Remorse Over a Missed Blockbuster
During a conversation with Entertainment Tonight, Matt Damon, 52, didn’t hold back about his widely discussed decision to say no to a part in James Cameron’s record-breaking film, Avatar. Damon, speaking as part of a Stella Artois promotional campaign alongside Avatar star Zoe Saldana, called it:
‘the dumbest thing an actor ever did in the history of acting.'
Damon said he’s still haunted by passing on the 2009 sci-fi epic that made box office history. Caught at an event in Austin this March, he joked:
‘Do you know what kind of movie that would've been if I would had been in it?'
That mix of self-deprecation and candor has become a Damon trademark.
The Avatar Offer—and What Was at Stake
Damon shared details about the offer James Cameron made to him. As Damon recounted:
‘Jim Cameron offered me Avatar,' he said. ‘And when he offered it to me, he goes, “Now, listen. I don't need anybody. I don't need a name for this, a named actor.”‘
‘If you don't take this, I'm gonna find an unknown actor and give it to him, because the movie doesn't really need you. But if you take the part, I'll give you 10 percent.”‘
Damon could have earned 10 percent of the film’s profits—an astonishing sum, given how much Avatar and its sequels have grossed worldwide.
Why Damon Passed—and Cameron’s Perspective
So why did Damon walk away? According to director James Cameron, speaking with BBC Radio late last year, Damon had to prioritize another entry in the Bourne franchise, making schedules impossible to align.
‘He's beating himself up over this,' the filmmaker told BBC Radio. ‘And I really think you know, “Matt you're kind of like one of the biggest movie stars in the world, get over it.”‘
Cameron continued:
‘But he had to do another Bourne film which was on his runway and there was nothing we could do about that. So he had to regretfully decline.'
Zoe Saldana’s Take—and the Billion-Dollar Club
Damon also pointed out that Zoe Saldana, 44, has built a career starring in several films that have each grossed more than $2 billion, including Avatar, Avatar: The Way of Water (2022), Avengers: Endgame, and Avengers: Infinity War.
When asked about Damon’s regret, Saldana stayed modest:
‘I didn't plan it, trust me—I’ve just always felt blessed that I was picked, that I worked really hard and auditioned. I'm not Matt Damon. I don't get to turn down Avatars.'
While Damon’s missed chance has entered Hollywood lore, he’s kept his sense of humor—and perhaps learned that in moviemaking, the one that gets away can sometimes be a blue-skinned, box-office phenomenon.
