“I’m gonna do the shot”: Matt Damon’s Request Fell on Empty Ears as Clint Eastwood and Steven Spielberg Snarkily Rejected Oscar Winner’s Suggestions
While Matt Damon undeniably stands as a prominent figure in Hollywood, possessing a well-established name doesn’t always guarantee the realization of his desires. Surprisingly, during his collaborations with Clint Eastwood and Steven Spielberg in various film projects, both esteemed directors turned down identical requests made by Damon.
Damon’s partnership with Clint Eastwood unfolded during the production of the dramatic films Invictus in 2009 and Hereafter in 2010, marking over a decade since his memorable collaboration with Steven Spielberg on Saving Private Ryan, a cinematic masterpiece widely regarded as one of the greatest films ever made. Interestingly, it was during the creation of Saving Private Ryan that Damon would commit his initial misstep.
Steven Spielberg Shot Down Matt Damon’s Request
During his time filming Saving Private Ryan, Matt Damon recalled a specific incident. There was a scene involving a couple of actors, and as Steven Spielberg was leaving the set, Damon took the opportunity to express his thoughts.
Matt Damon said on The Off Camera Show:
“I said, ‘Steven don’t you think we should have done a couple more takes of that thing?’ because it hadn’t been great,” the actor recalled, speaking with Off Camera. “He turned on a dime and he said, ‘I can spend about an hour on that scene and make it 10% better, or I can do another great shot. I’m gonna do the shot.’”
A decade down the road, Damon found himself in a strikingly similar situation when he collaborated with Hollywood legend, Clint Eastwood.
Matt Damon Clearly Didn’t Learn From His Mistakes
Matt Damon made an identical request to Clint Eastwood, who is known for his commitment to avoiding unnecessary retakes. This déjà vu scenario played out during the filming of Invictus, and Damon detailed the encounter.
Matt Damon said on Hot Ones:
“[Making Invictus] was a little terrifying because I was playing a South African in Invictus and that’s a really hard accent to do… On day one of shooting we did the first take, it went pretty well. Clint says, ‘Cut, print, check the gate,’ which means, ‘We’re done here. Let’s move on.’”
However, evidently failing to glean wisdom from his previous interaction with Spielberg, Damon remarked, “‘Boss, do you think maybe we can get one more?’ [Eastwood] just turns, and he goes, ‘Why? Do you want to waste everybody’s time?’ I was like, ‘OK, we’re done! Let’s move on.’”
Twice, Damon approached the renowned directors Spielberg and Eastwood, both legends in the filmmaking realm, to reconsider a shot, only to face their unanimous refusal due to their aversion to unnecessary delays. When an actor believes they can improve and is denied the opportunity for another take, it can be a challenging moment. Yet, Damon had to learn this valuable lesson the hard way.
Saving Private Ryan is available for streaming on Paramount+.
