Matt Damon bluntly rejected Christian Bale’s Oscar-winning film position

As Jason Bourne and Bruce Wayne (in addition to a lot, far more) Matt Damon and Christian Bale have change into two of Hollywood’s largest names, identified for his or her skill to guide blockbusters and tackle motion and drama in equal measure. At solely three years aside in age, it’s inevitable that Matt Damon and Christian Bale have been up for a number of the identical roles of their greatest films.

It’s not too exhausting, actually, to think about Damon as Nolan’s Batman, or Bale as Jason Bourne or Mark Watney: the purpose is, they each have vary. That fact is emphasised by the truth that Damon was provided, and subsequently rejected, a task which Bale would go on to win his first and solely Oscar for.

“I feel I’ve bought a couple of initiatives that Matt handed on,” stated Bale to GQ, in an interview alongside Damon. “After he would cross [on a role] I bear in mind saying to individuals, ‘Why would Matt not wish to do that? What am I lacking?’”

When prompted to go additional and share a number of the roles which they have been each up for, that Damon turned down, Damon obliged and revealed all. “I used to be simply going to say this one, as a result of [Bale’s] so good in it. The Fighter.”

The Fighter is likely one of the greatest drama films of Bale’s profession and ended up being nominated for Greatest Image on the Oscars, alongside Bale’s win for Greatest Supporting Actor. It follows the story of two brothers, one a boxer and one an ex-boxer, with the youthful brother making an attempt to flee his older, extra well-known brother’s shadow. So, why on Earth did Damon flip this hit down?

“I learn the script as a result of I believed it was fascinating, however the script was not superb. And we had a special director on the time. And Mark [Wahlberg] actually wished to do it and was so enthusiastic about it, however all of us knew the script wasn’t there. Then [director] David [O. Russell] got here in, rewrote the script, bought Christian, and it was superior.” Inform us the way you actually really feel, Matt.

The unique model of The Fighter’s script seen by Damon will need to have been considerably totally different from what made it to the display screen for Damon to have such a blunt response, and for Bale to have ended up profitable his Oscar for the half. Whereas all of it labored out ultimately, it’s simple to think about Damon in Bale’s position as Mark Wahlberg’s older half-brother (the 2 do share a bodily resemblance), and we’re certain he would have smashed it too, simply as Bale did. Damon and Bale finally joined forces for the good racing film Ford v Ferrari in 2019.

For extra cinema magic, see our checklist of all the brand new films nonetheless but to come back in 2023, and find out about why Clint Eastwood and Spielberg each rejected Damon for a similar purpose. Or, find out about how Bale wasn’t Nolan’s first alternative for Batman, earlier than seeing our definitive rating of the Batman actors.