Matt Damon on Good Hang with Amy Poehler

Hello everyone. Welcome to another

episode of Good Hang. I'm very, very

excited about our guest today. It is a

superstar and that star is Matt Damon.

Matt Damon is joining us, Boston's own,

so good at so many things. Such a

professional and in the peak of his

career in a huge movie. And we're going

to talk about a lot of things today.

We're going to talk about long lasting

professional relationships um and how

important they are. We're going to talk

about hating pranks,

um, but loving a little bit of reality

TV. We're going to talk about, um,

shooting in caves and working with giant

puppets. Um, and we're going to talk

about The Odyssey, the the new film that

is out, the giant new film by

Christopher Nolan that he is the star

of. He plays Odysius. He's on the

journey, babe. Um, but before we uh we

get to talking to Matt, we are going to

talk to somebody who knows our guest who

wants to speak well behind their back

and give me a question to ask them. And

we have a great guest. We've got a

little indie filmmaker named Christopher

Nolan. He is on the rise. Keep an eye

out for this kid. He's doing great work.

And um Chris Nolan is joining us. Um and

uh we are very very excited to talk to

him. And um let's see if we can we can

get him on the Zoom.

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>> What do you say?

All I ever wanted.

>> How you doing?

>> Hi, Chris. Nice to meet you.

>> Nice to meet you.

>> Oh, are you pouring some tea?

>> I am. I didn't do anything without tea.

>> I uh also am a excessive tea drinker.

What's your brand?

>> Earl Grey.

>> Oh, I see. I enjoy a black tea. Who

makes your Earl Grey?

>> Uh, Twinings.

>> I see. Have you heard of Berries tea?

>> Yeah.

>> But you don't like

>> I would say that. I wouldn't I don't

want to upset the Irish contingent, but

no, but every every country, every

nation has their own uh particular

blend. Uh, Twinings works for me.

>> Well, thanks for talking today. I'm very

very excit excited to talk to Matt. Um,

congratulations on Another incredible

film.

>> Thank you.

>> How do you compete with the imagination

of people who have read and studied the

Odyssey? I mean, it's it's it's like

you're competing with the idea of the

Odyssey in a way.

>> I mean, you can't and I learned this,

you know, we all learn this who worked

on the Dark Knight trilogy. like you you

couldn't compete with people's idea of

that amazing character and and the at

the time 75 years of history behind it.

This is 3,000 years people imagining

everything these words you so you can't

compete with it. Um, what we realized

addressing the character of Batman and I

brought the very much to the the Odyssey

is you have to trust that what people

want from you is your most sincere

attempt to do justice to the material to

do it with a seriousness and and with an

appreciation of the original text. But

it has to be your own interpretation.

Certainly, I as a filmm respond to that

in other people. If I go see a movie and

I realize that people have loved this

and have really tried to to give you an

experience and tried to put something

across in the way that they really

believe is great, uh, I think I think

people cut you a lot of slack for that

cuz yes, you cannot compete with

people's own imaginings when they read a

text.

>> If we are to care that Odysius makes it

home, we we need to care about the

person trying to make it home. Um, we we

need to just feel like they even care

about home and there's something about

Matt as just an actor, I think that's

innate in him and able to express that.

What made you cast him in this film?

>> Well, you know, I'd gone to nine or 10

other people by the time I got that on

the road, but no, the truth is I

actually don't think about actors when

I'm writing. I try not to. I try to

really just just live through the

characters and the writing process, then

come out the other side and go, "Okay,

how is this going to work? Who who are

we getting for this?" And Matt really

immediately popped into my head because

you're looking for this what you're

talking about, that kind of empathetic

ability to draw the audience into a

character's dilemma. And he has that

openness. He brings the audience with

him, but he also can project an iconic,

frankly, superhero presence. I mean,

he's, you know, he's the guy from The

Martian or We Born a Zoo and then, you

know, Goodwill Hunting and then he's

Jason Bourne.

>> Mhm.

>> And to be able to do such desperate

things and sort of fuse them into a

character was exactly what I what I

needed. Um, also worked with Matt twice

before and and I knew that the way we

wanted to take this on and what was

really important to to us in making the

Odyssey was to try and get out there and

find a way to bring the audience with

us, put the audience off the deck of his

ship and climb mountains and go into the

Cyclops cave with him. So, you know, I

needed a partner. I needed somebody who

would lead from the front and just dive

in and do all of this crazy stuff

without complaining about it. And he's

just a he's in such a wonderful place in

his his life and career. He really

appreciates what he gets to do. He

understands how good he is at it. I

think, you know, in in a really

comfortable way, in a really great way,

and he just leads from the front. He

gets everybody inspired with him. And I

think without that, you know, we would

have crashed and burned horribly. So

from a from a practical point,

>> you can't have an Odysius complaining

that it's cold or it's late or and I

mean, you put him through the ringer.

>> Put him through the ringer. And what's

fun about working with Matt is,

>> you know, he's a great writer himself.

uh you can have really really specific

and detailed conversations about script

and about how we're going about things,

but he also doesn't he doesn't talk for

the sake of it. You know, he doesn't

want to just use a sounding board to

hear his own ideas about the character.

He sort of goes off and figures out who

he is and then, you know, brings that to

the floor, which is uh yeah, really fun

to deal with. Well, he has to go rest

because he has to work out a thousand do

like 5,000 sit-ups a day because you're

insisting on making this, let's face it,

middle-aged man.

>> Yeah, he was exactly the right place in

his his time of life and and everything

to do it. And I I actually had a had a

had a moment with him at his first

wardrobe fitting because we'd been

fitting all of the supporting cast, all

the guys who play his crew and some

younger actors and everything and they

all come in. And they've all got

tattoos, which is a nightmare for a

period film. It means hours in the show

cuz you have to cover all that up

>> and then put the costume on and then

rain and wind and your costume will rub

it away. And I, you know, and I thought,

okay, well, here's B, you know, he takes

a shirt off the fitting and he's got a

tattoo. And I was like, not you

as well. Like what?

And it was, you know, very small,

tasteful tattoo, you know, name of his

children, all that, you know, and and he

said to me, "Well, if I would be

perfectly honest, I thought my uh bare

bicep days were over." And I said,

"Okay, fair enough." The truth is, I

think they're just beginning, but you

know, uh, so yeah, little extra time in

the chat.

>> Do you have to physically train to get

ready for a film, too? I mean it is it

is exhausting to be directing your like

do you do do you physically train when

you're getting ready to go on set?

>> No, I don't. But the it's No, it's

actually kind of a natural process of it

because what happens before you shoot

the film on a film like this is you

start jumping on planes and getting in

vans and driving all over the place and

you you go off to scout and to find

these places. And I do that with my

designer, just the two of us. We we go

off and and gradually we add people to

that group and we make multiple trips

but we cover a thousand thousand miles

and we're just constantly climbing up

hills and you know all that and the

first couple trips are bad you know I'm

like well not up to this like how is

this going to work

>> and you're doing that thing where you're

like I know it's beautiful but maybe

that maybe it

>> something a little closer to the hotel.

Exactly. Well, I I congratulations. is

just such a triumph and everything you

make is so incredible and just um what a

career you've had and um and I I ask my

uh my my guests a question um uh from

someone I speak to beforehand and we

talk well behind their back and then um

I I I we ask a question of them and um I

want to get to that but but but just one

last thing before I do which is your

wife Emma Thomas is so instrumental in

the stuff that you

such a badass, so incredibly talented.

And I don't really have a question other

than I just want to remind people of

your beautiful union.

>> I'm just thinking right now, I wish I'd

asked her to leave the room before I did

the interview cuz she heard all that.

So,

>> Emma, well, Emma, if you're there,

>> I will never hear the end of it.

>> Emma, I mean, just like, hey, hi. You're

such a badass. I'm never going to

forgive you for that. Only me.

>> I I mean, it's so cool how you guys work

together and and and what you do

together and how you work together. I

have such great respect for Emma and her

work. Um

>> Well, me too. No, that's really I love

everything to say.

>> That's all. I mean, no question other

than how isn't it great to be married to

such a cool lady? It

>> is very great to be married to such a

cool lady. It's very great to have such

a great producer on the film. I mean,

you take something like this, it's like

it wouldn't it would be really

unthinkable without her calm, clear, you

know, we'll get through this, we'll find

a way sort of sensibility. So, thank you

for bringing it up.

>> Yeah, of course. Um, so, um, do you have

a question you think I should ask Matt

specifically about the project or about

him or anything you want to know about

him, big or small, that you you don't

feel like you know? There is a question

that I've tried to ask him before and

I've never got

>> okay

>> a clear answer. So I think you might

have better luck which is so Matt

as I'm sure you know but he's a

obviously he's an amazing actor,

wonderful movie star as well as we

talked about. Uh he's also a great

writer. He's an Academy Award-winning

writer as he occasionally reminds me

when he agrees with something in the

script, but uh and a fantastic producer.

Produced, you know, best picture

nominees, all the rest of films he

wasn't in, you know, everything. And I'm

pretty curious, and I haven't got a

straight answer from him about this, as

to why he hasn't directed.

>> Ooh, great question.

>> It's something he could have chosen to

do. Um, he's he's so knowledgeable. You

know, you get on set with him, he knows

more about everything on set than than

anyone. Well, almost anyone. I I'm going

to claim a little bit more knowledge of

what I want to do on my set, but he's

pretty he's

he's pretty in control of every aspect,

you know, holding in his head in terms

of what everybody's doing, which is one

of the reasons he's such a great

collaborator as a as an actor because

he's not just looking at his part. He's

looking at how what he's doing is

advancing the story and he's very very

cognizant and respectful of all the

other things I'm trying to balance in

terms of how the scene we're doing

interacts with the rest of the

narrative.

>> Okay. I'm going to ask him that. And um

I'm going to say that you said that he

would make a great director.

>> I I don't know if I actually said that.

I'm just saying I was curious as to why

he hasn't tried. Maybe he noticed

something. I think he know he yeah he

has such he has such a clear ability to

be able to step into that role if he

wanted to. So I'm I'm curious. I mean

maybe there's maybe there's something

about him that

>> have you ever acted?

>> I have far too much respect for what

actors do to try and try and tread on

their toes.

>> I know we we always say on a set

everyone should just do everyone's job

just for one take.

>> Yes. I I think nobody's afraid of being

the director. They'll think it'd be a

great game. He might have to do it.

Yeah.

>> But I think that may that might be the

answer you get from Matt. It might be

that he knows so much about it and he's

seen so many people do it

>> uh that that he doesn't he doesn't fancy

sitting in the hot seat.

>> Yeah. Awesome. Awesome. Well, thank you

so much for your time. Thanks for for

your incredible work. Um I'm going to

let you get back to your tea. I know

it's sitting right under frame and we

all know any good director, they've set

up the tea in the beginning. We need to

see that tea very soon

>> because it's gonna be a big part of the

story.

>> Thank you, Emma, if you're still there.

>> And really nice talking to you. Thanks,

Chris. Pleasure.

>> Nice talking to you.

>> Yeah, you too. Take care. Bye. Bye.

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We were just talking about we just got

to see we got

>> I'm so happy I have talked to so few

people who've seen it.

>> I mean I feel really lucky that we got

to see it.

>> Great.

>> And it was so great to be able to see

it. Like congratulations.

It is such a huge movie.

>> Yeah. It's the by far the biggest thing

I've ever been anywhere near.

>> It's going to be big and it is big and

it's so loud. It's a really loud movie.

Get bring IMAX is intense.

>> Yeah. Yeah. IMAX is intense.

>> Yeah, it it's um

>> it's incredible.

>> Yeah, the whole experience was like

that. It was just it was it was awesome.

>> Matt Damon's here, everybody. Sorry,

we're jumping into the Odyssey, but like

but I I wanted to start there because I

was lucky enough to get to see it. I've

been thinking about it a lot. It's one

of those things that sticks with you, of

course, because it's like in many ways

probably the most famous story ever

told. I watched it and it's been

swirling around in my head obviously

because of what it represents. But I'm

thinking about it as this meditation on

aging.

>> Okay. I I No, no, I I hear you and I

agree

>> because it you and I are the same age.

It feels like there's this moment in

life now where it's like there's a past

and all of the wreckage or whatever joy

and love and drama that comes with that

and trauma that comes with the past.

this like real present that like is

really hard and there's like a lot of

people you're taking care of, aging

parents, kids, and then this version of

of how people think we are or

>> are we still the version that people

think we are?

>> It's a very cool I've been thinking

about it a lot because it's just really

hitting me at this age. Does that does

that resonate at all? It definitely

does. And that's what I love about this

uh movie and about the script. Like he

he is

>> he's a really underrated writer. I think

Chris, because he's such a brilliant

director that it kind of overshadows his

his writing is

>> I've read three of his scripts now

because this is the third movie I've

done with him and

>> they're they're they're just so well

written and and thematically this

touches on so much.

>> Yeah. And what I love why I love hearing

that is because because to different

people it's going to mean completely

different things

>> and where you are in your life where we

both are in our lives like that piece

will resonate with us. But for instance,

there was a there was a guy who worked

on the film named Duff who who's a who's

a Navy Seal. And

>> we were on the boat one day out in the

middle of, you know, the the ocean and

and and sailing back and he just turned

turned to me and he said and we started

talking about the screenplay and, you

know, this is without having seen the

movie. And he said, "I think this is the

most, you know, the best movie about

PTSD."

>> Yeah.

>> That I've ever

>> wo

>> read or seen, you know, and it's like,

so I think it depends on where you are

and where you've been. And and that's

what's so great about the Odyssey is I

think that's why it's survived for, you

know, 3,000 years is because it works

for every, you know, every everybody who

encounters it encounters it at a

different place in their life and it's

got some resonance for them.

>> I asked this to people my age cuz I

found that this life life is getting

better and it certainly feels I mean

from the outside, not knowing your life,

it feels like you've been able to just

keep making more stuff that you enjoy

and like just growing as an artist and

all this stuff. What is great about

being our age?

I think honestly I think that I think

that that look for the the business

we're in is tough

>> and I think you know the first time we

met and worked together we were probably

in our late 20s early 30s

>> and you don't know how things are going

to work out. You don't you know there's

so much up in the air and and um

>> and there's a lot of pressure and you

know there's a lot you want to do.

There's a lot you feel like you have to

say.

>> Everything feels ahead of you.

>> That's right. Yeah. And and then I think

the place we're at now or at least

speaking for myself is a place there's a

greater sense of calm.

>> Yeah.

>> I think and and and really like when Ben

and I started a company together a few

years ago it was partly because we were

like what are we doing

>> like this is the most joyful like our

dream like that we had when we were kids

literally children together you know

teenagers.

>> Well you met what 10 and eight or

something. 10 and eight, but then we

really were bizarre kids who were

serious about acting and we were in the

union and, you know, and at 16 and 14

years old, we were going to New York

together to audition for stuff.

>> Um, and our friendship was,

>> you know, founded on quite a bit of

common experience, but that was central

to it and and very unique to the two of

us. and and and here we are 40 years

later and it's like

we should make every single movie we can

together. You know what I mean? Because

>> it's an unusual you said this before

that you're really good at partnerships

like and feels like Chris is another one

like you know that where you're like I'm

really good at picking people who can be

partners in my life and the fact that

you guys still work together this many

years later and that you love working

together it's it's unusual. It's just

like it's it's like what do you like

about working with a

>> I think for us um

we've experienced so much of life

>> together,

>> you know, it's not a it's not a

friendship that could ever be replicated

>> just because we we grew up together and

and which which meant so we were

together all the time, you know, we

>> you know, writing a screenplay together.

Um, and I think I think working together

is one of the great things about writing

with him was always

the fact that there was a deep and

abiding love and respect underneath

everything that was never in question.

It's very helpful.

>> Yeah.

>> And when you're working creatively with

them because you're not worried about

their feelings.

>> And I mean, I imagine you guys have a

pretty quick shortorthhand about what

works is nothing is taken that

personally when you're creating

something.

It's just it's just the allegiance is to

the thing that we're making

>> and we're trying to get there as quickly

as we can and as efficiently as we can

and

>> and there's a deep trust if like you can

get hung up on an idea sometimes, you

know, as a writer and

>> and and and dig in and and sometimes you

can be wrong and if you have somebody

that you trust that much,

>> um they'll also they'll also hear you

out and they'll they're humble enough to

know they might be wrong, too.

>> Um so it's just a very easy

uh experience and it also ends up being

just really fun because you're doing it

with you know one of for me it's like

this you know my closest friend for 40

years 45 years it's like

>> um who else would I want to hang out

with and do

>> yeah Tina and I went on tour this year

we've been friends now for like over 30

years and we have a similar dynamic

which is we just work so well together

like we don't we don't care about the

same thing like we don't like we have

similar things that we don't stress

about,

>> right?

>> And then things that we're like, "This

is really important. We have to get this

right."

>> Right.

>> There's this theory that the the age you

meet people like you were 10, Ben's

eight. I'll compare I'm going to compare

you guys to the Beatles, so get ready.

>> It's coming from you, not me.

>> Paul McCartney. No, you said I had to.

Paul, you squeezed my arm when you came

in and you said

>> you had one note that came before me.

>> Yeah. I got slipped a note and you said,

"You call me Paul McCartney before this

interview's over." But no, but like it

was like Paul Card is a couple years

older than George Harrison and they

always had an older brother, younger

brother dynamic just because they they

were two years apart. Do you guys have

an older brother, younger brother

dynamic? No. Like same age dynamic?

>> No. And in fact, Ben is an older brother

and I'm a younger brother even though

I'm older than him. So So I'm sure we

fall and and I've noticed that, you

know, my my wife is also an older

sibling. And there's something about

that I think that makes it easy. you

naturally

into your role. Like as a younger

sibling, I had one, you know, my big

brother and and he was like a god and it

was just I just had to follow him

around. My mom, you know, she worked,

she was like, "Yeah,

>> my brother joined the YWCA swim team

because his girlfriend was on the YW.CA

swim team." So I had to join the YWA

YWCA swim team, you know, doesn't m like

I could swim, okay, didn't love it, but

you know, I was on the swim team. Um and

uh and so things so but I it never

occurred to me that I could protest,

>> right?

>> You know what I mean? Whereas an older

sibling is questioning everything

because they're the ones who are kind of

trailblazing and they're kind of

responsible.

>> Yeah. Um

>> you can tell an older sibling right

away.

>> Yeah, for sure.

>> You really can. And they're also like

translating life to other their other

siblings even though they're they could

be like 12 months older than you and

they're like here's how it goes.

>> Yeah. Yeah. Here's the thing about this.

>> But but you brought up your mom. I'm my

mom is a te my both my parents are

teachers growing up. Your mom is an

educator, author, like academic. You

guys grew up in Boston as we know

famously. I also did. Sometimes you do

feel like you got out.

>> Yeah. Yeah.

>> And people are like good for you for

getting out, you know, and sometimes

they're like I I'm I'm still, you know,

here. And you're like, that's great. I

have no judgment about that. That's

fantastic. Your life is great. And

sometimes they have a feeling about it.

Well, Kazinski had this has this great

character called Bitter Boston guy

>> and he and he was he leaves occasionally

voicemails and they are just I mean but

it's like no good for you know yeah good

for you. No I know I'm sure you're real

busy Amy you know with your big life and

everything and I

>> from what I understand you're by coastal

now I mean not to Boston but to New York

and I get it you know and it's just and

it's one of those and they go it goes on

and on for like five minutes and I'm

just crying by the end of these things.

Um, you know, I said to myself, if I go

up there and talk to her, she's not

going to want to talk to me.

>> She probably won't remember me.

>> She won't remember me, but I remember

you.

>> I remember you. And good for you. Um,

and then lastly, on behalf of all

Bostononians, I'm sure you've talked

about this a lot, too, but I don't think

I know on behalf of all of us, where

were you when we won in 2004 when the

Red Sox won?

>> I was. So, I was making a movie called

Syriana and and uh that was shooting at

the time in Dubai

>> and and I was watching all the Yankee

games on in fact I was in Geneva during

>> wow

>> during the when we clinched against the

Yankees and I was supposed to work the

following week in Dubai and George

Clooney, thank God, was a producer on

the movie

>> and I called him immediately and he

said, "I already redid the entire

schedule. You can go home."

>> No way. So, I came back. I landed uh at

JFK. I was I was living in New York. I

landed at JFK. The game was just

starting. I made it to my apartment by

like the second or third inning.

>> And we won that game.

>> Y

>> um you know, obviously we won all four,

but but once we won that game, I knew

that I had to watch every single moment

on that couch by myself cuz that was the

lucky. Absolutely. I was just like,

well, I didn't want to jinx anything.

>> We used to scream at my mom to leave the

room. She walked into the room. She

couldn't. If she was holding the

laundry, she had to hold it the whole

time. Totally.

>> Yeah. And I do feel like something

psychically changed for all of us when

that happened. Like

>> I know it did for my family. My my dad

like was it felt like a release of a a

long awaited something. It felt like the

Odyssey.

>> It did. It did. This can't be true, but

it is.

>> Wait a minute. Is the Odyssey about

that? Wait a minute.

>> Um, what did your mom think about you

not finishing Harvard? Uh but by then I

mean I was working they they were

>> You were really close to finishing.

>> I was I was in fact I I I probably I

probably did five years of classes there

cuz I would go and then there was one

semester the last semester I left I was

two weeks away from the end of the

semester. So I'd done everything. All I

had to do was take the finals. But the

rule was at the time at least you had to

take your finals at the exact moment

they were offered in Cambridge. Right.

>> And I was like, I'm number five on the

call sheet. You think I'm going to shut

a movie down like for three hours, four

different times? Like I just had to eat

the semester.

>> Do you ever have a fantasy about going

back?

>> I think I used to like there was a but I

but I also, you know, I was an English

major and and in fact I started writing

Goodwill Hunting for a class.

>> Um I just had wonderful professors and

and and that professor really encouraged

me

>> Yeah.

>> to keep going with it. I didn't know

what I'd never tried to do that. and and

and in fact I I I wrote we were supposed

to write a one-act play and I wrote I

wrote the first act of a three-act movie

>> and but at that point I'd already been

leaving and going you know I mean I I

was kind of out in the world working so

I wasn't like sweating grades the way I

was kind of in the I was I was kind of

out of the pipeline

>> and I was really in school for myself at

that point and I and I went to the to

the guy and I said I I think I failed

your class I like but this is the first

act of a movie and and and he read it

and he gave me a straight A and he just

said, "Don't stop. Keep going." Like he

gave me all this encouragement and that

was when I just took it out and showed

it to Ben.

>> It's so cool because you can you can

also tell that respect you have for

teachers in the film like it's in

Goodwill Hunting and we grew up around

educators and like we're saying the

obvious, but it is still wild how people

can remember the teacher.

>> Oh my god.

>> The three teachers.

>> I had multiple teachers.

>> Me too. that were like, "You're doing

good. Hang in there." That just that

those like positive reinforcements about

anything you were doing.

>> Yeah.

>> Um so, okay, you guys moved to

Hollywood. Congratulations. You win an

Academy Award. You do Goodwill Hunting,

everybody's favorite movie. Give the

best speech ever. You bring your mom's.

>> It's incredible. Um and

>> we didn't have a choice.

>> But from that moment, like where you

know you've been working to your point

to what you were saying, you've been

working for a long time. we know you

then we meet you then and I'm the same

age as you. I'm watching you like be my

age like entering into some system and

you're from Boston and it's like oh okay

we don't have to live near the game to

be in the game basically. What is your

relationship to work now? Because when

you're young like we talked about you're

like I want to do this and this and then

you start getting these things then like

so then what what is your relationship

to are you tired? That's a long question

to ask. I'm personally asking for myself

>> sometimes. I mean, yeah. I But but I

think that's that's where this I feel uh

like

>> and for both uh Ben and me I that that

we are at the same time kind of stepped

into this new phase of life and really

felt it.

>> Yeah. What is that new phase

>> that that we we just want to work on?

It's it's about it's about really the

pursuit of of joy in our in our lives

and in our work and and and like this

movie I I never would have I think 20

years ago I would have bitched a lot

about you know I I don't think I I

>> that actually hits home.

>> It it was it was like the physical

discomfort in making this movie that

everybody everybody had to go through

the entire crew. So, the experience of

doing this movie, though it was the

hardest movie that I've ever done by

far,

>> uh was so joyful.

>> Yeah.

>> It it it really and and and also it it

felt more like an expedition than a

movie because of how we made it. And to

know that every single person around you

was was weathering those same

difficulties and pushing themselves like

it just

>> this feeling of uh you know of being a

part of that that team of people was

just it was it just it it it was it was

one of the best feelings I've ever had.

>> That's very cool. I mean you're making

me think of that like Sanskrit idea that

life is what you say it is basically

right. So you can be like this is the

worst this is the hardest thing and this

is the or you can be like this is the

most incredible opportunity I'm getting

to do.

>> Yeah. And I definitely from the moment

Chris gave me the part I felt

>> I felt that because

>> first of all he

>> it's first of all it's it's one of the

great roles of of all time.

>> Yeah.

>> And and he was going to make this thing

at the scale that it deserved to be made

>> and not and like pretty practical,

right? Like

>> not practical. Like that's like, you

know,

>> he's gonna make it the way David Lean

would have made it, right?

>> The way somebody would have made it 80

years ago,

>> it's that that for people that are gonna

see it and you guys can tell us if it's

too spoily and we'll cut it. But like

there's scenes where Cyclops is you're

meeting Cyclops, who by the way, I was

proud of myself. I was like, "Is that

Bill Irwin?"

>> You got him right away. Yeah, he's

amazing. He's amazing.

>> Rachel getting married. Amazing. And um

and I was like, "Oh my god, is that Bill

Irwin's face?" That I find out is a

giant puppet.

>> Yeah.

>> What the That is wild.

>> It's w It's really wild when you realize

we shot it in an actual cave. And so

there's no sound stage.

>> That's wild.

>> So we we would hike to this cave and it

was called Zeus's cave. They say it's

where Zeus was born.

>> And we would hike up to this cave. Um,

and the rigging that the guys did in

this cave, they basically turned it into

a sound stage almost, you know, like

they there were there were I mean it was

just inc the amount of the amount of

work that went into doing this was like

>> and I bet you shot at places that no one

had ever been allowed in and like

>> well that nobody would be crazy enough

to try to shoot in was what it really

was. Like honestly I would go every time

I would go would show up and I would

start laughing. I would be looking like

you got to be kidding me.

>> You're like we're going up there. Yeah,

that's where

>> Yeah.

>> Like, so what are we shooting? Well,

we're not shooting anything till we get

up there cuz that's where everything is.

So,

>> yeah, that's wild.

>> So, that part of it was that's what I

mean about an expedition. And it was and

we were all in it together. We all hike

up the mountain and

>> and and and in that in that cave that

was, you know, Chris was like, "No, we

got a 60oot puppet."

>> And so, so basically, he does as little

special effects as humanly possible,

which means you can do quite a bit

without without CGI. um and where he

needs it. You know, he'll he, you know,

he understands what year he lives in and

he and he has the absolute best special

effects teams. Yeah.

>> They really help, you know, try to

figure out how we can do

>> everything almost just about everything

in camera.

>> Much like I compared you to Paul

McCartney, I'm going to compare the

Odyssey to SNL. But SNL is SNL

That's another thing that I I told you I

I you know um but but similarly

>> there's few places left that's like we

have a show tonight and you know because

you've done it hosted many times and

you're like everyone's just it's like

comedy emergency room everyone's doing

the best version they can do in the time

that they have and therefore everything

feels really human. Yeah. It's very cool

that way, like things feel practical and

tactile and stuff.

>> And you've done the show a bunch of

times. I don't know if you remember, we

the first time you hosted, I think I it

was like 2002. I was like my second year

there.

>> I have a great picture of us, me and Dr.

And you have your like arms around us.

We look like 10 years old, all such

babies. And we're all like the whole

world. But it was I remember um just

starting when you came and I remember

that exact feeling of like holy

look at all these talented people trying

to make something like real and human

basically. What was it like to what is

it like to do that show? Do you like

doing it? I still remember I love doing

it and and I um that first time the

reason I did it, Patrick, my agent,

called me and said, "You're hosting

Saturday Night Live." And I said, "Oh,

okay." Like,

>> but I I don't have anything coming out.

And he goes, "No, Bruce Springsteen's

the musical guest. We're going to get to

hear two songs from Bruce." So, I was

like, "Oh, yeah. We're huge fans of

Bruce Springsteen." So, uh so that was

really why I did it. And um and and I

remember going on the on the Monday

night for the you know the little pitch

in Lauren's office

>> and everybody pitches these ideas and

then everybody went um let let's go to a

bar

>> and I was like guys we have a 90 minutes

to do by Saturday like how are you

people so calm like I couldn't

>> there's like a there's like a push like

where people have to like force

force panic almost to get anything

creatively done. Now, I was fully

panicked on Monday, but I then Tuesday

night was the night everyone and I

stayed up.

>> They were like, "You're welcome to stay

as long as you want." I stayed up

overnight till like 5:00 in the morning

popping into different rooms and writing

with people and you know,

>> and and love that part of it. And then

and then from the read through on

Wednesday, it's just you're just shot

out of a cannon.

>> It's Yeah. You're it's done in 5

minutes. Yeah. Yeah. And the minute

you're done, you're like, "Okay, I got

it. Let's do it again." And it's over.

>> The rush that you get is incredible.

>> Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I actually we were

looking up some stuff because I was

like, "What did I do with Matt?" And

there's a sketch that I do not remember.

>> What was it?

>> And I want

>> There's a better chance I'll remember it

because I might remember, but I have

zero memory of it. I You played a

doctor. I saw it and I was like, "No

idea what the joke is."

>> Sorry, I can't I got to get my

commercials off my YouTube.

>> Is this the one where

>> Pornell where we're where we're on it

where it's everybody's name Matt Damon?

Is that the thing?

>> Okay, maybe that's it. It sounds like

that's it. All I know is Okay, here we

go.

>> Excuse me. I hate to bother you, but are

you Matt Damon?

>> Uh, yeah.

That's amazing. That's That's really

amazing.

>> The Ice Man.

>> Oh, really?

>> Oh, yeah. They're Dr. Matt Damon. Yeah,

I'm the chief of oncology, not science.

>> Okay. So, he's a doctor.

>> Matt Damon. Matt Dam.

>> This is That's the whole joke. It's

amazing.

You have no idea what it's been like for

me.

>> And that's not true. Your identity is

not about your name, man. It's about who

you are, what you do.

>> Okay, that's easy for you to say. Matt

Damon.

>> Oh my god. Are you Matt Damon?

>> Yeah. I'm going to puke.

>> This is so weird. My name is Pat Dam.

>> Okay, now we're heightening. We're 2

minutes in.

>> You should always get married.

>> And now we'll do the introduction.

>> Hey, you do remember this. Matt Damon.

Matt Damon. Matt Damon. Matt.

>> So stupid.

>> Oh my god. That's so

>> just And it's it's just it's totally

ridiculous. I haven't seen that's really

funny.

>> I I know. I did not rem I mean it is I

>> Well, I remember because I pro I think

I've hosted the show three times and

I've and I've come on and done guest

spots, but that means I've probably done

less than 20 sketches in my life. So I

think I I probably remember all of them.

You would think you will, but I I mean I

>> it's so dumb. And then at the end, I

think someone comes out and is Dr.

Julius Irving. I think that's the point.

I think that's the that's

>> I have a memory.

>> It's I I forget how it happens, but it's

like Matt Damon, Matt Damon, Pat Damon,

Matt Damon, Pat Damon, Matt Damon, Ben

Affleck, and Dr. Julius Irving.

>> I don't think it played that well. I

thought it was funny.

>> I know. But it's a good example of like,

you know, there are hosts who like, you

know, especially on your first time, you

don't really know the power you have.

You know, no one really tells you the

power that you have where you can be

like, I don't want to do that.

>> But there are hosts that are like, I

like to pick the funny stuff. And then

there are hosts that like I want to pick

the stuff that I'm in a lot or that, you

know, like. And that's a real ensembly

sketch. You don't get to do much in

that.

>> Well, I said I but I always say to

Lauren like just I want the best show.

I just last one I think we cut five

sketches after Dressy

and I was like whatever it

>> also you've got a younger cast and it's

like they're trying to like establish

themselves and like all right if you've

got something for them to do that you

know what I mean like you all have to do

this next week you know

>> but but a lot of people don't really

take that in like and I don't even

necessarily mean it's a bad thing

they're just like focusing on other like

things like you have this ability you

always have, I think, to

pay attention to like the environment

that you're in, what what other people

need. I mean, I think it's what makes

you such a good producer. I think it's

what makes you such a good collaborator.

Like, that isn't always people's

process. They just don't know how to

take all that in.

>> Yeah. I I guess I I always just

defaulted to the the the

better the thing is you're making, the

better for everybody.

>> Yeah.

>> And I I really do think that way about

movies, too. I don't always take the

best role,

>> you know what I mean? I I I I I I want

to be in a good movie.

>> Oh, you've been in so many good movies.

God damn. I mean,

>> that's interesting you say that because

um like even in in um Interstellar, that

role that you take is a really

surprising role to take with

>> Yeah. Chris undersold it to me actually

cuz Chris I was really happy to get the

call from him

>> and he and he I guess like trying to

manage my expectations said you know how

they say there are no small parts only

small actors and I said yeah and he this

is a small part

I was like okay but I read it I was like

no this is a terrific part like it's a

really great I mean it's it's not it's

not big but it's a it's a really good

part

>> really good part

>> um and so uh yeah it's always about if

if there's something I feel like, you

know, worth doing. It doesn't have to be

the biggest thing.

>> Yeah. I mean, you gotten to work with so

many amazing people. uh if it's okay, I

want to just ask you about a few because

some of them we talk about here a lot

and some I had the pleasure to either

meet or work with and I like love

talking about them

>> and you've talked about him a lot, but

can can we just talk about Robin for a

second because I had the experience the

as I'm sure you did of like feeling like

I got to watch him

um use his gift to make young people

feel like they had some kind of future

and whatever. ever they were doing. That

was basically he he would come, Robin

Williams would come

>> and improvise at UCB and like jump in uh

the theater, the improv theater that um

I was a part of and he would just show

up. I mean, people would lose our minds.

He would show up and he'd talk to 20 all

of us 20-year-olds like we we were like

smart and funny and like change our

lives.

>> What was he like What was it like to

work with him when you were so young?

>> Yeah. He was like that generous. Like

that was just his that's just who he

was. Yeah,

>> it just like overflowing with generosity

like as a as a as a

>> creative partner to work with to do

scenes with and obviously this was

something that we'd written. We'd we'd

been holding on to this thing for 5

years

>> and how seriously he took it, how

prepared he was.

>> Interestingly, he was very he did a lot

of takes

>> at at his uh

>> what would he feel like he didn't have

it? like would he want more because he

wasn't quite sure if he was happy.

>> Yeah. And and and I remember Terry

Gilliam telling me like Terry Gilliam

gave him after they did The Fisher King

and Robin's brilliant in that movieing

>> and Terry gave him a report card at the

end and it was and it had all these

different things like creativity, you

know, energy, all this stuff, you know,

hey, hey, hey, late night phone calls. F

cuz Robin would get home and he would

call and it and and

>> he was a ruminator. He was a ruminator

and he and and there were things we went

back and and and did another pickup of a

thing and we shot it 15 times already

and Ben and I knew we had it. Gus knew

we had it.

>> Yeah.

>> Um and he just and I think that's might

be the comedy background where it's like

I'm going to refine this joke.

>> Yeah. There's always a joke.

>> There's always something more that I can

grab in there. and

>> and he and he had this this like you

know he was like into fatigable like the

guy just had so much energy that and so

we went over budget in film. I remember

every day at lunch we would send out to

Kodak they'd come back with more film

because we were burning through

>> a lot of film

>> really just for him to feel

>> Yeah.

>> like we got it.

>> Yeah. You know, I mean, Ben and I knew

like

>> I mean, even like the last line of the

movie

>> that was not written. He was just

supposed to come out and read a letter

and and and and it was just supposed the

camera was supposed to sit on him for as

long as he wanted as he thought about

this boy driving out of town and he's on

his way.

>> You know, he's going to go see about the

girl. and and Robin, we left the camera

rolling and and we were shooting up at

him and uh and I was I was right next to

the camera cuz every time he came out

when he when he when he opened up the

letter, I said it so that he could hear

my voice.

>> Mhm.

>> And so Gus and I, the director, was

>> And you were standing by camera by

camera.

>> And he wasn't meant to look at me, but

just so he could hear me. and and he

must have done 15

takes and he'd put the envelope back and

he'd put it back in the mailbox and then

he'd go in and we'd still be rolling and

then he'd come back out and he did, you

know, a few without saying anything and

then he just started improvising lines

>> and on like the ninth line he opened the

door and he looked and he read the

letter and he said, "Son of a he

stole my line." And I grabbed Gus. Like

I mean it's like you know when you a

piece of dialogue falls from heaven and

you know

>> and and you just know and but Robin went

back in and he did it five six more

times he came back

>> and I remember Ben wasn't on set that

day for some reason or maybe he couldn't

fit up where we were and so he was back

and I just couldn't couldn't get to him

fast enough to tell him you're not going

to believe what he said. Listen

and bend the second he heard it like

that's it. Yeah. like he knew like

that's the but but Robin

must have known because it came out of

him.

>> But like when that line comes out of me

if ever I'm lucky enough to come up with

something on the spot that just comes

out in the moment and it works. I know

it and now I'm now I'm a dog with a

bone. You know what I mean? I'm not

going to go start trying.

>> That is the thing I love about improv, I

have to say, is it's like so many ideas

are flung around and they're a lot of

them are jewels and they're just thrown

for free.

>> Yeah. Like it's like here's 10 more

>> and you're like whoa whoa these are like

let me pick these up. Like each one

could be interesting

>> but like when you're with like an

incredible improviser it's like I have a

million of these right

>> like these these are ne these are never

going to go away.

>> That's what see I when I wrote I wrote a

a movie that uh not many people saw

called Promised Land with John Krinski.

And John and I joke about it because

John's like Ben. He's got a supercomput

on board. His he goes really fast. And

I'm much more I don't know. I got a I

got a Commodore 56 or whatever. So, my

processing chip isn't isn't quite as

fast. And so, John would would would

throw out a line of dialogue. We'd be

sitting in the kitchen writing and he'd

throw out a line of dialogue. And my

face would do something like this.

And John would read that as he hates it.

>> Uhhuh.

>> And then he'd give me another one and

then another and then and now he's given

me five lines of dialogue. And I'm And I

just go I'm like, "Stop."

I'm still on the first one, John. I

think the first one's really good.

>> Now I got to think about all these other

ones because I think they're really

good, too. Just, you know, give me a

minute. Um, and and I think we, you

know, Yeah, you're right. They're like

jewels that are falling on the ground.

And I'm like somebody who wants to pick

up each one and go like,

>> let's we're going to we're going to put

this thing together like a Swiss watch.

>> And that's why I think sometimes it's

it's always like I mean, it's it's

interesting to watch people be able to

be okay with this that speed and

stillness. It's what like film actors do

so well is they allow things to just

stay and when you're coming up and like

in from a comedy perspective like speed

is

>> where you get your self-esteem to

everything and you just have to

sometimes just like stop. You just have

to just stop it.

>> With that in mind, what was it like to

work with Phil Hoffman who like what an

incredible actor.

What was it like to be Cuz your

character is really you have to square

off with him in this way that is

>> I mean he's so intimidating.

>> He's so good in that movie.

>> He's just I mean he's good. He was he

was he was great in everything but

>> holy he's

>> talk about a role where you come in and

I mean he that scene the scene where he

comes back where I kill him in town to

Mr. Ripley. Spoiler alert.

>> Spoiler alert.

>> Um

>> spoiler alert. Odyssey it's a long trip.

He he I loved him because he you know

we'd re we'd rehearsed there was a whole

month of rehearsal and and we got to

know each other and and um and uh but I

hated him so much that day.

>> Yeah.

>> You know what I mean? And he but because

that's how he really it's like he like

built the energy for that scene. It was

like

>> like like a Marvel superhero

coming out of him

>> and and sucked me right into it. And we

had this day of working where and we

liked each other. Yeah.

>> You know what I mean? But that was not

>> Yeah.

>> That wasn't in the room.

>> Yeah.

>> And um and uh I just remember it's that

I' I've said I I say it all the time

because it really is the truth. When

when when you're working with a great

actor, they're great enough for both of

you.

>> And it's like it's like just

>> just paddle into the wave

>> and stand up and that's it. and and you

just get transported and and that was

what he was I mean he was just

>> phenomenal. Phenomenal.

>> Yeah, he's he's he's incredible.

>> And his theater company was great. I I

used to go and see them.

>> Did you ever do anything like did you do

a lot of theater in New York when you

were

>> No, no, I was working already. And the

last play I did, in fact, Phil was

there. We we did he I think he was doing

Jesus Hop the A train or he was

directing it. I can't remember. We were

all over and then Gwyneith was doing

Proof

>> and Casey Affleck and I were and Summer

were doing uh this is our youth and we

were all in the West End in the same

summer and none of us saw each other's

plays because we were on the same

schedule but we were all it was like the

the Ripley reunion kind of right and I

think Jude was like doing something that

summer too but we were all

>> um

>> Do you ever get a I'm sure you get

offered all the time. Do you ever want

to do something on Broadway?

>> I've thought a lot about it. Uh it's the

schedule that that until until my my

youngest is a freshman and once she's

out of the nest um

>> I would definitely uh do do it. Um it's

just it's just not a great schedule for

parenting.

>> A crazy schedule and I all the all the

SNL ladies are on Broadway this summer.

Like they're all Dra is in Rocky Horror

and Anna's in Schmegadun. Amaya's doing

Omar right now. I'm like watching them

all do it and I we've had a bunch of um

Broadway actors on here. I just I I

having the hardest part of your day be

the end of your day every day, sometimes

twice a day, is brutal.

>> Yeah.

>> So hard.

>> And I remember even this is 20ome years

ago doing that play and I love that play

and I love Kenny Lteran. Um but that

this elation coming off stage when

things went went when it was like oh my

god that was

>> was something and then that would last

like 5 minutes and then I'd go I have to

do this twice tomorrow

>> and and I remember thinking why didn't

someone just film that?

>> You guys are making this so

unnecessarily difficult.

>> We could be in the we could be done we

could be in Toronto we could show be at

the festival. What is happening? Um,

>> yeah,

>> but uh but yeah, I mean I you know

Cheeto's doing is doing proof right now.

Saw that and he's fantastic. But

>> how fun were those Oceans movies? By the

way, speaking of Cheetel, that looks

like I mean what a boondoggle.

>> How fun for Steven Soderberg.

>> Yeah, he was the one that had to make

them and you guys were like having

cappuccino and he was like, "Can we

roll?" I mean, God, they look so fun.

They look so fun. They were really fun

and and it was just a wonderful group of

of people and we and and the group

change, you know, it's like as the

movies went along, you know, then

suddenly, you know, people were married,

people had babies, you know, we were

loaning diapers to each other, you know

what I mean? It was just a nice uh kind

of run of life for us.

>> Yeah. You mentioned Clooney. We have a

fun thing with I don't know if you

remember us and Clooney and you because

what a what a Hollywood thing I just

said. We have a fun thing. Me, you, and

Clooney. I know, but when we when we

poked fun at him at the Golden Globes,

he's got a great as do you great sense

of humor about himself.

>> Um, do you know this that he made

stationary? Yeah.

>> Okay. So,

>> not the first time he's done this,

>> by the way. And I've told I've said this

to his face. I'm not talking behind his

back. I don't like pranks. I don't

with pranks.

>> I'm not a prank guy either. I don't. It

makes me stressed. I

>> He loves them enough for all of us,

though.

>> He does. Yeah. He loves them and and and

I'm like, "Don't do your weird pranks on

me." And he's like, "Oh, okay." And

anyway, Tina and I hosted the Golden

Globes. We made a joke that now that you

were in TV, you were basically a garbage

person cuz you were there for just TV

and you weren't in the movie section

anymore. And you, of course, laughed and

played along with it. George Clooney

made stationary pretending he was you

>> and sent us like a strongly worded

letter saying that would really hurt our

feelings.

>> Really, really hurt my feelings.

>> Now, did he tell you he was going to do

it? Okay, got it.

>> No, the No, the way I found out, and by

the way, the only the only reason I

found out was cuz you guys sent me some

like fruit bastard or something, and I

was like I was so bewildered.

>> We were like, "We think this is a

prank."

>> That's right. Yeah. You were on our just

in case it's not a real fruit basket.

>> But, and then I called one I think I

called Tina. I was like, "What the

fuck?" Cuz she lived right down the

street from me at that time. We were I

was on the Upper West Side. And uh and

then we you know we put it together

pretty quickly.

>> Yeah. It was Clooney's doings. But um

but but yeah, I guess Soderberg is the

one that has to make what was such a

well-crafted movie movies.

>> That's him. I mean I've done I think 10

movies with Yeah. Yeah. I I I I will do

the phone book with Steven Soderberg. I

I absolutely love working with him. And

>> what do you love about working with him?

Well, he's just

he's he's

it's like he sees the matrix.

>> Yeah. like really I mean by the time so

when we did behind the candalabra in

2012

>> so good

>> he but the Stephen would I'd get to work

we'd we'd shoot a scene I'd go home at

like 5:00 because Stephen operates the

camera is the editor um is the

cinematographer um and the director and

I'd go home and the kids were little and

uh you know we'd bathe them we'd we'd

give him dinner, read him a story, put

him to sleep. I'd come downstairs by

like 8 7:30 or 8:00 and on my iPad there

was a new delivery and I'd open it up

and it was the scene we shot that day

fully scored as it was going to appear

in the movie when it came out nine

months later.

>> Holy

>> Yeah. So for Michael and me wow to to

you know you're you're you're playing

this relationship which is this kind of

dysfunctional relationship. It kind of

descent into like drugs and you know and

and it unfolds over time and

>> so to to to calibrate the performance

>> is difficult but not when you can watch

>> yeah what you here's the scene that's

going to happen after this and here's

the scene that just happened before

this. I know. And then Stephen's like,

"All right, I'm starting on Michael's

face and we're you you know exactly

where you are at all times."

>> Oh my god, that feels really comforting.

>> It's unbelievable. It's like, and I

always say like the only excuse an actor

has. And it's a legitimate excuse if if

if you suck in a movie is I didn't know

what movie I was in.

>> Yeah,

>> that's a totally fair like if the

director just couldn't communicate the

tone and didn't, you know, couldn't It's

very easy to

>> to be in the wrong movie. Like here's

another Soderberg story like I did this

movie with him, The Informant.

>> Mhm.

>> Great movie.

>> And yeah, I I love that one. And and and

we shot a scene where my character had

to apologize to the entire town.

>> Basically, he stood up in court and we

had the we had the um the transcript of

what he said and those were my lines.

And so we're in Illinois, uh I think it

was Springfield, Illinois, in the

courthouse he was actually in. and the

the entire cast is there because they're

all sitting in the gallery and they're

the people that I need to apologize to.

And so I stand up and I I start this

apology and I get I get legitimately

choked up. I don't mean to. I'm trying

not to. and and I get through it and

Steven's is kind of shooting a wide shot

on the other side and I hear cut and he

walks over and I'm sitting at the

defense table and he kind of he comes up

and he goes, "No."

And I'm like, "No."

So, you. No. I go, "That just

happened, man. That was real. Like,

what?" He goes, he goes, "Yeah, yeah,

no, no, you're in the wrong movie." And

I went, "Oh, okay. Get me in the right

movie." And he sits there and he thinks

for a second and he goes,

do it like an awards acceptance speech.

>> Oh, incredible direction.

>> Yeah, because it was like, yeah, this

guy, this was this guy's moment. It

wasn't I I'm I'm admitting my It was

everyone's here for me.

>> Yes, that's right.

>> Like, this is incredible.

>> This is like wow. Yeah.

>> Right. And I think that's what I said,

like wow.

>> You know, and and it's like so

interesting

>> now both scenes in a vacuum

>> also like, you know, it's it makes sense

that like I had a real emotion like I

really felt something. Isn't that what

I'm supposed to be doing?

>> It's connected to the part of me. This

is that's how this is supposed to go.

>> Oh, yeah.

>> But not if you're in the wrong movie.

>> Mhm. Okay. And so Christopher Nolan, um,

The Odyssey, we're talking about it.

You're back with him again. You've made

three films with him.

So we do this thing where we we talk to

somebody before our guest comes in and

talk well behind their back. And I

talked I got to talk to Christopher and

um uh intimidate. I was a little

intimidated to be honest. He's very

intimidating. um uh wore a suit, drank

tea, um and uh is

so good at directing

and just such an a formidable artist and

like really such a like the director of

this decade in in in so many ways. And

you know this because you've worked with

him so many times, but he's asking a lot

of you and you just said earlier like

that's the part that you're realizing,

oh, I'm not going to complain about

this. I'm actually going to I'm going to

decide that this is going to be the most

like fulfilling incredible experience,

but it is still a physical experience.

Like it still means that you have to get

in probably the best shape of your life.

>> And as a person of similar age, it's

like it's it's one thing running and

punching in in born in your 30s. It's

way different to be getting jacked in

your 50s. It's really hard.

It was a it's just a complete complete

lifestyle change,

>> right? So everything goes away.

>> There's no planning it like I any other

time I tried to do something like that,

it was always like well my time my

workouts and my thing and this was like

no

>> just everything.

>> Yeah.

>> Just put your feet on put foot on the

gas and that's it. And that's the only

way to do it and

>> eat a little less.

>> But no like no gluten. No, no gluten,

which changed my life.

>> Are you still no gluten?

>> Still no gluten.

>> You don't have any desire for it

anymore?

>> Because of the because of the um because

of what it does to me.

>> Yeah.

>> Like I I didn't realize the level to

which I I didn't know.

>> Well Well, it's funny you say that cuz I

feel like our generation like a lot of

food allergies and stuff or whatever or

sensitivities. We didn't really have

that. Like we didn't talk about that. we

didn't talk about it and I didn't

realize the level to which it was

affecting me and affecting my like like

it's completely changed my life these

last couple years of not of of not

eating it and so that's made it like

it's a bummer

>> like I'm I'm a big fan of bread

>> but

>> and beer and you know what I mean like I

I so you know pasta and pizza and all

that stuff but but

>> how I feel is just

>> so much better.

>> Yeah.

>> Incredible. Okay. And then um uh sleep.

What's your sleep situation? Do you Do

you sleep?

>> Yeah. I mean, we

>> Do you love to sleep? I do. You got

teenagers in the house.

>> But, you know, like once you had kids,

did you ever sleep well again?

>> No.

>> Like all the like

>> It wasn't until they got older like we

It was this huge stretch where I didn't

sleep for I felt like for like 10 years.

>> Yeah. I feel like I' like I've been a

lighter sleeper. But on this on this

movie there was we like me and the PAS

we had this kind of joke called the

Odyssey 5. If you could get five hours,

like you were thrilled.

>> Um

>> that's tough.

>> Yeah,

>> that's not a lot of sleep.

>> That's not a lot of sleep. But it but it

was enough.

>> Yeah, it was enough. I get it. I just

>> But I did realized that five is the cut

off cuz there were some four nights.

There were some no nights. I had two

nights where I did not sleep

>> because you were working. No, because I

I I got home and I was like overly tired

and then just did that thing where I'm

just sitting there and I missed the

window and

>> now I'm panicking because

>> And you were like tomorrow I literally

have to like lift a rock through the

mud.

>> Yeah.

>> Like like every day

>> I have to do sprints tomorrow. All day.

It seemed like so hard.

>> It was hard. It was hard for everybody

though. That's what made it That's what

made it

>> wonderful.

>> It's funny you talk about other

departments because Chris's question for

you. He had a question for you um which

was basically like um why haven't you

directed? He said um and I quote

um you would be an amazing director.

You'd probably be better than me.

>> He lies in interviews. That's his that's

his that's a lovely thing to say. Uh

that's not true but a very lovely thing

to say. Um I almost directed a couple

things. I almost directed that movie

Promised Land. in 2012, but I ran long

on another movie and I I would have had

to come down home, put my bags down and

leave again.

>> And so I uh I I I bowed out and then

called Gus Vans who then stepped in and

directed it. So

>> um so as a producer I made the movie

better,

>> right?

Um, and then uh another movie that John

Krosinski and I commissioned uh Kenny to

write, Manchester by the Sea, and I was

going to direct it. And then as the

script as it started to come in, I was

like, Kenny, this you got to do it. Um,

and I was going to play the part

>> and we were about to start shooting, but

like we were behind. We couldn't get the

the production office open. We were like

five weeks out. And I called Kenny and I

was like, I'm putting you in a position

to fail here. Like, let's take a breath.

And I didn't have anything for two years

or I'm sorry, I had work for two years

and and Kenny was ready to go and I was

like, "All right, the only person I'm

giving this role to is Casey." Cuz we'd

all done the play together in London and

we're all friends.

>> Uh and and I'm like, "This is this is

the best role that I've seen."

>> Yeah.

>> In a long time. Um and uh but uh but we

were able to we were able to get it

financed with Casey and

>> and he stole that Oscar from you.

>> That's how he returned the favor. He

took your

>> say I gave it to him.

I'm sure he wouldn't mind that, right?

>> Yeah. Not at all.

>> After after ripping his heart open in

that performance.

>> Yeah. I allowed you to have it.

>> I allowed you.

>> Um, okay. Lightning round as we end. You

have four girls. You have you you've

talked so much about how great it is.

Like, you know, do you know the the fact

the research shows that like the more

daughters you have, the longer you live?

Did you know that?

>> I believe it. I've never heard that

before.

>> Yeah. There's um

>> research that says like you get like a

year or something added to your life

with each daughter. That's great.

>> And mothers lose a year for each child

they have. So, congrats.

>> Yes, of course. The dads get Yes.

Doesn't matter. The dads get all the

years right?

>> And the mothers wither away like that

sounds totally fair.

>> Um, no, but um having having all these

women in your life, in your house, like

and and all like I'm

>> What's the biggest joy? Speaking about

joy, what's the biggest joy about

watching them get older and grow up and

become real people in the world? What's

>> Wow. I mean, they're they're just

incredible. I I mean, they're they're

all they're so different um

>> um

>> and so different from one another. And

>> are they like launching into the world

now in different ways? Like they're

>> Yeah. My um uh you know, I've got one

about to turn 28, one who just turned

20.

>> Um and then we still have two in the

nest uh 17 almost 18 and uh and 15.

Yeah.

>> Um they're just they're just amazing.

They're my favorite people.

>> Yeah.

>> You know, and I feel very lucky that

that you know, I grew up with just a

brother and

>> it was just a side of the the human

experience that I just didn't

>> have access to and and I and I and I got

that in the in you know that next

chapter of my life and it's it's just

been

>> beautiful.

>> Okay. and your comfort watch. what uh

what are you like what you know I was

thinking about I was like wow when

Matt's like changing the channels and

watching movies there must be a lot of

times where you're like I was in that I

work with that person you know like I

almost got that part there's a lot of

movies that you've been in and a lot of

movies that you know a lot about or that

you've produced or that so what is a

comfort watch one that you can watch

where you can check out and be like if

it's on I'm watching it

>> usually Will Ferrell's movies I you know

like in our house

You kind of can't go wrong with him.

Like he we we've we've watched uh you

know Step Brothers and Tallaladega

Knights and all you know again and again

and again.

>> Yeah.

>> Um

>> Blades of Glory too.

>> Oh my god.

>> Cuz you know and Will Speck is a great

friend of ours. Yeah, that's right.

Will's great. That is one of the that

that's definitely in the pantheon of

>> Oh my god, that movie. How fun and dumb

that movie is.

>> It's so genius.

>> Okay. And water. How do we fix it?

>> Oh my gosh. Love.

>> And this is a speed round.

But I mean, I' I've been reading the

work you're doing. It's incredible. What

What should we be doing? What What can

we do?

>> You could go check out water.org and and

you can donate directly or uh there's

this new we have uh get blue, which we

launched this summer, which is if you

see anything that says get blue on it if

it's uh or if you know there there's

there's hood hoodies and t-shirts at the

Gap that say get blue. There are you can

go to Starbucks and get a blue matcha

>> or or a coconut refresher and proceeds

from that will go to water.org to the

work we're doing. And we've we've

reached 92 million people so far. Um you

know which is which is really something

because had we we do it through micro

finance through these small microloans

and had we stayed with drilling wells uh

it would have taken us 600 years to get

to where we are right now. So it's uh

it's scaling it's a sustainable solution

and uh there's a lot more to be done.

>> It's amazing. Talk about the Odyssey,

man.

>> Yeah, that's a that's a big one.

>> That 600 years is too long. Okay, so um

uh last question I ask everybody.

Anything you're watching right now

that's making you laugh? Video.

Um a scene from a show.

>> I literally last night.

>> Okay, great.

>> So, my kids are watching this thing

called Love Island.

>> Oh, yeah. The teens are obsessed.

>> I couldn't do it. I mean,

>> I can't do I I get too much um

embarrassment.

>> Yeah, I couldn't. But but before and we

literally sat down. We had some friends

visiting then they have a teenage

daughter and and they're staying with us

and so the kids at dinner were like

we're going to watch this thing. So we

sat down and it didn't come on till 9.

And so we're flicking and there's

something called Temptation Island.

>> Oh yeah.

>> And so and so I guess so we look at the

little thing and I'm like you guys want

to give this a shot for an hour before

Love Island comes on? And I mean it was

it did not disappoint.

>> Am I wrong that Temptation Island is if

you make out or have sex, you're out.

>> No, I from what I could understand.

>> Okay, that's called Too Hot to

Something.

>> I watched I watched episode one of

season two last night and it was they

introduced these four couples. So I

watched season Yeah. four unmarried

couples

>> travel to a tropical island to have

their fidelity tested.

>> Wait, so they bring in people? They

bring in hot singles.

>> It was so funny. So they they bring in

the you know the hot singles and all the

guys come in and like rip their shirts

off and they're like you made a mistake

bringing her here bro.

>> I don't know how long it'll last. I we

we did make it through an episode. Um

but it was it was really funny.

And my friend, she was she was she's

visiting with her daughter and we were

howling. But um but it's these four

couples and you're like and you know and

the kids are like trying to they're

taking bets on which couples are going

to make it and I'm like you know guys I

I doubt if they all just were faithful

to each other. There wouldn't be much of

a show. So I have a feeling

>> I have a feeling someone's going to

buckle

>> see some cracks in the veneer. Also, the

acting exercise of having to come in and

be so confident.

I'm breaking you guys up.

>> I know. I know. It's unbelievable. The

women and the men, they're just, you've

never seen more confident people.

Couples get all, you know, they do these

in-depth interviews and then, you know,

where where they're where it's just

like, you know, he's had a problem with

Fidelity in the past,

>> but this time it's going to be

>> this time he's going to prove it by

going to Temptation Island. And like you

see these guys like they get split up

into seps. So the the the four guys who

are in the couples, they get split up

from their partner and they go into a

house with these, you know, 10 gorgeous

women.

>> Yeah. Some honeypotss over there.

>> Like you see these guys start to crack

within 30 seconds. They're like,

>> well, I mean, I didn't know it was going

to be like this.

>> I mean, what is a man supposed to do?

>> Exactly. And it's also the the they're

they're like they're all in their 20s

and they're all like you know you know I

mean this I mean she really means a lot

to me. We've been together for 15 months

and it's like I mean after 6 months I

mean I had my lapse and I was unfaithful

to her but since then I've been and

you're just like this is a

disaster. I don't know if I'll hang in

there. I made it through one episode. We

had some laughs but

>> I love that the kid your kids were like

I don't know. They seem pretty in love

and you're like, I have a feeling

someone's gonna fall.

>> Just from a writing perspective, I can

tell you we're gonna need some a little

more conflict.

>> It would be so sad, too, for that

casting. And they're like, good news is

you got Temptation Island. Oh my god.

Exciting. Bad news is you're not coming

in to tempt any of the people.

>> Why not? We just thought it would be

better if you were the lady that worked

at the island.

>> Well, Matt, thank you so much for coming

and doing this. is such a blast and

congrats on this incredible movie and

all the work you do and um thanks so

much for being here.

>> I appreciate it. Thanks guys.

>> Well, thank you so much Matt Damon,

hometown hero of mine, uh Boston boy

done good. Thank you for coming and what

a pleasure to talk to you and um your

work is incredible. So uh congrats on

that and keep doing it. And um for this

polar plunge, you know, Matt talked very

briefly about uh something that he

created uh a global nonprofit uh at

water.org, but what it really is is um

an incredible organization founded by

himself and Gary White and they provide

microloans to, you know, make sure that

there's clean water and proper

sanitation all over the world. So, it's

pretty awesome. I mean, sometimes on

these plunges I talk about, oh, I don't

know, a song I'm listening to, or I

could use this plunge to um, you know,

goof around uh about um, The Martian,

but no, I want to just remind you to go

uh, donate time, energy, or money to

water.org and um, go see the Odyssey. I

mean, the Odyssey doesn't need me to

pump it. Everyone in the world is going

to go see it. Okay, thanks for

listening. Give a good hang. Okay, bye.

You've been listening to Good Hang. The

executive producers for this show are

Bill Simmons, Jenna Weiss Berman, and

me, Amy Polar. The show is produced by

The Ringer, and Paperkite. For The

Ringer, production by Jack Wilson, Cat

Spalain, Kaia McMullen, and Aia Xenerys.

For Paperkite, production by Sam Green,

Joel Levelvel, and Jenna Weiss Berman.

Original music by Amy Miles.