The Biggest Matt Damon Movies Of All Time
Christopher Nolan's 2014 sci-fi drama Interstellar was bound to be a massive hit; it was his first film after completing the Dark Knight trilogy, and audiences expected (and got) a brain-bender on par with the director's hugely successful 2010 film Inception. It's the story of former NASA engineer Joseph Cooper (Matthew McConaughey), set in the far-flung future of 2067, in which the world has been rendered all but uninhabitable. Cooper is brought back into the NASA fold to spearhead what is almost certain to be his final mission: to pilot the starship Endurance, carrying thousands of frozen human embryos, through a mysterious wormhole that was traversed by other astronauts decades in the past. Those astronauts sent back data indicating that there are habitable planets on the other side — and it's up to Cooper and his crew to investigate, and attempt to secure a future for all of humanity.
Damon's role in Interstellar is a glorified cameo, and it was actually kept secret prior to the film's release. He portrays the head-slappingly named Hugh Mann, one of the astronauts sent through the wormhole in the past. Based on his report, it's thought that the planet he landed on might represent humanity's salvation — but it's discovered that the data he sent back to Earth was false, that the planet he landed on was actually a barren wasteland, and that he transmitted the phony data only in hopes of being rescued. In fact, the real reason Matt Damon's Interstellar role was kept a secret, according to Nolan, was that the actor's innate ability to project integrity and competence helped to keep the audience from seeing his heel turn coming.
It was another small-but-crucial role, and Nolan's savvy and effective gambit only proved that audiences have come to have a very solid grasp on Damon's strengths as an actor — and that Damon is also skilled enough to deftly subvert those expectations when the situation calls for it. Interstellar grossed a whopping $677 million worldwide, making it Damon's biggest box office performer — so far, anyway.
