Matt Damon arguably has one of the most recognizable faces in Hollywood. After catapulting to fame after starring in Good Will Hunting, movies like the Jason Bourne franchise, Saving Private Ryan and The Departed made him even more famous and a certified A-lister. However, there is another actor who is often mistaken for the Oscar winner. Breaking Bad alum Jesse Plemons is often compared to Damon, and I can totally see it. Damon is away of that chatter and he himself also sees the resemblance. Not only that, but he recently told a story about the moment he realized their similarities were undeniable.
The Boston native recently sat down with Access Hollywood to discuss his and Casey Affleck's new film, The Instigators. The interviewer brought up that Jesse Plemons, who recently starred in the film Kinds of Kindness, previously chatted with the outlet about being mistaken for the Martian actor. At that point, Matt Damon admitted to seeing their visual similarities, and even revealed that this came up over 25 years ago, when Plemons was cast to play a younger version of Damon's character in All the Pretty Horses. And the resemblance was apparently even more undeniable way back when, as the actor explained:
Sure, yeah, yeah yeah, absolutely [I see the resemblance]. And, when he was a kid – it was funny, because – I remember when he came to the set of All the Pretty Horses, and the crew was freaking out. Like, five people came up to me before I met him, and they were like, ‘You’re not gonna believe how much this kid looks like you.’ And I went and met him, and – I wish somebody had the picture. The stills photographer took a picture of us together, because I couldn’t believe it. I was like,‘He looks more like me than I did when I was little.’ Like, my little 11-year-old face did not look like it was gonna… He looked exactly like me. I was like, ‘This is really weird.’ … But he’s a great actor. I love what he’s done, the choices he makes. He’s incredible to watch, so I’m proud of the comparison.
The resemblance is obvious, and I can imagine how a young Jesse Plemons may have looked like he would grow up to resemble Matt Damon. This was good casting, and I’d love to see that still of the two of them on set together. While they certainly look similar now, both actors still have their own unique vibes, so it wouldn’t be super confusing if the two ever decided to share a screen.
I could totally see the two stars playing family members in the future. Casey Affleck even agreed, pointing out the pair have similar mannerisms. They're both such talents, and seeing them share a screen would be a treat. Apparently, filmmakers have yet to try casting them together, but the Air star is open to it. He said:
I think he’s so much younger than me. I mean, he’s gotta be 20 years younger than me or almost that. But yeah, no, I would love to do something with him. I think he’s great.
The two are in a tricky spot. The actors have a 17-year age difference, so they are a bit too far apart in age to play brothers, but a bit too close to play father and son. However, not casting these two together for a project feels like a missed opportunity. They both love working with auteur directors, as Matt Damon has collaborated with Steven Spielberg and Christopher Nolan. Meanwhile, Jesse Plemons has worked with the likes of Paul Thomas Anderson and Yorgos Lanthimos. They both also have shared history with Martin Scorsese, so that could be an avenue for a reunion as well. Since Damon seems interested, I would hope that casting directors will take notice.
The similarities between the stars don't stop at their faces, as both are booked and busy as well. Plemons is set to star in Lanthimos’ upcoming 2025 movie, Bugonia, and will also be leading the Netflix miniseries Zero Day alongside Robert De Niro. Damon also has a number of projects coming down the pike, including his and Ben Affleck's thrillers, RIP and Animals, which are both in pre-production under their joint production company. With so many projects, it may be a while before we see Damon and Plemons sign up for something together, but I love that they're both leaning into their doppelgänger status.
You can see Matt Damon in The Instigators, which will be available to stream with an Apple TV+ subscription on August 2nd. Fans can also see Jesse Plemons in Kinds of Kindness, which is still playing in theaters nationwide. For more information on other titles heading to streaming and cinemas this year, make sure to consult our 2024 movie release schedule.
