Actor Matt Damon recently recalled how Christopher Nolan deliberately toned down his role in Interstellar while pitching the film to him. Damon joked that the director was lowballing the part before offering him the surprise role of Dr. Mann. The actor first collaborated with Nolan on Interstellar, where his uncredited casting was kept secret to preserve one of the film's biggest twists. The experience marked the beginning of their creative partnership, which later continued with the Oscar-winning historical drama Oppenheimer.

Before joining Interstellar, Damon says Nolan described the role as much smaller than it actually was. 

Matt Damon revealed during The Good Hang with Amy Poehler podcast that Christopher Nolan had told him his role in Interstellar was a small one. Reflecting on the experience, he joked that Nolan “undersold it” to him before he committed to the movie. He said the understated pitch ultimately helped the surprise. 

“Chris undersold it to me, actually. I was really happy to get the call from him, I guess like trying to manage my expectations,” Damon said, joking that Nolan intentionally downplayed the role's importance. 

According to Damon, he has been convinced from the onset that the overall quality of a film takes precedence over the magnitude of the roles that he plays in the films. The actor argued on the podcast that any good film would make life better for all those who were involved in the production of such a film. Instead of pursuing bigger roles, Damon said he would opt for more creative films, since acting in a good film is what mattered most.

He discovered later that the character of Dr. Mann was among the most interesting elements in Interstellar, since his inclusion in the cast remained a secret up to the time of the release of the film. Despite being in the film for a relatively short time, the actor called it a terrific and memorable role that is vital to the story. Damon, who also talked about giving up Manchester by the Sea, has never looked at any project based on the magnitude of the role played, but rather on its creativity.

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Nearly a decade later, Damon and Nolan reunited for another acclaimed project. 

Nearly ten years later, Matt Damon re-teamed with Christopher Nolan for Oppenheimer after working with him in Interstellar. Damon played Lt. Gen. Leslie Groves, the U.S. Army officer who directed the Manhattan Project and brought in J. Robert Oppenheimer to lead the mission. He was an important ally to Oppenheimer in his role in the development of the atomic b***.

Damon earned rave reviews for his performance as Groves, finding a way to balance his military authority with humor and humanity. The movie was a hit both commercially and critically, winning seven Academy Awards, including Best Picture. Oppenheimer added to Damon’s successful creative partnership with Nolan. 

Meanwhile, Damon’s memory offers a peek at how Christopher Nolan keeps cinematic surprises, even when working with big-name actors. The filmmaker initially downplayed the significance of Dr. Mann’s role, but the character ended up being one of the defining twists of Interstellar. Their work together on Interstellar and Oppenheimer has since cemented a creative partnership based on trust, with Damon continuing to place the importance of compelling filmmaking over the size of his role. 

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Do you think Interstellar or Oppenheimer is Matt Damon's better Christopher Nolan performance? Let us know in the comments.