There’s been a few great cameos in Hollywood films, but nothing quite beats Matt Damon’s appearance in Team America: World Police.
The question is, though, does he think it’s as brilliant as we do? It’s hilarious, but playing a parody of yourself and only being able to say your own name isn’t going to be great for any actor, is it?
So the man himself took part in an Ask Me Anything session on Reddit, and while it was meant to promote his new Bourne movie, a few people had the opportunity to slip in a few questions about his Team America cameo.
When asked how he felt about being mocked in the film Team America: World Police, Matt said he was a bit confused about the whole thing:
I was always kind of bewildered by Team America, I think because it’s hard for us to understand what our images are in public, I think we’re not good judges of that, and when I saw myself on screen just only able to say my own name and not really that well, I kind of wondered “Wow, is that how people perceive me?” At that point I just kind of was like, I’m a screenwriter and an actor, and like really? I can barely say my own name? So I was always bewildered by that, and I never talked to Trey and Matt about that.
And incidentally, I believe those two are geniuses, and I don’t use that word lightly. I think they are absolute geniuses, and what they’ve done is awesome and I’m a big fan of theirs, but I never quite understood that one. But I will say this. Those of us who were parodied in that video were parodied because we were against the Iraq war, and we went on the record against that war, and so history is on my side not theirs.
According to another Reddit AMA by Matt Damon back in 2014, his character was actually meant to be articulate and intelligent, until the puppet was delivered to the set looking, well, not intelligent.
He said:
I heard an interview with them and they said the puppet came in looking kind of mentally deficient and they didn’t have time to change it, so they just made me someone who could really only say his own name. All the comedy they’re doing is really next-level stuff. Also, I liked being included as a person who was against the Iraq war.
Thank you to whoever screwed up on making the puppet – you’ve indirectly made the best cameo in existence.
If you’d like to refresh your memory of Matt Damon playing a less intelligent Matt Damon, here’s a recap:
