I was offered … It wasn’t Heath or Christian’s part … There was some other big movie, some big part that I was doing where I was like, ‘Well, I can’t play Harvey Dent, this is a relatively small role, but I am headlining this other thing.’ But you gotta be sanguine about it and go, ‘It all works out.’ At this point, I passed on the biggest payday in the history [of cinema] accidentally, so I could never do worse financially, I could never commit a worse financial error.”

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Matt Damon is an actor who prioritizes the project’s quality over the paycheck’s size. He is passionate about acting and always looking for the next great role. He’s a man who’s always been open to opportunities and willing to take a chance. Even when he misses out on a role, he always seems to land on his feet. He’s a true Hollywood veteran and a class act.

Source: The Playlist

Mabel Andrady

Written by Mabel Andrady

Articles Published: 694

Mabel, aka MJ, is a FandomWire Sr. Writer, pop-culture fanatic, and an MA in Health Demography holder. When she's not indulging in her guilty pleasure of penning everything Hollywood, Marvel & DC, she writes academic essays on COVID-19 and HIV/AIDS. With 2500+ articles published online, she brings a unique twist to entertainment writing. A jack-of-all-trades, MJ enjoys movies, writes/acts in plays, writes music, and dreams of being a successful actress. She offers a fresh perspective, making her writing a must-read for those seeking knowledge and entertainment.