Matt Damon News Column

Photos, reports from Decatur

2008-05-15T09:37:46Z

Photos of Matt on the set of The Informant on Tuesday are from the Herald & Review.

Recent articles on filming and its impact on Decatur from the Herald & Review, including:

Jo Kistenfeger, owner of It’s A Girl Thing on North Main, had an idea. It was back on day one of filming, and she had heard that Matt Damon’s family was in town with him. Enlisting the help of retail neighbor Sara Butts of Bellasera, she threw together a gift package for the Damon kids.

“I just thought it would be something nice to do,” Kistenfeger said. “We had no way of knowing they would get it or not, but we thought we would try.”

They dropped it off at a location they knew the crew would be, hoping it would find its way into the Damon family’s hands. Both figured that would be the end of it.

Tuesday afternoon, as filming was just getting underway down the street, Kistenfeger was going about her day as usual when she received a very surprising visit.

“This woman walked in and asked if I was the owner of the store. I said yes. It was Matt Damon’s wife.”

Turns out the lovely Mrs. Damon had stopped in to not only thank Kistenfeger for the thoughtful gift, but to exchange a pair of toddler shoes for a different size. She ended up making additional purchases as well.

“It was just so unbelievable,” Kistenfeger said. “You have your good days and your bad days. And then you have your days when a movie star’s wife is in your store.”

Speaking of Damon, he once again took time to sign autographs and take pictures with fans after filming.

He did so for FORTY MINUTES.

And from entertainment reporter Tim Cain's column at the paper:

The stories of delight I’m hearing from teens who are being treated kindly by the stars are a real joy, and I can never hear enough of them. It stuns me how much the movie folks are giving back to this community. They may not ever realize it, but the rest of us do when we see the twinkle in the eyes of the people telling the stories.

More photos and a very enthusiastic video report by WNBQ's Susan are available at her blog, including photos of Tim Cain on the set of the film (as an extra) last weekend (clearing up that mystery). And fantastic photos of the cast, set and family visitors are at Purple-Valley.blogspot.com.

Green Zone has received a foreign investment boost.

Antena 3 Films has come aboard as a financier of Universal Pictures and Working Title Films' untitled Iraq war Green Zone thriller that stars Matt Damon. Paul Greengrass is helming.

Film arm of Spanish commercial broadcaster Antena 3 Television will fund 10% of the pic's budget, said to be $50 million-$60 million.

Running the Sahara now has a foreign distributor.

PorchLight Entertainment has announced its acquisition of international rights to three films: "Gooby" (excluding North America), "Emmanuel Jal: War Child", and "Running the Sahara".

Also, "Running the Sahara", executive produced by Matt Damon and directed by Academy Award winner James Moll, follows three long-distance runners and their experiences along their journey through the famously inhospitable desert. "It's great to celebrate my first year anniversary with PorchLight in Cannes with these three wonderful films to our already great line-up," said s Ken DuBow in a statement.

Informant, Cannes project, Ripley photos

2008-05-14T08:29:24Z

Video footage of the filming for The Informant in Decatur on Tuesday is available here and the Herald & Review (shoot at Main and Main). Joel McHale and Scott Bakula are also in the scene, with Melanie Lynskey also seen recently on location in Decatur. One of the reports claims that Matt will leave town "in just a few days". Filming in the Decatur area was expected to continue until 23 May.

There's an article at the Chicago Tribune about the filming of The Informant, the ADM scandal and Whitacre. A picture of the cement deer mentioned in the story is available on the blog of actor Tom Wilson here.

Free after serving eight years and eight months in federal prison, Whitacre reluctantly supports the production, too, and considers Damon a good choice to play him because of his psychological intensity, if not his looks. "My kids tell me he is, like, the sexiest man alive. I'm 50 years old and bald-headed," he said.

Whitacre had moved into a horse estate once owned by patriarch Dwayne Andreas in Moweaqua, 20 miles south of town. Soderbergh has restored it to its early-1990s condition for the movie, including a pair of fake deer in the front yard.

Down the road, at Moweaqua's Hog Trough Too restaurant, a movie crew hung plaid wallpaper and painted the wainscoting a handsome shade of red in preparation for a shoot. They also ordered barbecue ribs to go—for 100. "It's been a nice boost to the economy around here," said owner Angie Knight.

Local TV station WAND-TV has a new site for all Informant footage, with a video interview with Matt to air soon.

The Informant will also film in Hawaii, likely at the end of June - details here:

Several crew sources tell Reel Hawaii that WB’sThe Informant will film on Oahu for five days in June. The number of film days considered have varied from two weeks to three days. What Reel Hawaii knows for sure is that the production scouted Oahu twice.

Matt will be interviewed for a new film project announced at Cannes:

Wild Bunch has unveiled a wide ranging slate which includes work from Ken Loach, Gaspar Noe, Lou Ye, Radu Mihaileanu, Mohsen Makhmalbaf, Woody Allen and Hayao Miyazaki.

Move On! Storming The Gate is a documentary from directors Alex Jordanov and Scott Stevenson. The film traces the grassroots movement that has become one of the major players in the upcoming US election.

Participants include supporters of the organization like Matt Damon and Bruce Springsteen and those who are against such as George Bush and the presumptive Republican presidential nominee John McCain who both denounce the group on film. It will be completed after the US elections in November.

Comments from an interview with actress Brenda Song, formerly of The Suite Life of Jack and Cody.

One of the most exciting moments Song had while on the set of the original Suite Life was when Matt Damon stopped by the set.

"His stepdaughter came to watch the show, and I almost died when I met him. Like, I almost died. He's not just gorgeous, but such a great person. He's so sweet, so nice and down to earth. He was so nice and he talked to me, I was like 'ohmygod, I love you. Will you marry me?'" she recalls.

The forum at Bellazon has a good collection of photos of Matt, including these additional photos from the Vanity Fair shoot of Matt, Jude Law, Gwyneth Paltrow and the late Anthony Minghella in Italy.

The Youth Without Youth DVD has now been released, and Matt's also included in the additional footage.

The Making of 'Youth Without Youth' (480p, 8:42) is a brief feature that showcases several filmmakers and cast discussing the meaning of the movie. Matt Damon, who appears in a brief scene in the film, says it best when he proclaims the movie to be "experimental...exactly the kind of movie you want Francis Ford Coppola to be making."

Informant filming continues, MTV Awards

2008-05-10T02:10:04Z

New video and photos of Matt and Scott Bakula filming The Informant on Friday at a residential location are at the Herald & Review, with photos by Kelly J. Huff. The paper has extensive coverage of the filming, including reports by extras and reader photos. A report on Friday's filming is here, including:

“Bad timing on your part; the party is obviously here in Illinois!” - Matt Damon, talking to a fan’s out-of-state friend on a cell phone after filming scenes for The Informant Friday

The whole vibe was more like a block party than a Hollywood film shoot. Obviously, when they were working everyone had to mind their Ps and Qs, but before and after it was extremely laid back.

I asked one crewmember what it was about this particular neighborhood that appealed to them. “I know they really scoured the area prior to filming,” he explained. “This neighborhood had just the right combination of a house that fit [Scott Bakula’s] character, and a layout that allows us to set the scene perfectly.”

Bakula himself strolled around after filming had wrapped. I asked him how he and the rest of the cast and crew were enjoying their time here. “We’re having a ball,” he replied. “We are truly having a ball.” His makeup artist agreed. “It’s a nice change of pace,” she said, citing the often-frenetic feel of Los Angeles.

The big draw of the day though was once again Matt Damon. And once more he proved to be nothing but aces as he again took the time to sign autographs and pose for pictures. The kicker? He actually came prepared this time with a stack of cards and Sharpie.

And when he was told he needed to get moving since they were apparently behind schedule? “OK guys,” he announced. “Just a few more, then I need to eat something and get moving. I gotta work!”

More photos from Decatur and details of filming are available at the website for radio station WBNQ. A video and report of Matt and Soderbergh filming at local TV station NewsCenter 17 is at WAND TV, with an interview with Matt and more footage promised in coming weeks.

The Informant will no longer be released by Warner Independent Pictures, as the studio has announced plans to close the specialty release division. The film had previously been attached to the main Warners studio, but was transferred in an attempt to save the struggling studio (this article from the LA Times was released a day before the announcement).

Warner Independent's most notable upcoming project is Steven Soderbergh's "The Informant," starring Matt Damon. According to someone involved with the film, "The Informant" was developed by Warner Bros. proper but has been given to Warner Independent to release in part to prop up the division.

Matt has been nominated for two MTV Movie Awards: Best Male Performance and Best Fight (with Joey Ansah). Voting is open.

From an interview with actor Chiwetel Ejiofor at the Washington Post:

That's because the more you know about an actor as a person, the harder it is to believe in the character. Some of the actors Ejiofor most respects are those whose private lives, in his words, represent "something of an enigma," despite their fame: Daniel Day-Lewis, Al Pacino, even Matt Damon.

"It's important to live in order to do the work, I think," says Ejiofor, explaining that the ability to remain a blank slate is what makes him, or any other actor, good at the job. "A lot of acting is about living," he says simply, "as opposed to anything else."

'The Informant' now filming in Decatur

2008-05-05T07:36:58Z

Photos of Matt filming a scene in Decatur, Illinois, on Sunday for The Informant are at the Herald-Review, by Lisa Morrison. Also at the site is video footage of the filming and Matt meeting fans. Available at the newspaper's special section for the film is a photo of Matt with fans from last Thursday.

More video footage (and some photos) from Sunday's filming is at WANDTV.com.

Details regarding the filming schedule from Tim Cain's column in the Herald Review.

We (and by “we” I mean the Herald & Review, not a royal “I”) have been reporting the filming in Decatur will be three weeks, May 3-23. That now appears to account for the total time the production will spend in the Illinois area. The Decatur/Macon County filming (because some work will be done at Whitacre’s former residence in Moweaqua) concludes Saturday, May 17. It will be followed by two days in Springfield and a day each in St. Louis and Springfield before returning to Los Angeles.

Indications are more than half of the movie will be completed by the time filming here is finished. If the standard of one page of script equals a minute of film applies, “The Informant” will be close to 2½ hours after shooting finishes in June in Hawaii.

A summary of last week's misquotes and poor web reporting regarding Matt's involvement in the upcoming Bourne video game is at Variety.

Matt's on the cover of the March/April issue of UK parenting magazine FQ, which may still be available in selected shops.

Iron Man and Bourne, Informant, charity auctions

2008-04-30T09:21:24Z

In promotions for new film Iron Man, star Robert Downey Jr has mentioned Matt and Bourne as influences - as seen here and here:

Q: What kind of image did you want to portray on the big screen?
Downey Jr: Well, I talked to Matt Damon a little bit about this. We chatted about the director of Bourne Ultimatum who would often say to Matt: “Don't smile. Act more butch.” That's good advice, but I couldn't really stick to it.

Downey likens the role of Tony Stark to that of Jason Bourne (Matt Damon) in the "Bourne Ultimatum" and "Bourne Supremacy" movies that pair big Hollywood action with a flawed central character who is complicated and struggling to find himself and his place in the world.

The Informant will film in Chicago for one day:

It will be quick, but Matt Damon hits town May 24 for one day of filming on ''The Informant'' -- mostly lensing Downstate.

A walk-on role in The Informant is up for auction at Ebay to support the L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center.

Matt and Lucy have donated a pre-loved diaper bag (valued at $198) to support children's charities - also at Ebay.

OneXOne, MTV Awards, various

2008-04-28T09:38:44Z

Matt will host September's OneXOne event at the Toronto Film Festival, but Ben has taken up the cause as well - details at the Globe and Mail.

The ambitious children's charity OneXOne is heading west next month, with the launch of its first gala fundraiser in Calgary, hosted by the Oscar-winning activist actor Ben Affleck.

His childhood buddy, Matt Damon, will once again act as evening ambassador to this year's OneXOne event in Toronto, now in its fourth year. It has raised roughly $7-million for impoverished children around the globe.

Here's part of Matt's acceptance award speech from the MTV Australia Awards:

Movie Star Award - Matt Damon

OC "It" girl Mischa Barton flew in to Australia to present Matt Damon with the MTV Australia Movie Star Award 2008. The first of it's kind, the Award recognises Matt's contributions to the silver screen, starring in a string of box office successes that straddle multiple genres: from drama to thriller, and action to comedy.

Mischa presented Matt with the Award, who accepted by videocam. Matt said he couldn't be in Oz, due to filming in London, while pretending to be in Baghdad a trip to Australia in between would have made it all too confusing! But he did congratulate us on our good taste; namely, for voting him over Brad Pitt and George Clooney we didn't tell him that they weren't really in the running...

More information on the release date for Running the Sahara:

Running the Sahara
The project: Documentary about three men running across northern Africa, partly to raise money for new sources of fresh water. Matt Damon narrates. Its status: "It should be released at a yet-to-be-determined date this summer, probably August. We're taking it to Cannes in May, and the international distributor (Porchlight Entertainment) will be there.

"We took it to Toronto last fall and decided not to take a studio offer that would put it on a few screens to see what happened, a `throw it up against the wall and see if it sticks' mentality."

Matt and Lucy attended Gulfstream Park on Saturday - details here. A photo of Matt at the event is available with a similar report here.

Gulfstream Park's racing season is over, but actor Matt Damon still had plenty to do at the racino Saturday, according to a release from officials there. Damon and his wife, Luciana Barroso, and guests played the horses via simlucasting, and had their picture taken with poker room manager Scott Poole.

And a sighting from last Tuesday via People:

Matt Damon, sharing a bagel breakfast with his pregnant wife, Luciana, at Bagel & Co on Miami's Biscayne Boulevard. A source tells us: "Matt and his wife were so nice and gracious, we were all excited to see them here. They even signed autographs."

A rebuttal of some allegations posted at Aint-it-cool-news regarding Green Zone is available here.

Isabella photo, Green Zone

2008-04-23T09:04:34Z

A photo of Matt with Isabella at Miami airport is from Us magazine online.

Photos from the set of Green Zone in Morocco are at AICN.

Photos, Youth Without Youth

2008-04-22T09:04:25Z

A photo of Matt and Lucy arriving at Miami airport from London is from People. Other photos from the airport, including one of Matt holding Isabella (in her first photo of the year) are at Mavrix Online or PopSugar.

The upcoming DVD for Youth Without Youth is reviewed at DVD Talk, including a reference to Matt (who has a cameo in the movie).

A feature-length audio commentary by director Francis Ford Coppola is a typical informative gem from the filmmaker. A natural storyteller, Coppola is at ease exploring the esoteric leanings of his film, sharing with the listener his intention to challenge convention and himself with this strange picture.

Here Coppola discusses the spiritual angles of the story; his disgust with modern-day title sequences; the history behind the film's many eras; the intent of novella writer Mircea Eliade; his preference to use real cuisine over bland prop food; the professional generosity of Matt Damon; and the overwhelming linguistic research and painstaking execution.

MTV Movie Award, Informant updates

2008-04-20T10:05:29Z

Matt will receive the inaugural Movie Star Award at the MTV Australia Awards 2008, to be held on 26 April. Details at the SMH and TV Tonight:

Mischa Barton will attend this years star studded awards show to announce Hollywood’s ‘new action hero’, Matt Damon, as the recipient of the first ever MTVAA ‘Movie Star’ Award. The MTV Australia Awards 2008 will air on Saturday April 26 from 7:30pm with an encore screening on FOX8 Sunday April 27 from 6pm and Saturday May 3 from 7:30pm.

After winning an Oscar with best friend Ben Affleck in 1997 (Good Will Hunting), Matt Damon had a kick start to his career that most actors would only have dreamed of. Since then, not a year has gone by without box office success for Hollywood’s hottest actor. Damon has proven himself successful in the fields of comedy, drama, thriller and most recently, action. Damon has become a modern screen legend since taking on the role of Jason Bourne in the critically acclaimed series of ‘Bourne’ action films. Touted as the new ‘Bond’ – Damon has made the Jason Bourne character into every girl’s fantasy and every guy’s hero. His success over the last decade has truly made Damon into the ultimate movie star for the ‘MTV Generation’.

Barton, who is being paid a lucrative appearance fee by MTV organisers, will present a movie award honouring actor Matt Damon. While Damon will not be at the ceremony, he is expected to make a speech via a live video link.

Casting calls for The Informant were held in Decatur on Saturday. Reports (with videos) at WAND-TV and the Herald-Review.

Details of the budget for Green Zone from Variety. Matt was expected to finish filming his scenes for the movie last Friday, and would have a two week break before filming starts for The Informant.

Universal is shooting Paul Greengrass' tentatively titled "Green Zone Thriller" in London with his "Bourne" star Matt Damon as a WMD hunter in the early days of America's involvement in Iraq. Greg Kinnear and Amy Ryan co-star. The budget is in the $50 million range.

Informant updates, Simpsons date

2008-04-16T11:49:49Z

A casting call for Informant extras has been revealed at the Herald-Review. Only 500 local extras are expected to be cast. The original casting post is at Craigslist.

The casting call will be 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday at 132 S. Water St. in Decatur, the Millikin Bank building.

King admitted he used Craigslist hoping to keep the casting low-key.

"We're not even going to hire 500 people," he said.

More Informant details from a local TV station: Pre-production location scouting (including video) and details of expected filming at the Macon County courthouse.

A date for Matt's 'appearance' on The Simpsons has finally been revealed: May 18, according to this Canadian report.

And The Simpsons will play out the string on its 19th season on Global with guest-voice appearances by filmmaker Jim Jarmusch in a parody of the Sundance Film Festival on May 4; Glenn Close, as Homer's mother, on May 11; and Matt Damon in an undisclosed role in the season finale on May 18.

London candid photo, Zambia revisited

2008-04-14T08:39:21Z

A photo of Matt and Lucy walking back to their hotel in London on Saturday night is at Just Jared, via WENN.

A video of Matt on the set of the ONE vote advertisement talking about his visit to Zambia in 2006 (with footage from the trip) is available here.

Green Zone filming at Sandown Park, various

2008-04-11T12:28:27Z

Green Zone filmed for four days earlier this week at Sandown Park, a racecourse outside London. Details at the Wimbledon Guardian (which includes a small photo of Matt on set) and the Times.

Hollywood star Matt Damon has been filming at Sandown Park this week for his new movie about the Iraq war.

Damon was at Sandown from Sunday to Wednesday when the racecourse's Surrey Hall became Baghdad airport and Sandown View, which is the members' bar on race days, transformed into an air traffic control room.

Damon was joined by 250 extras - RAF members who had been brought in from RAF Mildenhall, Suffolk.

Due to the filming outside London, Matt missed the Leatherheads premiere and party, but met George later for drinks at Mahiki (according to a Popbitch post) - a mention at the Mirror:

But one man missing in action was Matt Damon, who couldn't make it after filming on his new movie Green Zone - in which Renee should have had a part! - ran over.

Another report on the Clooney dinner last Monday from People (with a photo from the event below):

At the fete, Clooney spent his time chatting with Matt Damon, sipping vodka, eating canapés and chocolate sorbet with Oreo cookie crumbs.

More reports on the memorial service for Anthony Minghella are here and here.

Director Sidney Lumet praises Matt as one of his favourite modern stars in this interview.

Matt is supporting the 2008 Day for Darfur, as detailed here. The photos are now available at the Telegraph, video is available here, and another photo is at People.

Thousands of people in over thirty countries across the globe will mark five years of war in Darfur with protests on Sunday, April 13, 2008. Sunday's Global Day for Darfur – organised by an international coalition of human rights groups including Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch and the Save Darfur Coalition – is highlighting how over one million Sudanese children have been caught up in the bloodshed, displacement and killing in the region.

The global day, the fifth since the conflict began in 2003, is backed by children's authors including J.K. Rowling and Judy Blume who released a letter demanding the world bring back childhood to Darfur, and celebrities including actor Matt Damon and Thandie Newton who were pictured destroying emblems of childhood to highlight that childhood is under attack.

Damon, 37, destroyed a dollhouse with a baseball bat in his shots. "After the genocide in Rwanda we all shook our heads and said never again," said the actor. "Today, as killings mount in Darfur we need to make never again a priority and demand protection for the most vulnerable."

Text from a discussion of 'bromances' on ABC's Nightline is below.

JEREMY HUBBARD (ABC NEWS)
(VO) Nope. A bromance is what's shared between, says, Owen and Woody, Lance Armstrong and Matthew McConaughey, Brad Pitt, George Clooney, and of course, the object of so much man affection - Matt Damon.
DAN PERES (EDITOR)
I think Matt Damon is the classic all-American guy. He's not too great looking, he's not too unattractive. He's not too threatening in any way. He's kind of the go-to bromance guy.
PEDESTRIAN (FEMALE)
He's got it all. It's that whole 'Bourne Supremacy" thing going on.
JEREMY HUBBARD (ABC NEWS)
(OC) Do you think the fact that Matt Damon is so bromantic makes him even more sexy?
PEDESTRIAN (FEMALE)
Definitely.
JEREMY HUBBARD (ABC NEWS)
(OC) Really?
PEDESTRIAN (FEMALE)
Sure. Sure. He's a metrosexual. And what woman doesn't like that, you know?

Event in honor of George Clooney

2008-04-08T08:15:15Z

Matt attended a dinner in honor of George Clooney in London on Monday night. Photos are from PopSugar via Getty Images or Just Jared. Matt may attend the London premiere for Leatherheads tonight, particularly as he was rumored to be cast in the film a few years ago.

From an interview with George at the New Yorker:

He then carefully made the point that none of his closest friends are movie stars. “There are people you spend a lot of time with, and people you enjoy seeing at the office party,” he said—the office party, in this context, being the Venice Film Festival. Speaking of his “Ocean’s” co-stars Brad Pitt and Matt Damon, he said, “Brad and I talk, and Matt and I talk, on a fairly regular basis—text each other, give each other shit.” But, he continued, “I have my friends, nine guys for twenty-five years; they’re the guys I see every Sunday.”

George also talked about how he was unable to participate in the Kimmel/Ben video here.

Memorial service for Anthony Minghella, various

2008-04-06T08:22:19Z

Matt attended a memorial service for director Anthony Minghella in London on Saturday. The first report was from Jeffrey Wells at Hollywood Elsewhere, including:

An "amazing gathering of film luminaries" are attending a weekend of mourning in and around London for the late director Anthony Minghella. A three-hour Catholic service was held this afternoon at St. Thomas More church in Swiss Cottage, a suburb of London. Elegant and heartfelt words were spoken about Minghella by Talented Mr. Ripley costars Matt Damon and Jude Law, English Patient author Michael Ondaatje and costar Juliette Binoche, and Minghella's producing colleague Harvey Weinstein (who also delivered a message on behalf of the ailing Sydney Pollack, who was Minghella's producing partner).

Dominic Minghella (the director's brother), Cold Mountain costar Renee Zellweger and Truly Madly Deeply costars Alan Rickman and Juliet Stevenson also attended. Gordon Brown and Tony Blair, the present and former Prime Minister of the UK, were there as well. Ditto widow Carolyn Minghella, daughter Hannah Minghella, an exec at Sony, and son Max Minghella, an actor.

A tribute by Harvey Weinstein to Minghella at the LA Times includes these lines:

" 'Ripley' has to be extraordinary," Anthony said about his next movie, "The Talented Mr. Ripley," the adaptation of the Patricia Highsmith novel. "Perhaps we should cast someone the audience doesn't know." We showed up with a VHS rough cut of a movie Bob and I were making called "Good Will Hunting." Anthony sat transfixed by Matt Damon and when it was over said, "He's Ripley."

Photos of Matt having fun with the paparazzi on Thursday is at Bauer Griffin Online.

A spoof ad by Matt and Sarah Silverman to celebrate Jimmy Kimmel's 1,000th show is here, and discussed at People.

Matt is a finalist for the 2008 Time 100.

Matt Damon
AGE: 37
OCCUPATION: Actor
NUMBER OF TIME COVERS: 0
PREVIOUS APPEARANCES ON THE TIME 100: 0
PRO: Damon's Jason Bourne, even more than Dan Craig's Bond, has reinvented the espionage thriller for a deracinated cameraphone age. Notably absent from the tabs, Damon brings a touch of class to everything he does and seems in complete control of his career, from the prestige projects to the rent checks. He's that Hollywood rarity: a serious actor who's not self-serious. (Just ask Sarah Silverman.)
CON: Damon's great, the Bourne movies are fantastic, but the phrase "Ooh! Let's go see that new Matt Damon movie!" has never been uttered outside of his agent's office. Is his non-Bourne career overly dependent on fratty collabs, Brad Pitt and Clooney?

Mark Whitacre (the subject of The Informant) discusses his life and the upcoming movie here, including:

"It's like I was two people," Whitacre said. "I assume that's why they chose Matt Damon for the movie, because he plays those roles that have such psychological intensity. In the 'Bourne' movies, he doesn't even know who he is.

"When you're working for three years undercover, you get to the point where you don't know who you are. There was one point where my wife said to me, 'Who do you work for now?'"

Filming of The Informant in Decatur, Illinois, is reportedly scheduled for 3-23 May, shooting six days a week. Details from the Herald-Review.

A trailer for The People Speak is at YouTube, as referenced by the Boston Herald.

Green Zone photos, Tussauds update

2008-04-03T06:38:24Z

Photos of Matt in uniform on the set of Green Zone in London are at Splash News Online.

Photos of Matt leaving a Nobu restaurant in London with a friend, and posing with a photographer, are also at Splash News Online.

The unveiling of Matt's waxwork has been delayed - a report at the Guardian:

He should never have starred in a film which saw a (fictional) Guardian journalist shot dead. Matt Damon, of the Bourne series, has been struck by a gremlin of his own. His pioneering "eye spy" waxwork at Madame Tussauds needs more work on the tiny cameras in its melt-resistant eyeballs. A planned unveiling yesterday was cancelled, but the waxwork maker promised all will soon be well. Wax Matt will film visitors as they gape at him, with the result screened on the attraction's walls.

There are lots of reports about Jimmy Kimmel's show to celebrate his 1,000th show, including an interview with Guillermo where he talks about filming the spoof Bourne Ultimatum trailer with Matt, and more quotes from Kimmel about the video here.

Kimmel says he had absolutely nothing to do with the original "Matt Damon" video, which featured Silverman gleefully singing about how she was cheating on Kimmel with the Hollywood actor, who has become something of a punchline on Kimmel's show. (The host would close each broadcast by apologizing for bumping Damon - who was never there - and promising to have him back the next night).

"I didn't even know they had shot it," says Kimmel of the video. "I have mixed feelings about the fact that maybe the most successful thing we ever produced on the show is something I had absolutely nothing to do with."

Informant casting, Nancy Carlsson-Paige

2008-04-01T07:24:05Z

There's some significant (and off-beat) casting news for The Informant today from the Hollywood Reporter and Variety.

"The Soup" host Joel McHale, Scott Bakula and a host of comedic actors are set to star opposite Matt Damon in Steven Soderbergh's darkly comic thriller "The Informant" for Warner Independent Pictures, Participant Media and Groundswell Prods.

Bakula and McHale, who is in final negotiations, will play FBI agents working with agri-business insider Mark Whitacre (Damon) to stop a price-fixing scam. The film is based on Kurt Eichenwald's 2000 best-seller "The Informant: A True Story."

Other new cast members known for their comedic turns are Mike O'Malley (CBS' "Yes, Dear"), Andrew Daly ("Semi-Pro"), Adam Paul (Starz's "Hollywood Residential") and Melanie Lynskey (CBS' "Two and a Half Men"). Comedian-actors Tom Wilson, Rick Overton and Tom Papa will round out the cast.

Although the subject matter is serious, one behind-the-scenes informant said Soderbergh is looking to create a thriller with dark comedy elements. He chose comedic actors who haven't been overexposed on film, planning to have them play their roles seriously and have a humorous tone emerge naturally.

A lengthy article about Matt's mother, Nancy Carlsson-Paige, is at the Boston Globe to promote her new book, including quotes from Matt. Nancy is pictured below with Matt and Lucy at the LA premiere of Bourne Ultimatum, and with Matt and brother Kyle as young children.

In an interview in her Somerville row house, which is liberally decorated with artwork by her older son, Kyle Damon, a mixed-media artist, she speaks publicly for the first time about the violence in Matt's movies.

"Do I wish my son didn't make movies with so much violence? Yes," says Carlsson-Paige, who has earned national acclaim for her groundbreaking work on the impact of media violence on children. "In my perfect world, our artists would show us a way out of the violence we are immersed in instead of perpetuating it. But what I wish for even more is that society didn't crave violence so much, because it perpetuates a cycle of violence that only produces an appetite for more and more of it. What I focus on is that we have to find ways to protect children from exposure."

Damon says his mother's views are always in his mind. "I've always made my decision about what movies to make with an eye toward these issues," he says over the phone from London, where he was taking a break from shooting "The Green Room" in Morocco. "I've grown up knowing about all this, after all. As a high school kid, I'd come home to find my mom in the living room watching TV cartoons, counting acts of violence, and I would watch with her, to see what she was looking for. . . . I accept and agree with what she says - that it desensitizes kids, that there could be blowback from it."

His concern led him to refuse to allow his likeness to be licensed for any "Bourne" toys or video games. "I lobbied hard [with the video producers] to not make a first-person shooter game but to make it more like Myst, which was a great interesting puzzle you tried to solve - you know, to play with his amnesia or his memory," he says. "They weren't interested. They made the video anyway, without my likeness."

He adds, "I'd like to think that I at least made them more aware of the issues. That's step one. Step two is changing behavior. I learned that from my mom, too."

Ever a realist, she acknowledges that some people will buy her book only because it's written by Matt Damon's mother. (Groupies' alert: The book contains about seven anecdotes from Matt's childhood.) She's not offended. "I just hope they read it once they buy it," she says.

Sighting, various

2008-03-29T10:03:54Z

An article here claims Matt's waxwork at Madame Tussaud's in London will be unveiled on 2 April. It is not known if the date is correct, or whether Matt will attend.

Sightings from earlier this week at the Sun and Daily Express:

Shame on Matt Damon. The Bourne series hardman had the time of his life at DIRTY DANCING in the West End, tapping his feet to hit tracks at the musical. Then he abseiled on to the stage and killed five men with his bare hands...if only.

Hollywood star Matt Damon and his family at the West End's Aldwych Theatre, tapping his feet along to Dirty Dancing – The Classic Story On Stage.

Actor Lewis Alsamari, the Iraqi/UK actor who was denied a visa to attend the United 93 premiere in the US, has been cast in Green Zone.

Various

2008-03-23T07:21:13Z

Photos of Matt on the set of Green Zone in Surrey, outside London, on Thursday are at BauerGriffinOnline and PopSugar.

A memorial blog for Anthony Minghella is here, with remembrances by numerous colleagues and Ripley collaborators. Minghella discussed the impact of Ripley, and how it was his most personal film, in this interview.

An item at The Times indicates that Matt will be immortalised at Madame Tussauds.

The waxwork of Matt Damon at Madame Tussauds is to have a camera inserted into its eye, with his vision projected on to a screen. “It’s to tie in with his films,” says a spokesman, inexplicably.

An interesting interview from Cannes last year is available here. It's a longer version of an interview which appeared in UK's Hello magazine, including:

You couldn't save anything? [regarding the flood in his apartment]
Actually I had a couple of first edition books that I cared about that were spared somehow. It was really weird.

Why do you wear baseball hats so much?
I stopped wearing baseball hats recently. I went to shoot in Tangiers and a friend of mine said, “No one would come out and say it, but in northern Africa they didn't like people wearing baseball hats.” They thought it was a little disrespectful. So I stopped and I haven't worn a baseball hat since. Before I wore a baseball hat everywhere because I'd just wake up and put the hat on. It was just fast and easier. There is stuff in my hair right now, but if there isn't stuff in it I don't like the way it looks so I just put a hat on.

So you are done?
No, I just got in the habit of not wearing it. I was in the habit of wearing them, but now I'm in the habit of not wearing them.

Now that you're a father, what do traditional events like Christmas and New Year’s, etc., mean to you?
It's changing because I'm going from being the son to being the father. So I'm starting a new tradition.

What about endorsements? Are you open to things like that?
(laughs) I was laughing about this today just seeing George (Clooney) promoting his espresso all over Europe. To me, he looks hung-over with a cup of coffee (laughs). But I don't know about doing that myself. I'm certainly not against it.

A final scan from In Touch magazine, thanks to Stacie.

Anthony Minghella dies, Green Zone

2008-03-19T09:05:43Z

Director Anthony Minghella has died at the age of 54. Anthony directed Matt in 1999's The Talented Mr Ripley and they became close friends and respectful colleagues. Photos from 2000 and quotes are below, and an obituary from the Los Angeles Times is here.

Anthony Minghella talking about Matt

It (Matt being a screenwriter) made me feel honored and able to relate to him on a completely different level as a peer, not just as a director, because he’s another man who writes. That was one of many areas of compatibility. I would describe him as a really close friend.

Matt is the best accomplice a director could have. He is an astonishing actor and incredibly smart.

I would work with him on any project, at any time, under any circumstances.

When I met him I was so impressed by his understanding of the screenplay, by his desire to work, by his passion for the subject of the film and his humility. He’s a marvelous man, a really exceptional man, somebody I feel very lucky to have come across. He was as excited, as conscientious and as decent on the 95th day of shooting as he was on the first and I can’t speak highly enough of him. He’s a tremendous actor and a tremendous person. I think he has a huge, huge career ahead of him.

Damon has the world at his feet. He's incredibly talented. He's very centered," the director says. "One of Ripley's characteristics is that he doesn't recognize his own talents."

And as for Matt, you just can't imagine the extent to which he delivered the film with everything that I could have hoped for and in such an honorable way. He's an amazing advertisement I think for young American acting. The seriousness of his work, the intensity of his work, the courageousness of it -- I could bawl for Matt Damon for an hour.

You know he’s a no pain - no gain actor. He will go and subject himself to the torture of trying to master an entire concerto by Bach from scratch. He will run himself into the ground, literally, in order to lose weight because he felt he has to be a different shape for the film. He will push and push himself. Starve himself. Make himself cold. Any privation seems to mean to him that he’s working hard enough.

Matt talking about Anthony Minghella

And Damon says the crew is just as loyal and committed to Minghella as he is to them. He attributes that to the way the director works. "He's very aware of everybody's job and what it takes, but he doesn't try and do everybody's job for them. Instead, he augments it by understanding and supporting it and giving ideas, and then giving you the space to do what you do."

[I'll keep looking for quotes from Matt]

Actor Sean Huze gives a lengthy update about the cast, crew and locations for Green Zone at his MySpace page.

Matt's lack of involvement in the new Bourne Conspiracy video game is explained here, in a Q&A with Emmanuel Valdez, Chief Creative Officer of High Moon Studios.

9) It's Not Matt Damon
"We talked awhile. We thought we were going to get him, but ultimately we didn't, which was a challenge that we had to overcome. When we were talking to him – it must have been a year and a half ago – he was still filming Ultimatum and he pretty much gave a lot of indications to us that he wasn't going to continue on with the movies… it was kind of the trap of, say, a developer designing a Bond game and they decided to sign up Pierce Brosnan and then all of a sudden he drops out for some reason and Daniel Craig is your new Bond, and then you're left with Pierce Brosnan. So there was that danger if we would have had Matt Damon or not, and then he decided to move on and they would have hired another one because the Ludlum Estate was pretty sure they were going to continue to make new Bourne movies."

Photos of a solo and unfashionable Matt at Nobu in London on Monday are at INF or Just Jared.

A magazine scan from Us Weekly is below, thanks to Stacie.

Candid photos from London, People magazine

2008-03-17T08:05:10Z

Photos of Matt and Lucy leaving Cipriani restaurant in London are from The Gossip Girls, with more at Just Jared.

A scan from People magazine is below, and includes a new quote from Matt. Thanks to Stacie.

Actor Sean Huze writes on his MySpace page that the last of the CBS news segments on Green Zone will air on 20 March.

Jason Isaacs, Informant, Obama

2008-03-14T09:44:56Z

Jason Isaacs' comments about Matt for an unknown media source were picked up by pr-inside:

Isaacs: Damon gracious in defeat

Hollywood actor JASON ISSACS loved working with MATT DAMON on new movie GREEN ZONE - especially during their fight scenes.

The 44-year-old admits he took great pleasure in covering the Bourne Ultimatum star in bruise on the set of director Paul Greengrass' new film.

He says, "Matt Damon is one of the loveliest men I ever hope to work with; he's very generous and up for improvising.

"I bruised and battered him in a fight scene. He went home very gracious about it."

Two articles about The Informant filming in Decatur are at the Herald-Review, including WB discussions with ADM and a general update, including:

Here's a guess: Any person connected with the film you see will be (a) by accident and (b) very tired. Director Steven Soderbergh doesn't waste time with his films. The guy already has directed 10 films and five television program episodes this DECADE. Two additional films directed by Soderbergh are in post-production now.

He's built a reputation for working quickly and under budget. The publicist of "The Informant" last week indicated the length of the location shoot would be four or five weeks, which is precious little time. (The looming actors' strike is additional incentive for Soderbergh to hurry up and get his shooting done.)

The Bourne Ultimatum won another public-vote award at ShoWest:

As a warm-up to the main awards, "The Bourne Ultimatum" took home the fourth annual USA Today/Coca Cola Consumer Choice Award for favorite movie of the year voted by the readers of USA Today.

Matt and Ben are among those supporting a new promotional effort for Barack Obama and MoveOn.org:

MoveOn.org, the liberal activist group which has previously endorsed Barack Obama, announced its "Obama in 30 Seconds" TV ad contest, in which Obama supporters are invited to produce their own 30-second TV ad supporting the Illinois senator's candidacy. MoveOn will then purchase national TV time to run the winning ad.

MoveOn members and the general public will have first dibs on deciding which entries make it to the final round. Then on April 10th, the finalists will be judged by a star-studded panel, including Ben Affleck, Matt Damon, Oliver Stone, Steve Buscemi, Jessie Jackson, John Legend and Naomi Wolf.

Besides the national exposure, the winning ad-maker will also receive a gift certificate for $20,000 in video equipment, presumably to make even better ads in the future.

Entries can be submitted online at obamain30seconds.org.

Not On Our Watch continues to donate to humanitarian efforts in Darfur.

Hollywood stars have donated half a million dollars to the World Food Programme in Darfur, following warnings that cash shortages could ground its humanitarian flights, the UN agency said Thursday.

The 500,000 dollars from Not On Our Watch, founded by actors George Clooney, Don Cheadle, Matt Damon, Brad Pitt, producer Jerry Weintraub and civil rights lawyer David Pressman, is WFP in Darfur's first donation in 2008, it said.

Gleeson in Green Zone

2008-03-12T08:18:24Z

Actor Brendan Gleeson has been cast in Green Zone - details at Variety.

"In Bruges" star Brendan Gleeson has been signed on for the final lead role in the untitled "Green Zone" thriller that Paul Greengrass is directing for Universal and Working Title.

The Brian Helgeland-scripted drama is a fictionalized drama inspired by the Rajiv Chandrasekaran book "Imperial Life in the Emerald City," and the drama focuses on the dichotomy between the Green Zone, where troops are housed, and the streets of Baghdad after the overthrow of Saddam Hussein. Pic posits that bureaucrats are making policy decisions about the country's rebuilding even though they're in a sheltered enclave without a clear view of all that is happening.

Matt was asked about Brad Pitt at the Mirror.

Matt Damon - whose wife Luciana is expecting their second child - swaps tips on family life with pal Brad Pitt. Matt told Danielle: "We get our kids together when we're in the same country. He has his hands full. There's no advice I'd give him - he's getting on with it and doing great."

Video footage of Matt on the red carpet at the Empire Awards and part of his acceptance speech is currently available in the multimedia section at the Sydney Morning Herald site.

More from the Empire Awards, various

2008-03-11T08:37:55Z

The official Empire site has updated with extensive coverage of the Awards. This includes videos, photos, a blog of the night's events, and the acceptance speech by Matt and Paul (complete with 'loser' sign - read the Empire blog for reference).

Paul Greengrass
"Well, it's excellent to get the consolation prize. It was actually quite a hard film to make this one, Paddy will remember that it was a bit of a nightmare to get Matt out of his trailer in the morning. He struggled with the lines to be honest, it was quite easy because he was an amnesiac, but we did struggle. It wasn't until after the film came out that we realised that he was stuck in that trailer all the time because he was fucking Jimmy Kimmel as well. So without more ado, I salute you."

Matt Damon
"Alright that's fair, so thank you. First of all, I knew she had a video camera but I never thought she was going to show him and I didn't know he was going to show everybody. It's a little uncomfortable and my wife's here so that's awkward.

"I really do want to say thank you, it really did say The Bourne Ultimatum in here so that's terrific, I want to say thank you to the readers of Empire because I don't get many awards and I don't get nominated for a lot of awards but when I do I tend to lose out to more younger, talented, better-looking guys like James McAvoy. I'm three eighths Scottish, so anyway.

"No seriously, thanks very much for including us. I'd also like to salute the one-time loser Paul Greengrass over there, my friend who got out-directed by the other guys in the category he was nominated for."

Matt also (jokingly) talked about losing to James McAvoy here:

Matt also denied he came because he knew he was going to pick up an award. He joked: “If I had known I was going to suffer the injustice of being smoked out by [James] McAvoy, do you think I would have shown my face in public? Not a chance.”

And Matt was given a present by Sky to make up for his loss:

His flick, The Bourne Ultimatum, did win best film, but we reckon the director swiped the award for his mantlepiece, and thus we wanted to give Matty-boy a souvenir of his trip to remember his time - and us, of course - by.

The prezzie we gave him was a London red bus key-ring, and may we say that Mr D was mighty chuffed, and told Sky Showbiz: "Thank you so much, the sad thing is I will actually use this."

Not "sad", Matt. Cool. Very, very cool.

Sadly, the Hollywood hunk didn't have a victory dance prepared for when he popped up onstage to collect the award.

He told us: "I don't, and that's probably a good thing for everybody here - not to see me dance."

"I've been doing a dance with my daughter where she shakes her booty, so maybe I'll do a booty shake."

Aww, Matt, you're such a sweetheart.

Matt discussed working around his children's timetables here:

Damon, 37, told the media Sunday that he'd "love to come" to London and do a play, "but at the moment I am Daddy and I have to make sure I work around the family and the time the kids are getting up and going to bed — everything revolves around them."

If anyone watched the Empire Awards show on TV, please post your thoughts in the comments section.

Matt discussed the Sarah Silverman/Kimmel videos here and here, with a spoof response also available on YouTube here.

Another CBS video from the set of Green Zone is available at CBS News or YouTube. Actor Sean Huze on his MySpace page says there will be a total of three videos. Matt talks a little more about Green Zone to the BBC.

A post at IMDB is seeking hundreds of extras for Green Zone filming in London, scheduled from 25 March.

An interview with Scott Adkins from Bourne Ultimatum is re-posted here.

You worked on one of the biggest films of 2007 The Bourne Ultimatum. What was the experience like working on such a high profile movie?

Adkins: It was strange to be honest. I auditioned for the part on a Thursday, was told I had the job on Saturday and was flying off to Madrid on the Sunday. I didn’t know what the role was or what it really entailed and I found myself filming the first shot without having even met Paul Greengrass yet. It was a great experience though and I’m happy to be a part of such a successful franchise, even if it is only small. I can’t say enough about Matt Damon, he was extremely down to earth and a consummate professional.

A nice post on Matt and Lucy's baby news from Lainey's Gossip.

The Boston Herald notes the different approaches of ONE spokesmen Matt and Tom Brady to their promotional water campaigns.

We can’t help but notice that Cambridge homey Matt Damon went to Africa with Bono’s ONE organization and came back to start H2O Africa, a non-profit dedicated to bringing clean drinking water to impoverished African villages.

New England Patriots Tom Brady went to Africa with Bono’s ONE organization and signed up to endorse SmartWater to the tune of $3 million!

Matt and Lucy expecting another child, Empire win, 4th Bourne not certain

2008-03-10T00:27:55Z

Matt's publicist Jennifer Allen has confirmed to People Online that Matt and Lucy are expecting their second child together. She would not confirm any other details to Access Hollywood.

EXCLUSIVE: Matt Damon & Wife Expecting!

Matt Damon's family is expanding: The actor and wife Luciana are expecting another baby, his rep Jennifer Allen tells PEOPLE exclusively.

"They couldn't be happier," says Allen. "They're so excited!"

The current PEOPLE Sexiest Man Alive, 37, and his wife, 32, stepped out Sunday night at the Empire Film Awards in London – with Luciana glowing (and sporting a baby bump).

This is the third child for the family: Daughter Isabella was born in June 2006, and Luciana has a 9-year-old daughter, Alexia, from a previous marriage.

The actor is currently shooting the CIA thriller Green Zone in Morocco.

Lucy was photographed with Matt at a reception before the Empire Film Awards in London. Photos are from PopSugar and TangledMagazine.

At the Empire Awards, Matt and Paul Greengrass accepted the award for Best Film for Bourne Ultimatum, presented by Jason Isaacs. Photo sources as above, with more photos at Just Jared.

At the ceremony Matt and Paul Greengrass stated that they have not signed on for a fourth Bourne movie, despite what the studio claims. Details from Empire - summary only.

"We’ve just kind of been amused by the whole thing," said Matt Damon. "I think it’s one of these stories that has a life of it’s own. Not that we’re against it, we’re all for doing a fourth movie but it means coming up with a good story. There are a lot of things that would have to happen before we would sign up for it."

In short: Bourne 4 is far from definite and we only want to see it if Greengrass and Damon are on board.

P.S. We love them. If you want to see why, watch the awards on ITV2 or read the speeches. Or just meet them. They rule.

Matt also discussed Green Zone, as did Jason Isaacs in a separate article, where he talked about discussed Greengrass' unusual filming style.

Matt
"We didn’t really have an agenda when we set out to make it other than we wanted to make a really good movie and a really honest movie," Damon told us of the tone on the red carpet of the Sony Ericsson Awards this evening. "We have all these real soldiers in the movie and that’s really interesting .You know there’s not really one opinion that the movie puts forward and there’s not one opinion from the soldiers themselves. People have very different views about what went on and what our role in the war is. One thing that Paul does really well in films like United 93 and Bloody Sunday is that he simultaneously puts forward a number of perspectives and you can just sit there and watch an event unfold in a way that feels really real and authentic; hopefully the movie will do that".

Jason Isaacs
"Yes, I'm playing Major Briggs," he told us. "I think we’ve changed his rank; I think he may be Lieutenant Colonel [in real life] or something – maybe they thought I was too creaky to be a major. But, yeah, I play a special forces soldier and I had on tap these fabulous resources of these guys who had just come back – and many of them are going back to Iraq – who had all these stories they were bursting to tell. I was just quite stunned by how receptive Paul is by taking the most dramatic stories and putting them on the screen".

He continued,"[Paul]’s got a masterplan, but he’s changing it everyday depending on what he’s shot and so we’ve got these special forces guys and people who are really seriously lethal and a lot of arabs, who all had a lot of input. Paul takes what’s real and turns it into what’s exciting and watchable and every night you’re on your toes. You’re sat in a restaurant and have a chat and find out what you’re going to be filming the next day. Exactly what the rest of the film will be is up for grabs; it doesn’t mean it’s chaos, it means it’s probably more creative than any film I’ve ever been on."

CBS report on 'Green Zone' filming

2008-03-09T07:31:18Z

American TV network CBS aired a news report on the making of Green Zone in Kenitra, Morocco, focusing on the former soldiers who are employed as actors/extras in the film. The report included brief interviews with Matt and director Paul Greengrass. The video is available here or here, with stills below.

Matt and Paul Greengrass may attend the Empire Film Awards in London today. The Bourne Ultimatum has been nominated for numerous awards.