Matt Damon

Episode of Good Hang with Amy Poehler · July 7, 2026 · 1 h 13 min

Amy Poehler talks with Matt Damon about Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey, aging, Ben Affleck, Good Will Hunting, SNL, Soderbergh, and Water.org, after a brief chat with Nolan.

Summary

Amy Poehler opened the episode with a short conversation with director Christopher Nolan about his film The Odyssey. Nolan said he approached the 3,000-year-old epic as he had Batman, offering a sincere personal interpretation rather than trying to compete with readers' imaginations. He explained that he cast Matt Damon for his mix of empathetic openness and iconic heroic presence, praised his collaborative leadership on a physically demanding shoot, and supplied a question: why Damon has never directed.

With Damon, Poehler framed The Odyssey as a meditation on middle age. Damon called Nolan an underrated writer and recalled a Navy SEAL on the crew calling the script the best depiction of PTSD he had seen. He described the film as an expedition, shot practically in locations such as Zeus's Cave with a 60-foot Cyclops puppet, and said that at this stage of life he and Ben Affleck prioritize the pursuit of joy in their work. He also recounted watching the 2004 Red Sox World Series alone after George Clooney rearranged the Syriana schedule, and leaving Harvard two weeks short of finishing after starting Good Will Hunting in an English class.

Damon shared stories about Robin Williams improvising the "son of a bitch, he stole my line" ending of Good Will Hunting, Philip Seymour Hoffman in The Talented Mr. Ripley, and Steven Soderbergh's methods on Behind the Candelabra and The Informant. He explained he nearly directed Promised Land and Manchester by the Sea before handing them to Gus Van Sant and Kenneth Lonergan. He discussed hosting Saturday Night Live, Clooney's prank letter after the Golden Globes, going gluten-free, his four daughters, Will Ferrell comfort movies, Water.org's microfinance approach, and watching Temptation Island with his kids.

Chapters

0:05
Introduction
Poehler introduces Matt Damon and previews a pre-interview with Christopher Nolan.
1:54
Christopher Nolan on The Odyssey and Damon
Nolan discusses adapting the Odyssey, casting Damon, and asks why Damon has not directed.
14:34
The Odyssey and aging
Damon and Poehler discuss the film as a meditation on middle age and PTSD, and the joy of later career.
18:18
Ben Affleck, siblings, and Boston
Damon talks about his 40-year partnership with Affleck, sibling dynamics, and the 2004 Red Sox win.
25:55
Harvard and Good Will Hunting's origins
Damon explains leaving Harvard and writing the first act of Good Will Hunting for a class.
28:20
Shooting The Odyssey practically
Damon describes the expedition-like shoot, Zeus's Cave, and the giant Cyclops puppet.
33:03
Saturday Night Live
Damon recalls hosting SNL and they watch an old Matt Damon name sketch.
40:07
Robin Williams and Philip Seymour Hoffman
Damon shares stories of Williams improvising Good Will Hunting's last line and Hoffman in Ripley.
48:08
Theater, Ocean's, Clooney, and Soderbergh
Damon discusses theater, Clooney's prank, and Steven Soderbergh's directing methods.
56:17
Getting in shape and why he hasn't directed
Damon covers his training and gluten-free diet, then answers Nolan's question about directing.
1:02:06
Lightning round
Damon talks about his daughters, Will Ferrell films, Water.org, and Temptation Island.

Key points

What was said, by whom, with the exact words. Timestamps jump to the moment.

Christopher Nolan
Nolan argued that filmmakers cannot compete with audiences' own imaginings of a classic text and must offer a sincere personal interpretation.
“You have to trust that what people want from you is your most sincere attempt to do justice to the material”
Listen from 3:33 · The Odyssey (2026 film)
Christopher Nolan
Nolan said he cast Damon because he combines empathetic openness with an iconic, superhero-like presence.
“He brings the audience with him. But he also can project an iconic, frankly, superhero presence”
Listen from 5:09 · The Odyssey (2026 film)
Christopher Nolan
Nolan speculated that Damon may not direct because he knows the job so well he does not want the pressure.
“It might be that he knows so much about it and he's seen so many people do it. that he doesn't fancy sitting in the hot seat”
Listen from 13:12
Linked moment · 15:31Skip to 15:31 using a listen link in the info box.
Amy Poehler
Poehler described The Odyssey as a meditation on aging that resonated with her at midlife.
“But I'm thinking about it as this meditation on aging”
Listen from 15:31 · Aging
Matt Damon
Damon described Nolan as an underrated writer whose directing overshadows his screenwriting.
“He's a really underrated writer, I think, Chris, because he's such a brilliant director that it kind of overshadows his writing”
Listen from 16:24 · The Odyssey (2026 film)
Matt Damon
Damon recounted that a Navy SEAL on the crew called the Odyssey script the best depiction of PTSD he had encountered.
“And he said, I think this is the best movie about PTSD”
Listen from 17:11 · Post-traumatic stress disorder
Matt Damon
Damon recounted that George Clooney rescheduled the Syriana shoot so he could fly home for the 2004 World Series.
“I called him immediately and he said, I already redid the entire schedule. You can go home”
Listen from 24:58 · 2004 World Series
Matt Damon
Damon said he began writing Good Will Hunting for a Harvard class, submitting a first act instead of a one-act play.
“we were supposed to write a one-act play, and I wrote— I wrote the first act of a three act movie”
Listen from 26:59 · Good Will Hunting
Matt Damon
Damon said he and Ben Affleck have entered a phase of life focused on pursuing joy in life and work.
“it's about really the pursuit of joy in our lives and in our work”
Listen from 29:15 · Aging
Matt Damon
Damon said The Odyssey was the hardest film he has made but was joyful and felt like an expedition.
“though it was the hardest movie that I've ever done by far, was so joyful”
Listen from 29:42 · Practical effects in filmmaking
Matt Damon
Damon said Nolan uses as few special effects as possible, relying on in-camera work and top effects teams where needed.
“basically he does as little special effects as humanly possible, which means you can do quite a bit without CGI”
Listen from 32:31 · Practical effects in filmmaking
Matt Damon
Damon said that as SNL host he prioritizes the best show over his own screen time, even cutting sketches he was heavily in.
“I always say to Lauren, like, just I want the best show”
Listen from 38:11 · Saturday Night Live
Matt Damon
Damon said Robin Williams improvised the film's final line after many takes.
“he read the letter and he said, son of a bitch, he stole my line. And I grabbed Gus”
Listen from 43:44 · Good Will Hunting
Matt Damon
Damon argued that working with a great actor like Philip Seymour Hoffman carries the scene for both performers.
“When when when you're working with a great actor, they're great enough for both of you”
Listen from 47:49 · The Talented Mr. Ripley
Matt Damon
Damon said Soderbergh delivered fully scored edited scenes the same evening, helping actors calibrate performances.
“it was the scene we shot that day, fully scored, as it was going to appear in the movie when it came out nine months later”
Listen from 53:24 · Behind the Candelabra
Matt Damon
Damon said the only legitimate excuse for a bad performance is not knowing what movie one is in.
“the only excuse an actor has, and it's a legitimate excuse if you suck in a movie, is I didn't know what movie I was in”
Listen from 54:07 · The Informant!
Matt Damon
Damon said going gluten-free in recent years has completely changed his life.
“it's completely changed my life these last couple years of not eating it”
Listen from 58:29
Matt Damon
Damon explained he planned to direct and star in Manchester by the Sea but handed it to Lonergan and gave the role to Casey Affleck.
“I called Kenny and I was like I'm putting you in a position to fail here like let's take a breath”
Listen from 1:01:15 · Manchester by the Sea
Matt Damon
Damon said Water.org has reached 92 million people through microfinance, far faster than drilling wells would have allowed.
“had we stayed with drilling wells, it would have taken us 600 years to get to where we are today”
Listen from 1:05:21 · Water.org

People

In the conversation

Amy PoehlerAmerican actress, comedian and podcast host, formerly of Saturday Night Live
Matt DamonAmerican actor cast as Odysseus in Nolan's film
Christopher NolanBritish-American film director adapting the Odyssey for the screen

Discussed

Ben AffleckDirector and star of The Town
Robin WilliamsAmerican comedian and actor; co-starred in Randolph's first film
Philip Seymour HoffmanAmerican actor who co-starred in Doubt and The Master
Steven SoderberghAmerican film director of Out of Sight
George ClooneyAmerican actor, Lopez's co-star in Out of Sight
Emma ThomasBritish film producer and Christopher Nolan's wife
Gus Van SantAmerican director of Good Will Hunting and Promised Land
Kenneth LonerganAmerican playwright and director of Manchester by the Sea
Casey AffleckAmerican actor who won an Oscar for Manchester by the Sea
John KrasinskiActor Colbert arm-wrestled on his show
Tina FeyAmerican comedian who toured with Poehler
Will FerrellAmerican comedian and actor cited among Druski's comedic heroes

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From the publisher

It's Boston's own Matt Damon. Amy hangs with 'The Odyssey' star and talks about where he was when the Red Sox won the World Series in 2004, getting pranked by George Clooney, and checking out 'Temptation Island.' Host: Amy PoehlerGuests: Christopher Nolan and Matt DamonExecutive Producers: Bill Simmons, Amy Poehler, and Jenna Weiss-BermanFor Paper Kite Productions: Executive producer Jenna Weiss-Berman, coordinator Sam Green, and supervising producer Joel LovellFor The Ringer: Supervising producers Juliet Litman, Sean Fennessey, and Mallory Rubin; video producers Jack Wilson, Belle Roman, and Aleya Zenieris; lighting director Caroline Jannace; audio producer Kaya McMullen; social producer Bridget Geerlings; video editor Drew van Steenbergen; and bookers Kat Spillane and Paige GarbariniOriginal Music: Amy Miles Check Allstate first for a quote that could save you hundreds: https://Allstate.com This episode is brought to you by Subaru. Love goes the extra mile in the Subaru Crosstrek Hybrid and Subaru Forester Hybrid. Visit https://subaru.com/hybrid to learn more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Summary, chapters and key points were generated from the episode transcript on September 29, 2026. Quotes are checked word for word against the transcript.

Categories: Film Interviews·Comedy Interviews