Christian Bale credits Matt Damon for his successful acting career, revealing that he would not be where he is today without his friend and competitor. The two Hollywood stars forged a lasting friendship on the set of Ford v Ferrari, the Oscar-nominated film that depicts the battle for speed and glory at Le Mans. Bale portrays the legendary British race driver Kevin Miles, while Damon plays Ford’s automotive artist, Carrol Shelby.
In a recent interview, Bale openly declared that he owes his career to Damon, who turned down a lucrative role that led to Bale’s first Oscar win. Damon refused a $130 million biopic in 2011, which was later picked up by Bale, who starred in the David O. Russell-directed sports biopic, The Fighter. The film grossed $130 million worldwide and earned Bale his first Academy Award. Interestingly, Brad Pitt also turned down the same role that Damon refused.
During the interview, Bale expressed his gratitude to Damon, saying that they had the same agent for decades, and there were many roles where he was told, “Oh, well, Matt doesn’t want to do it.” As a result, the roles went to Bale, who jokingly added, “I know you think I’m making this up, but I am very grateful to Matt because I wouldn’t have a career if it wasn’t for roles he passed on.”
Damon and Bale’s friendship is based on a shared passion for acting, which they discovered while filming Ford v Ferrari. Damon reflected on how their characters in the movie “had this same passion for building something important that’s bigger than yourself,” and that passion is relevant to their real-life friendship. He added that when making something that’s bigger than yourself, “there’s no pretending to the other person that it doesn’t matter.”
While Damon is regarded as the “most bankable star” with four Oscar nominations and one win, Bale has emerged as one of the most versatile actors of his generation. He has three Oscar nominations and one win for The Fighter, a film that changed his career trajectory. Bale has built a successful career with movies like Exodus: Gods and Kings and the Dark Knight trilogy, while Damon has had hits like Invictus and The Martian. Despite the competition, their friendship is based on mutual respect and admiration for each other’s craft.
Bale showered praise on Damon during the interview, saying that he could “make a bloody good director one day,” while he could barely become one. Damon is set to appear in a much-awaited Christopher Nolan movie, Oppenheimer, and fans are already speculating that he might be up for another Oscar.
In conclusion, the friendship between Matt Damon and Christian Bale is based on a shared passion for acting and mutual respect for each other’s craft. Bale owes his career to Damon, who refused a lucrative role that led to his first Oscar win. The two Hollywood stars have remained great friends and continue to inspire each other with their performances.
