While a lot of actors say they join the industry because it’s their passion, there’s no questioning a big pay day comes at the end of a lot of jobs.
However, not every actor goes to where the money is, with Matt Damon a perfect example of that.
The 53-year-old previously admitted that he turned down the chance to be paid more than any actor had ever been paid for a role… and it’s in one of the biggest films of all time.
I mean, it’s not like Damon has been struggling for roles or cash during his career, having starred in some of the biggest franchises so far.
But it’s one franchise – and the director in particular – that he let slip by him that causes him regret.
Matt Damon turned down a massive offer. (Karwai Tang/WireImage)
Speaking back in 2021, Damon revealed how he actually turned down the biggest payday of his entire career by far when James Cameron offered him a certain role.
Cameron wanted Damon to star in a little film he was making called Avatar, perhaps you’ve heard of it?
What’s more, he was also willing to give up ten percent of the whole film if Damon would star in it.
But Damon explained how he ‘had to turn down Avatar’.
He said: “James Cameron offered me ten percent of Avatar if I did it, but I was working on post-production for The Bourne Ultimatum.”
So, given that the film went on to take more at the box office than any other film in history at the time, with critics praising the film and audiences blown away by the special effects, Damon would have also received a stupendous paycheque.
If he’d agreed to appear as Jake Sully – a role which ultimately went to Sam Worthington – he’d have trousered around $250 million.
Damon turned down a role in Avatar. (20th Century Fox)
In fact, he’s spoken about it a good few times, meaning it clearly has had some sort of effect on him
However, it might not be the fact that he missed out on the boat-load of money that winds him up the most.
It could be that he missed the opportunity to work with Cameron, who only makes a very select number of films.
Back in a 2019 conversation with Christian Bale for GQ he said: “I’ve left more money on the table than any actor actually.
“Cameron said to me in the course of that conversation, ‘Well, you know, I’ve only made six movies.’
“I didn’t realise that … I realised in having to say no that I was probably passing on the chance to ever work with him.
“So that sucked and that’s still brutal.”
