Matt Damon’s Movie Salary Journey: From $350K for Good Will Hunting to $25M Blockbuster Paydays

With Matt Damon stepping into the role of Odysseus for Christopher Nolan’s reported $250 million epic “The Odyssey,” the Oscar-winning star is once again front and center in one of Hollywood’s most ambitious big-screen events.

Damon’s most recent collaboration with Nolan came on “Oppenheimer,” the box office powerhouse that went on to dominate awards season. For that film, Damon reportedly accepted a steep reduction from his usual $25 million asking price, earning about $4 million for his supporting role.

His paycheck for “The Odyssey” has not been publicly disclosed. Still, given his past arrangement with Nolan, it would not be surprising if Damon took less than his typical $20 million to $25 million upfront fee. The tradeoff may have been the rare chance to headline a massive Christopher Nolan movie as Odysseus, with the possibility of backend profit participation if the film becomes a major hit.

If Damon did agree to another discounted deal, it would be a notable sacrifice considering the size of the project. Production reportedly ran for 91 days and spanned six countries, with Damon leading a physically intense, large-scale adaptation. But after the critical and commercial triumph of “Oppenheimer,” reuniting with Nolan may have offered a reward that went beyond a guaranteed salary.

No matter what Damon ultimately earned for “The Odyssey,” his Hollywood paydays have grown dramatically since he collected $350,000 for “Good Will Hunting.” Here’s a closer look at the biggest movie salaries of Matt Damon’s career, a key part of why Matt Damon’s net worth is estimated at $170 million.

“Good Will Hunting” – $350,000 Acting Salary

“Good Will Hunting” transformed Damon and his childhood friend Ben Affleck from struggling young actors into Oscar-winning Hollywood stars.

Damon and Affleck sold their screenplay for $600,000, which they divided equally. That gave Damon approximately $300,000 from the script sale. He also negotiated a separate $350,000 salary to play Will Hunting.

Damon therefore earned about $650,000 before taxes, commissions and other expenses from the screenplay and his acting work. The film grossed more than $225 million worldwide, earned Damon and Affleck the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay and won Robin Williams the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor.

“Ocean’s Eleven” – $5 Million

Damon earned approximately $5 million to play pickpocket Linus Caldwell in “Ocean’s Eleven.”

That was less than he could command as the sole star of a major studio movie, but accepting a reduced salary placed him in an unusually valuable ensemble led by George Clooney and Brad Pitt. The movie became a major hit and launched a trilogy.

“All The Pretty Horses” – $5.5 Million

Damon was paid $5.5 million to star opposite Penélope Cruz in “All the Pretty Horses.”

The movie grossed only about $18 million against a production budget of roughly $57 million. Damon’s salary nevertheless showed how quickly his value had risen. Just three years after earning $350,000 to star in “Good Will Hunting,” he was collecting more than $5 million for a leading role.

“The Legend Of Bagger Vance” – $7 Million

Damon earned $7 million for “The Legend of Bagger Vance,” Robert Redford’s golf drama co-starring Will Smith and Charlize Theron.

Although the movie struggled at the box office, the paycheck brought Damon another step closer to the $10 million salary tier reserved for proven movie stars.

“The Bourne Identity” – $10 Million

Damon earned $10 million for “The Bourne Identity,” the 2002 action thriller that changed the direction of his career.

Casting Damon as an elite assassin was considered a risk because he was known primarily for dramas. The gamble paid off. His performance as Jason Bourne helped redefine the modern spy thriller and gave Damon control of a major franchise built around him.

“The Brothers Grimm” – $10 Million

Damon also earned $10 million for Terry Gilliam’s fantasy adventure “The Brothers Grimm.”

The movie paired him with Heath Ledger as fictionalized versions of the famous folklorists. Despite mixed reviews and a difficult production, the salary showed that Damon could command eight figures outside the “Bourne” franchise.

“The Martian” – $25 Million

Damon was paid $25 million to star as stranded astronaut Mark Watney in Ridley Scott’s “The Martian.”

The role required Damon to carry long stretches of the story alone. His performance earned him an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor, while the film grossed more than $630 million worldwide.

“Jason Bourne” – $25 Million

Damon sat out “The Bourne Legacy” before returning for 2016’s “Jason Bourne.”

Published estimates place his salary at no less than $25 million. Damon had only about 25 lines of dialogue in the finished movie, inspiring the amusing calculation that he earned roughly $1 million per line. Of course, he also underwent months of physical training, performed complex action sequences and supplied the star power needed to bring audiences back to the original franchise.

“The Bourne Supremacy” – $26 Million

Damon’s salary jumped from $10 million for “The Bourne Identity” to approximately $26 million for “The Bourne Supremacy.”

That enormous raise reflected the leverage he gained after the first movie succeeded. Universal no longer had to convince audiences to accept Damon as an action star. It needed Damon to continue the version of the franchise audiences wanted.

“The Bourne Ultimatum” – $26 Million, Plus Backend

Damon earned another $26 million upfront for “The Bourne Ultimatum.” The movie became the most commercially successful installment of the original trilogy, grossing more than $440 million worldwide.

With royalties and other participation included, Damon’s eventual earnings may have reached approximately $30 million to $35 million.

“Air” – $40 Million

Damon may have earned his largest non-“Bourne” payday from “Air,” the movie about Nike’s pursuit of Michael Jordan.

Amazon acquired the project for $160 million before production, based largely on the pitch and the involvement of Damon and Affleck. Damon starred as Nike executive Sonny Vaccaro and produced the movie through Artists Equity, the production company he co-founded with Affleck.

An executive at a competing streaming company said Damon made more from “Air” than from any movie other than a “Bourne” installment. Based on that description, Damon’s estimated “Air” payday was approximately $40 million.

That amount likely combined his acting salary with producing and ownership compensation.

The $4 Million “Oppenheimer” Pay Cut

Not every major Damon movie came with an eight-figure paycheck.

He accepted approximately $4 million to play General Leslie Groves in Nolan’s “Oppenheimer.” Damon, Robert Downey Jr. and Emily Blunt all agreed to salaries well below their normal quotes in exchange for the opportunity to work with Nolan and participate in the movie’s success.

“Oppenheimer” became a global blockbuster, won seven Academy Awards and strengthened Damon’s relationship with Nolan before he was cast as the lead in “The Odyssey.”

Damon’s salary for “The Odyssey” has not been disclosed. His history with Nolan, however, shows that the largest available upfront check is not always his highest priority.

The $250 Million “Avatar” Payday He Turned Down

The most astonishing Matt Damon payday is the one he never received.

James Cameron offered Damon the lead role of Jake Sully in “Avatar” along with 10% of the movie’s profits. Damon turned down the role because filming would have conflicted with “The Bourne Ultimatum,” and he did not want to abandon the franchise or leave its production team searching for a replacement.

“Avatar” went on to become one of the highest-grossing movies in history. Damon later estimated that his rejected profit share could have been worth more than $250 million.

Whoops. Can’t win ’em all!