In 1996, Matt Damon thought he’d delivered an Oscar-worthy performance. Hollywood had other ideas

Matt Damon said he believed his supporting performance in the 1996 war film *Courage Under Fire* merited an Oscar nomination, but the Academy did not recognise it. He later recalled being so disappointed that he considered giving up acting, though the role helped bring him to Steven Spielberg’s attention and contributed to his later casting in *Saving Private Ryan*.

Damon played Andrew Ilario in a brief role and lost a great deal of weight for the part, with recovery taking years. The article notes that Denzel Washington praised his performance, while the five supporting actor nominees included Cuba Gooding Jr, William H Macy, Edward Norton, James Woods and Armin Mueller-Stahl. Damon went on to win an Oscar for the screenplay of *Good Will Hunting* with Ben Affleck.