Key Takeaways:
– Hollywood star Matt Damon expressed gratitude for a lesser level of fame as compared to Johnny Depp
– Despite leading successful projects including ‘The Bourne series,' Damon never considered himself on par with Depp's fame.
– Damon provided an analogy of how newfound fame changes an actor, comparing it to ‘a code written in the Matrix.'
– Having long-time friend Ben Affleck during his transition to stardom was stabilizing for Damon.
– Overshadowed by Depp's fame, Matt Damon finds his fortune in avoiding the turbulent life experienced by the ‘Pirates of the Caribbean' star.
Hitting fame is akin to a Matrix Code Rewriting
Hollywood big-shot Matt Damon stepped into the limelight mostly post ‘Good Will Hunting.' Speaking to PEOPLE in 2023, Damon shared his Hollywood journey. Interestingly, he compared the experience of fame to the ‘Matrix' movie's concept. He felt it was like his life code was getting rewritten while the world around him remained the same. An overnight transition, Damon found things changing rapidly. These included how people treated him and growing popularity he had to adjust to. Importantly, he found solace in having Ben Affleck, a long-time friend, around to help him deal with fame.
Ben Affleck's Role in Damon's Transition to Stardom
Being a celebrity comes with its own set of changes. Ben Affleck's presence during Damon's stardom transition meant a lot to him. After all, he had known Affleck for a long time. Both could share personal experiences and check in with each other. Having a familiar face around in such tumultuous times was undeniably helpful and stabilizing.
Feeling Overshadowed By Johnny Depp
No stranger to fame and stardom himself, Damon honestly admitted to feeling overshadowed by Johnny Depp's massive popularity. Having worked on critically acclaimed projects like ‘The Bourne Series,' Damon admitted feeling less famous compared to Depp.
Happier Being Less Famous Than Depp
However, he was not distressed about it. In fact, he expressed gratitude for it. A comparison with Johnny Depp revealed a bitter truth of Hollywood fame. Despite the unprecedented success Depp had with the ‘Pirates of the Caribbean' series, his fame seemed to have turned into a golden cage.
Learning from Depp's Rise and Fall
Damon spoke about the freedom Depp enjoyed in his early career, doing interesting movies and maintaining balance. However, a subsequent blockbuster franchise took that freedom away from Depp. Damon found solace in avoiding such immense scale of stardom.
While Damon's fame grew, Depp's career took a hit. Multiple issues, including a highly publicized divorce, substance abuse allegations, and financial hurdles marred Depp's golden reputation. Damon found his fortune in fame, avoiding the pitfalls Depp was experiencing, which often come with immense stardom. Unfortunately for Depp, his popularity began to work against him.
Thus, while Damon may have perhaps felt less popular, he appreciated his fortune in avoiding the tumultuous whirlwind of controversies that come with fame. He expressed a simple but profound truth about Hollywood fame; it's not always as appealing as it might seem.
