The Career-Changing '90s Crime Thriller Matt Damon Missed Out On
Hollywood's metaphorical attic is full of stories and rumors about legendary actors who turned down or missed out on iconic roles that could've steered their careers in an entirely different direction. Jake Gyllenhaal bombed his "The Lord of the Rings" audition, Matthew McConaughey thought he got Jack's role in "Titanic" when he didn't, and Russell Crowe had one of the worst table reads ever (according to director P.J. Hogan) that prevented him from getting the lead part in the beloved rom-com "My Best Friend's Wedding." I'm here to tell you about another scenario that, in retrospect, probably wasn't as painful or unfortunate, considering how the life path of the actor in question has unfolded after missing out on an Oscar-nominated role in one of the most memorable "twist movies" of the '90s.
As you might've figured, I'm talking about Gregory Hoblit's "Primal Fear," the 1996 psychological thriller led by Richard Gere, which landed a young Edward Norton his first Oscar nomination. Norton played Aaron Stampler, a wimpy and stuttering altar boy at 19, who's been charged with the murder of his Archbishop. Facing a possible death penalty, his only hope lay in Gere's big-time defense attorney, Martin Vail, who took the young boy's case pro bono.
Given how stellar the film turned out, it was perhaps for the best that the 26-year-old Matt Damon lost the role of Aaron to Norton. Though at the time, he understandably felt frustrated about it.
Matt Damon knew the impact of what this role could've had on his career, but he eventually forged his own path to break into Hollywood
In a 2017 interview with Jetset Magazine, Damon reflected on the early days of his career and described the attempts to find and land great roles as "fighting for table scraps." He said, "You'd go in and fight each other, and if you got hold of a role, you'd have to make enough of an impression to get another job." Regarding the role of Aaron in "Primal Fear," Damon "knew it was an instant career-changer for whoever got it." That certainly rang true later on, but despite losing that part, Damon already began to build a pretty prestigious resume in the years before.
In 1992, he starred in Robert Mandel's period drama "School Ties" alongside Brendan Fraser, Chris O'Donnell, and Ben Affleck. A year later, he was cast in Walter Hill's western epic "Geronimo: An American Legend," and in '96, he acted alongside Denzel Washington in Edward Zwick's conspiracy thriller "Courage Under Fire." And in Francis Ford Coppola's 1997 legal drama "The Rainmaker," a fantastic courtroom movie that doesn't get mentioned enough, he already felt like a more-than-promising actor on the verge of movie stardom.
But as we know, the truly career-changing role that instantly shot him into the heavens of Hollywood was actually created and written by Damon and his close friend, Ben Affleck. "Good Will Hunting," one of the best films of the '90s, brought him the kind of fame he desired and not only landed him an Oscar nomination for Best Actor, but also the actual award for Best Original Screenplay. That was merely a year after "Primal Fear" came out, and I'm pretty sure losing out on the Aaron role was the last thing on his mind at the time. In the end, it all worked out better than he could've ever imagined.