Matt Damon's Regret: The Oscar-Winning Role He Gave Away
One of Hollywood's biggest stars was set to take on the role of a lifetime, a part he personally developed and called the best he'd seen in two decades. But scheduling conflicts forced him to make a difficult choice, handing the career-defining performance to a close friend who would go on to win an Academy Award for it.
It’s a surprising piece of trivia that Ben Affleck holds double the number of Oscars that his longtime friend Matt Damon does. That count could have been much closer if fate hadn't intervened, forcing Damon to walk away from a part that would later earn the ‘Best Actor’ award. While Ben has never received an acting nomination, despite their shared screenwriting win for Good Will Hunting, Matt has been recognized three separate times for his work in that breakout movie, as well as for roles in Clint Eastwood’s Invictus and Ridley Scott’s The Martian.
A Passion Project's Origin
Losing out on a role that ultimately grabs the industry's top acting prize has to sting, particularly when it’s a project you poured your heart into. Even though Damon didn't end up as the lead, he stayed deeply connected to the production, so much so that he was given final say on major decisions. The initial concept for what became Manchester by the Sea was born from conversations between Damon and John Krasinski.
They brought the idea to writer-director Kenneth Lonergan with an early plan for Krasinski to star and Damon to direct. But after three years of refining the script, Krasinski was no longer involved. The plan shifted: the star of the Bourne franchise would now take on the lead role of Lee Chandler, and Lonergan would step in to direct.
An Unavoidable Conflict
A major roadblock appeared when it was time to start shooting. Damon's schedule was completely booked with commitments to The Martian, Jason Bourne, and The Great Wall, making it impossible for him to be on set. He had to bow out of the starring role but stayed on as a producer. Because of difficulties Lonergan had faced with his previous movie, Margaret, Damon was given the authority of final cut, a significant level of creative control.
Keeping It in the Family
How do you handle that kind of professional heartbreak? You keep it in the family. “That was the best role that I’d seen in maybe 20 years,” Damon confessed to Parade. “But I couldn’t do it because I had The Martian and a big spate of work lined up. I told Kenny, ‘The only person in the world that I will give this role to is Casey’ because he was the only person who could do it the way it deserved to be done.”
Since he couldn't take the part himself, passing it to one of his closest friends was the next best thing. His position as a producer gave him the power to make that call, and giving the opportunity to someone he grew up with was the only way he could accept not starring in Manchester by the Sea. Speaking of the younger Affleck, he said, “He’s one of the best actors in the world. And he has been for a very long time.”
While The Martian turned out to be a huge commercial hit that garnered its own share of accolades, Damon surely felt a complex mix of emotions watching Affleck accept the ‘Best Actor’ trophy. Casey is like a brother to him, but seeing someone else win for the very part you championed and dreamed of playing had to be tough. It’s easy to guess there was at least a small flicker of envy mixed in with the pride he felt for his friend.