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Matt Damon was a rising young actor in the 90s with a slew of supporting roles in films likeSchool Ties, Glory Daze, and Chasing Amy.He and Ben Affleck made headlines when they starred in 1997’sGood Will Hunting, which also went on to win Best Original Screenplay at the Oscars.
One of his lesser-known yet impressive performances was in Denzel Washington’s 1996 war dramaCourage Under Fire. Damon underwent an extreme physical transformation to portray the role of a war veteran who is haunted by his wartime experience.
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Matt Damon’s Physical Transformation forCourage Under Fireis Shocking
Matt Damon was determined to make it as a successful actor in Hollywood early in his youth. The actor was ready to do anything for a great part in a film, and the 90s was a crucial point in his career. The actor did some of his best work in that period, including his Oscar-winning filmGood Will Hunting. But one film proved to be extremely challenging for the actor at the time.
The actor had a supporting role in Denzel Washington’s 1996 filmCourage Under Fire. Damon played Specialist Andrew Ilario, a war vet who is questioned by Washington’s character about his experiences with Meg Ryan’s character Captain Karen Emma Walden. The actor underwent an extreme physical transformation to play a guilt-ridden officer.
In a 2016Reddit AMA, the actor claimed the role was the most challenging one in his career and had to lose a significant amount of weight to look the part. In addition to 13 miles a day, he only ate chicken breast without taking any advice from a dietician. He said,
“I think the most challenging role that I’ve ever had, was when I did Courage Under Fire and I had to lose all the weight that I lost on my own, that was the most physically challenging I’ve ever had to do in my life. I weigh probably 190 pounds right now, and I weighed 139 in that movie.
So you know to do that I had to run about 13 miles a day which wasn’t even the hard part. The hard part was the diet, all I ate was chicken breast. It’s not like I had a chef or anything, I just made it up and did what I thought I had to do.”
This extreme step had serious repercussions for Damon as he“had to go on medication, for dizziness, lightheadedness, stress, post-traumatic stress disorder”(as he toldFilm Scouts). He has since changed his approach to roles and has not gone on to do a full-on method like he did in this film.
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Denzel Washington Had to ‘Raise his Game’ after Seeing Matt Damon’s Acting
Denzel Washington andMatt Damonstarred in Edward Zwick’sCourage Under Fire. While both actors did not have many scenes in the film, Damon managed to make a great impression on Washington with his performance in the few scenes he had with him.
Director Zwick toldYahoo Entertainmentthat Washington was blown away by Damon’s acting after doing their first scene together. The actor even told Zwick that he had to raise his game as Damon was too good. He said,
“Denzel came to work and he hadn’t met [Matt]… They did this first scene together and after we finished Matt’s side of the close-up and turned the camera around to go to Denzel, he leaned over and whispered to me: ‘Man, I think I better raise my game — this kid is good!'”
Also read:Brendan Fraser Is Glad How His Naked Fight With Matt Damon Turned Out to Be Despite All Odds
As of 2024, Damon is set to star in Doig Liman’s heist thrillerThe Instigatorsopposite Casey Affleck. He will also have a supporting role in Ethan Coen’sDrive-Away Dolls.
Rahul Thokchom
Senior Writer
Articles Published :1276
Rahul Thokchom is a senior content writer at Fandomwire who is passionate about covering the world of pop culture and entertainment. He has a Masters Degree in English that contributes to the richness and creativity in his works.
