donald trump, matt damon

Image by Kingofthedead , licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

SUMMARY

  • Matt Damon has been one of the most influential stars in Hollywood from his Oscar-winning days in Good Will Hunting.
  • Matt Damon's $25 million film 'Suburbicon' had to be granted Donald Trump's permission to film one of its scenes in his building.
  • Matt Damon wanted little to do with Donald Trump despite featuring him in one of his film's scenes.

Of all the stars in Hollywood, Matt Damon has been one of the most consistent performers and A-listers currently working in the industry. The movie business has not only transformed but evolved since his Oscar-grabbing debut in 1997. Damon’s presence has contributed to that evolution in ways more than one.

Paramount Pictures]Suburbicon [Credit: Paramount Pictures]

With films that challenge genres and defy boundaries, Matt Damon has adopted many skins and harbored countless identities in his roles ranging from innocent victims to Machiavellian villains. The actor has never backed out of a challenging part, pioneering Hollywood in all its glory through its ups and downs.

Matt Damon’s $25M bomb has a Presidential cameo

Julianne Moore as Margaret and Matt Damon in Suburbicon.Julianne Moore as Margaret and Matt Damon in Suburbicon [Credit: Paramount Pictures]

For Matt Damon, American society has already faltered when it comes to the nation’s socio-political condition. His disdain for the current administration is not only tangible but vocally resounding, too. The Oscar-winning actor has never been afraid of expressing his protests and he makes his opinion clear to anyone who would pay heed.

However, Hollywood is a place of power and influence. Plots matter as much as a film’s cinematography and its scene’s aesthetics. Such projects spend much time scouting for locations as finding and framing the perfect shot is a crucial aspect of any feature. Numerous films, starting from Home Alone 2 to Scent of a Woman, have found their location in Donald Trump’s eponymous ultrawealthy and posh Trump Tower.

Matt Damon has not been exempt from Trump’s exposure as well. One of his films, Suburbicon, which has gained neither critical nor commercial acclaim, had to be granted the President-elect’s permission to film one of its scenes in Trump’s building. However, the outcome was less than favorable, according to Damon.

Donald Trump’s influence on Hollywood projects

Paramount Pictures]Suburbicon [Credit: Paramount Pictures]

Matt Damon’s $25 million project, Suburbicon, had a less than favorable reception at the box office. However, despite barely gaining any acclaim, the film had a scene worth mentioning, in hindsight. While filming, Suburbicon featured an on-location scene that was scheduled to be shot in one of Trump’s buildings.

In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Damon revealed what went behind filming the shot and the influence that Trump has on Hollywood projects.

The deal was that if you wanted to shoot in one of his buildings, you had to write him in a part. [Director] Martin Brest had to write something in Scent of a Woman — and the whole crew was in on it. You have to waste an hour of your day with a bullshit shot: Donald Trump walks in and Al Pacino’s like, “Hello, Mr. Trump!” — you had to call him by name — and then he exits. You waste a little time so that you can get the permit, and then you can cut the scene out. But I guess in Home Alone 2 they left it in.

However, as the actor recalls, Damon wanted little to do with Trump. Not only does the Oscar winner have a negative impression of the public figure, but he also has a radical opinion of him. As such, even though Suburbicon needed Trump’s influence to film one of its scenes, the film’s star himself wanted nothing to do with the current President-elect.

Suburbicon is available to buy/rent on Apple TV and Prime Video.

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Diya Majumdar

Written by Diya Majumdar

Articles Published: 2049

Armed with a degree in literature and a love for pop culture, Diya Majumdar has over 1800 published articles on FandomWire. Her passion and profession both include dissecting the world of cinema while being a liberally opinionated person with an overbearing love for music and Monet.