Having starred and produced a multitude of films and TV shows over the past few years, it would make sense if Matt Damon told the world he wanted to take a little vacation. However, it’s hard to say no when the phone rings and Christopher Nolan is on the other end.
Damon shared with his Oppenheimer co-stars during EW’s Around the Table that he planned to take a break after working on multiple projects in recent years, with the last one being the sports-drama biopic, Air. He told his co-stars that he and his wife, Luciana Barroso, made a deal during couples therapy that the only condition for getting him back on set was if Nolan called. He also pointed out that he didn’t know when the director would contact him since “he just calls you out of the blue.”
Oppenheimer has been in development since Dec. 2020, and according to The Hollywood Reporter, the cast members were unaware of their roles until they had signed onto the project. Damon will be playing Lieutenant Leslie Groves, a military officer who directs the Manhattan Project. According to the actor, he saw Groves as a “kindergarten teacher” due to the scientists having eccentric personalities. He also claimed that there was no rivalry between Oppenheimer and Barbie, and has encouraged moviegoers to watch two movies in a weekend.
Damon has made some interesting acting decisions throughout his career. It was reported back in 2022 that he rejected a role in James Cameron’s Avatar and was roasted by the director on national radio. The actor hasn’t stated when his break from acting will end. However, he will be appearing in three more projects that are currently in post-production, and is credited in the production in a number of others, per his IMDb page.
Oppenheimer is set to hit theaters on July 21, 2023.
