When James Cameron was looking for potential castings of Jake Sully, he wanted an unknown actor to portray the role. The Good Will Hunting actor Matt Damon happened to be one of those initial actors who almost played Jake Sully, before ultimately choosing Sam Worthington.
RELATED: Matt Damon Turned Down Avatar Lead Role Along With $250 Million Payout
Previously, Matt Damon had admitted being offered 10% share on James Cameron’s first Avatar film, only to turn it down, leading him to say he had “left more money on the table than any actor.” Needless to say, turning down the role granted him bragging rights, seeing as he didn’t seem to need the role himself. After all, he was committed to be the titular character in the James Bourne franchise at the time.
According to Damon, in an interview with GQ Magazine, when Cameron had offered him a spot on Avatar, the director told him, “Now, listen. I don’t need anybody. I don’t need a name for this, a named actor. If you don’t take this, I’m gonna find an unknown actor and give it to him, because the movie doesn’t really need you.”
Despite the offer of a $250 million payout, Damon rejected the spot. Despite the passing of time when this happened, Damon’s comment continues to reach Cameron’s ears, as the director had addressed the actor’s sentiment in an interview with BBC Radio 1. Check out Jim Cameron’s full comment below:
“He’s beating himself up over this,” the Avatar franchise director says, “And I really think, you know, ‘Matt, you’re kind of like one of the biggest movie stars in the world, get over it.’ But he had to do another Bourne film, which was on his runway, and there was nothing we could do about that. So he had to regretfully decline.”
Avatar: The Way of Water is currently out in theaters now.
ALSO READ: Kate Winslet Recalls First Avatar 2 Reaction: “Phenomenal Script”
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