Matt Damon once passed up a massive payday for a film role. Known for major hits like Good Will Hunting, The Martian, Oppenheimer, and the Bourne series, Damon, now 54, is a sought-after Hollywood star. In 2009, director James Cameron—celebrated for Titanic and The Terminator—approached Damon to join the cast of his groundbreaking film Avatar, then years in development.
Reflecting in 2021, Damon revealed that Cameron had offered him a career-high pay opportunity, even including ten percent of the film’s profits. Despite this incredible offer, Damon declined due to his commitment to The Bourne Ultimatum’s post-production.
Damon shared, “James Cameron offered me ten percent of Avatar if I took the role, but I was busy with The Bourne Ultimatum.” Avatar went on to become the highest-grossing film ever, celebrated for its visual effects and massive audience appeal. If Damon had accepted the role of Jake Sully, later played by Sam Worthington, he might have earned around $250 million.
With humor, Damon reflected, “I’ll go down in history. No actor has ever turned down that much money.” Cameron, in turn, joked that Damon needed to “get over it.” Speaking to the BBC in 2022, Cameron added, “Matt, you’re a huge movie star—move on. But he had a Bourne film lined up, so he couldn’t do it.” Cameron even suggested Damon could make a cameo in Avatar: The Way of Water, though it didn’t materialize.
There might still be hope for Damon to appear in next year’s Avatar: Fire and Ash!