Key Takeaways:
– Matt Damon had only 25 lines in the 2016 film, “Jason Bourne”, earning $1 million per line.
– Damon turned down a $250 million offer for a role in James Cameron's “Avatar”.
– The silent portrayal of Jason Bourne was a calculated move, reflecting the evolution of the character.
Article
It's a fascinating fact in the Hollywood industry that superstar Matt Damon had just 25 lines in the entire duration of the 2016 movie “Jason Bourne”. What's more intriguing is that for those few dialogues, he walked away with a substantial payment of $25 million. Essentially, this means that every word Damon uttered in the film was worth a whopping $1 million.
Few Lines, Big Payday in Jason Bourne
Matt Damon, who is most known for his baby-faced, no-nonsense appeal, took on the role of Jason Bourne, created by novelist Robert Ludlum, in this fifth and final sequel of the Bourne franchise. Besides being the protagonist and leading star, Damon also served as the producer for this film, which was a follow-up to 2007's Bourne Ultimatum. He did all this with minimal dialogue throughout its 123-minute runtime.
A Silent Evolution of Jason Bourne
As the series progressed, the character of Jason Bourne underwent a significant transformation. He was depicted as an extraordinarily talkative individual in the initial movie but took on a solitary and detached journey as the series progressed. This journey eventually led him to become a reticent character, with a minimal dialogue count of just 25 lines in the concluding movie.
This intentional transition was explained by Damon himself, “In the first movie, the Marie Kreutz character is still alive, so Bourne has a sounding board and he's more confused about who he is and a lot more chatty. Once she dies in the first act of the second movie, it's really a very lonely character.”
A Massive Offer Damon Turned Down
While Damon enjoyed substantial returns for his limited dialogues in Jason Bourne, there's a noteworthy instance where he missed out on an even larger payday. Damon revealed that he was once offered a record-breaking amount of $250 million to play the role of John Sully in James Cameron's Avatar. However, he declined the role. In his own words, “I will go down in history. You will never meet an actor who turned down more money.”
Despite missing out on Avatar's massive payday, Damon has displayed little regret over his decision. He's being noted as having a net worth of around $55 million.
While he retained his star power and exceptional earning ability throughout his career, one can't help but wonder about the nights spent contemplating the ‘What ifs?'
As for fans of the Bourne franchise eager to relive the iconic series, all the movies are currently available for streaming on Amazon Prime. In the end, Damon's choice of roles and his sparse lines in “Jason Bourne” are an interesting study on the value of words in the Hollywood industry. More than the actual words spoken, it's the silence where Matt Damon's Jason Bourne truly made his mark.
