Matt Damon Recalls Working with Clint Eastwood on “Invictus”
Matt Damon, the renowned actor, recently shared an interesting anecdote about his experience working with the legendary Clint Eastwood on the 2009 docudrama “Invictus”. During an appearance on the “Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend” podcast, Damon revealed that Eastwood had a few choice words for him while they worked together on the film.
Damon spent six months working with a dialect coach to master the South African rugby player accent required for his role in the film. However, when he showed up on set, Eastwood seemed unimpressed. Damon recalled that after the first take, Eastwood simply said, “Cut, print, move on.” When Damon asked to do another take, Eastwood responded, “Why you wanna waste everybody’s time?”
Eastwood’s Directing Style
Although Eastwood’s words may have seemed harsh, Damon insisted that there was a “kindness” to his message. He explained that Eastwood’s approach to directing was focused on keeping the momentum going and not taxing the crew unnecessarily. Damon noted that Eastwood’s mentality was that professional actors would show up with something good, and therefore, there was no need to do multiple takes unless absolutely necessary.
Damon also shared an experience from their second movie together, where they were working with a 9-year-old non-actor. Eastwood was willing to do 40 takes to get the scene just right, demonstrating his commitment to getting the best performance possible. This experience gave Damon insight into Eastwood’s directing style and his ability to balance the needs of the actors and the crew.
A Lesson in Efficiency
Damon’s experience working with Eastwood on “Invictus” taught him a valuable lesson about the importance of efficiency on set. He learned that a good director needs to strike a balance between getting the best performance possible and not wasting the crew’s time. This experience has likely influenced Damon’s approach to his own work and his collaborations with other directors.
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