Matt Damon Shares How Clint Eastwood Responded to His Request for Extra Takes on Invictus
Matt Damon in ‘Invictus.’
Credit:
Warner Bros/YouTube
NEED TO KNOW
- Matt Damon reflected on working with Clint Eastwood during an episode of the Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend podcast.
- The 55-year-old actor discussed an early moment on the set of Invictus that quickly demonstrated Eastwood’s directorial style.
- Damon expressed a lasting respect for the 95-year-old director following the experience.
Matt Damon recently reminisced about his first collaboration with Clint Eastwood during an episode of the Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend podcast, sharing insights from his time on the set of the 2009 film Invictus.
During the discussion, Damon highlighted the rigorous preparation that preceded his role. “I was playing a South African rugby player, and that’s a really tough accent to do,” he noted, explaining that he spent six months working with a dialect coach to master the accent of Francois Pienaar, the real-life captain of South Africa’s national rugby team.
Clint Eastwood and Matt Damon working on ‘Invictus.’
Warner Bros/Kobal/Shutterstock
“[The coach] would come in from 9 to 5, Monday through Friday,” Damon recalled. “It was a lot of work.”
Anticipating a more flexible recording process, Damon arrived on set prepared to explore various approaches to the scene. However, he was taken aback by Eastwood’s decisiveness. “I showed up, and I am ready, and it’s my chance to work with one of my heroes,” he recounted. “The very first take, I did it… and he just goes, ‘Cut, print, move on.’”
Despite Damon’s desire for additional takes, Eastwood dismissed the request, saying, “Why? You wanna waste everybody’s time?” Damon accepted the directive, acknowledging, “I guess we’re moving on.”
Clint Eastwood.
Warner Bros/Kobal/Shutterstock
Despite the initial surprise, Damon expressed no hard feelings about the interaction, describing Eastwood as “a lovely guy.” He appreciated the director’s perspective, understanding that “your crew will go to the ends of the earth for you if as long as you’re not taxing them on every shot.” Damon acknowledged Eastwood’s efficient approach to filmmaking, stating, “When we need to get in there, we get in there. But for the most part, we keep the momentum.”
Invictus depicts Nelson Mandela’s efforts to unify a nation during the 1995 Rugby World Cup in a post-apartheid South Africa. The film received three Golden Globe nominations and two Academy Award nominations, including one for Damon as Best Supporting Actor. The cast also featured Morgan Freeman, Tony Kgoroge, and Adjoa Andoh.
