Matt Damon became wary of being typecast after a strange meeting with Hugh Grant in the 1990s.
Damon and Ben Affleck met with Grant ahead of the release of Good Will Hunting in 1997, their debut screenplay which won them an Oscar.
The actor, who’s been nominated for a number of Academy Awards over the years for varied performances in Invictus and The Martian, not to mention his unforgettable turns in the Bourne series, left the meeting with a renewed outlook on his future career.
‘[Grant] had these ideas. and he was explaining them like, ‘Then smoothie Hugh comes in and saves the day.’ He kept referring to himself as ‘smoothie Hugh’, like he was completely over it,’ Damon recalled to The New York Times. ‘That system was making him be this thing – and he was great at it, and he has shown he’s more – but that wasn’t all he was.’
Grant is best-known as a rom-com star, but he’s showcased his darker chops in The Undoing and more eccentric, comedic talents in Paddington 2 and The Gentlemen.
Following their meeting, Damon strove to never let himself get trapped in the box of certain roles, going on to star in Saving Private Ryan, Dogma, The Talented Mr. Ripley, Ocean’s Eleven, Euro Trip, The Departed, Contagion, Elysium, No Sudden Move and the upcoming Stillwater, which received acclaim at the Cannes Film Festival.
Grant joked to the outlet that he’s still owed screenplay from the writing duo. ‘I’ve been waiting 25 years for it,’ he said.
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Topics: Film and TV, Hugh Grant, Matt Damon
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The New York TimesThe New York Times
