Matt Damon reveals iconic role he bitterly regrets passing up: ‘I overthought it’

Matt Damon says he regrets turning down the lead role in the 2012 comedy *Ted*, after laughing hard at its script but talking himself out of playing John Bennett. His account shows how he reconsidered a decision that became more personal because the film was shot in his hometown of Boston.

Damon said filming there could have meant spending six months near his father, who died in 2017, though he believes Mark Wahlberg was the right actor for the part. *Ted* earned more than $549 million worldwide and led to a sequel, a prequel series and a forthcoming animated series. In the same interview, Damon also described his wife’s recovery from a brain aneurysm before the 2024 Oscars.