Legendary actor and director Clint Eastwood has several golden rules that every actor must follow when they are working with him. One famous rule is that Eastwood gives his actors only one take before moving on to another one. So, the stars of his movies only have one opportunity to give their best.
Actor Matt Damon learned about this rule while working in Eastwood’s 2009 movie, Invictus. Although Damon’s performance was outstanding in every scene, there was one scene where he felt like he could do better. When he asked Eastwood if they could reshoot the scene, the director was quite disappointed.
Matt Damon starred in Clint Eastwood’s 2009 movie, Invictus
Actor Matt Damon played the role of François Pienaar alongside Morgan Freeman, in Clint Eastwood‘s 2009 movie Invictus. The movie, which is based on John Carlin’s book, Playing the Enemy: Nelson Mandela and the Game That Made a Nation, was released on 11th December 2009. Damon also starred in Clint Eastwood’s 2010 movie, Hereafter.
In the movie, Damon played a South African character, so obviously he had a hard time mastering the accent. In every scene, Damon managed to give his best, however, there was one instance when he felt he could do better if he tried again, but that would break Eastwood’s golden rule.
Clint Eastwood denied Matt Damon’s request for a reshoot
Matt Damon appeared on First We Feast’s YouTube series, Hot Ones, in August 2021 and revealed that he requested Clint Eastwood to reshoot the scene. He said,
“It was a little terrifying ’cause I was playing a South African, and that’s a really hard accent to do. Clint says, ‘Cut, print, check the gate,’ which means, ‘We’re done here. Let’s move on.’ I say, ‘Boss, do you think maybe we can get one more?’ [Eastwood] just turns, and he goes, ‘Why? Do you want to waste everybody’s time?’ I was like, ‘OK, we’re done! Alright, let’s move on.’”
Damon’s performance in the movie was so good that he got nominated for the Best Supporting Actor Academy Award. Even Morgan Freeman was nominated for the Best Actor Academy Award.
Many actors struggle with Clint Eastwood’s rules
Clint Eastwood’s rules have annoyed many big stars in Hollywood. There is no such thing as the perfect take, as there is always room for improvement. Actor Leonardo DiCaprio worked in Eastwood’s 2011 movie, J. Edgar, and even he asked Eastwood to reshoot a scene but was refused.
Clint Eastwood entered the entertainment industry as an actor back in the 1950s. For a long time, Eastwood was an actor so it was very easy for him to come up with these rules for the stars that work in his movie. Without a doubt, his outstanding work has made him one of the most respected Hollywood filmmakers.