Priya Sharma
In the entertainment business, Matt Damon is one name one can’t miss. From kicking off his acting career in 1988’s Mystic Pizza, he gained prominence after over a decade with his project, Good Will Hunting (1997) which he starred and co-wrote with his best pal, Ben Affleck. In the late 1990s to 2000s, he became a household name with the Bourne franchise and the Ocean’s trilogy. His acting prowess captivated the audience thus establishing him as one of the highest-grossing actors of all time.
With his rich acting skills, Damon further explored his producing and screenwriting skills by collaborating with his pal for an independent production company, Artists Equity with Air being their first company project. Around the same time, when he was actively promoting his then-new movie, he delved into his future as an actor.
Matt Damon Reflected His Thoughts on His Future Acting Career
To promote his then-newly produced movie, Air, Matt Damon shared his thoughts on how the entertainment world has been affected by a major shift from theatrical to digital release.
A movie screening as per Damon is “like a cultural moment” he told ETimes, since the audience becomes aware of it although it’s on them whether they want to give it a watch or not. But, this digital release fashion escalated to new heights due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
He continued,
“My fear is what it does for me as an actor. What am I going to do with my life if they stop making movies like this? I can’t do superhero movies! I can’t just do them one after another.”
He continued,
“These are the types of movies I love to make, about people, sitting in conflict and talking to each other. Movies that are about the writing and acting. That’s what I grew up watching, and that’s what made me want to be an actor. So I’m just happy that they’re still letting us make those kinds of movies.”
As to why he won’t release superhero movies, he further added in the interview,
“Well, I’m getting a little old, you know, for these superhero movies.”
With digital content giving easy access to viewers, he is concerned about his future which might majorly affect the types of movies he is interested in. But, the time has not arrived yet since the 2023 movie was a critical delight with many praising the actors’ performances along with several other elements. Elsewhere, he dived into how he juggled his priorities to bring out such a special biopic, which somehow used the basics he got from 1997’s Good Will Hunting.
Matt Damon’s Take on How Good Will Hunting’s Experience Helped Him in Air
Ben Affleck met Michael Jordan, who was a crucial personality for this movie to exist in the first place. Unraveling the important component during the discussion, he shared how Jordan is in real life.
“Ben said, ‘Well, what I really would love to know is what’s most important to you.’ And it was out of that meeting that he said George Raveling and Howard White, and then he started to talk about his mom. Michael is a very intimidating guy. He’s an icon, and he’s all of these things, and he has all this meaning for all of us. But Ben said, ‘He had this look on his face when he spoke about his mom that I’d never seen before.'”
He continued to share that project was successful all thanks to the actors who continued to bring out the best in a moment.
“We really lean on our actors. Part of our process has always been, from Good Will Hunting until today, to lean into what our actors are bringing. The actor always is in the moment and always knows.”
Based on real-life events, Air follows the story of the origin of the legendary Air Jordan collection as a Nike salesman successfully signed the then-rising superstar, Michael Jordan.
Air is streaming on Amazon.
