The main character of “Infected,” movie star Matt Damon, talks with Tatyana Rosenstein after the premiere

Steven Soderbergh's Contagion hits theaters this week. The Ogonyok correspondent met with the leading actor Matt Damon

Matt Damon is no stranger to playing guys who save the world, but the effect is enhanced by the fact that, as it seems, his character is not at all created for this. He always does this out of necessity, and in Soderbergh’s new film this circumstance is especially emphasized. Beth Emhoff (Gwyneth Paltrow) returns to Minneapolis from a business trip to Hong Kong and dies two days later in the emergency room, with doctors telling her shocked and grief-stricken husband (Matt Damon) that the cause of death is unknown. Naturally, Damon's character will find out, as has happened more than once.

— You have already starred in six films with Steven Soderbergh. Did you get a taste for it or did something particularly catch your attention about the new film “Contagion”?

“I really like Stephen.” He is a calm and balanced director. And then he calls me and begins to express himself in a trembling voice. I was worried at first. Stephen told me that he had read another script by Scott Burns and that this script was the best that Scott had written in his life. Stephen promised to send me the text immediately and the very next day I sat reading it. At the same time, I didn’t even know what role they were going to invite me to play.

“But it was clear from the very beginning.” With your positive image and winning smile, you simply had to get the role of Thomas Emhoff. A simple guy, a loving father and a faithful husband, who still manages to resist a deadly virus, while people around him are dying every minute...

— I like to play simple guys. I think they work best for me. Living a simple everyday life with dignity is what I consider a real art.

— Your partner, and according to the script, wife, Gwyneth Paltrow, told how much joy filming this film gave her. She enjoyed filming in Hong Kong since it was her first time in Asia. Therefore, it was a pleasure for her to even depict the death of her heroine, when she was fighting in a fit, foaming at the mouth. What do you say?

- Any filming with a wonderful director and such a cast is a great pleasure for me. But there was one scene in the film that I worked on longer than the others. This is when I take my wife to the hospital, and a few minutes later the doctor comes out to me and informs me of her sudden death. I remember how long I had to replay this scene in my head. I needed to achieve maximum realism here. This is a very honest and tragic episode. I consulted several doctors who are familiar with such a dramatic situation. They told me about the reactions of real people to the tragic news. Many refused to acknowledge reality and continued to insist that they be allowed to see their loved ones, not wanting to accept the fact that they were no longer alive. Steven Soderbergh expected me to do something special in this scene, and I think I lived up to his trust.

— “Contagion” in some places reminded me of a popular science film about how viruses can destroy humanity. After watching the movie, I was afraid to hold door handles and order drinks in public places. How did this story affect you?

— I also travel a lot, filming in different countries, so there was a moment when I began to think about the problem of diseases and hygiene. I want to believe that my immunity is as strong as that of my hero. Although, I admit, even while working on Contagion, I taught myself to wash my hands more often than before. The film, however, once again showed that the reaction to the virus can be worse than the infection itself and that there will always be people who will make money from people’s fear.

— When did you realize that you wanted to become an actor?

- I was still a boy. My mother, a child psychologist and professor, claims that she saw me as an actor from childhood. I only realized this when I was 14 years old. But at 16 I was already a member of a professional acting society. My parents, however, did not support my zeal and tried their best to dissuade me. But they had no chance to influence the decision. First, I had a great teacher in college, a theater teacher, who became my mentor early on and not only motivated me, but also wrote the plays that we performed on stage. Then my best friend Ben Affleck lived nearby and also dreamed of an acting career. I had no way to retreat.

— You often star in films about agents or spies. Films about "Bourne", "Syriana", "The False Temptation". Your heroes often become hostage to political circumstances, losing their individuality. In general, this is a pressing problem for an actor who works in Hollywood.

“Fortunately, now I am in a privileged situation and can choose my roles and projects. However, at the beginning of their journey, many actors try in vain to make their way and often make compromises. For example, they take part in mediocre films, which they later regret. I believe that you should not be ashamed of your decisions. At that moment in life, they seemed the only right ones, and then for an actor it is always better to study even in a mediocre role than to work as a waiter in a restaurant, waiting for better times. And my path was also thorny. My first success as a screenwriter came when Ben Affleck and I wrote a script called “Good Will Hunting” and received two honorary awards for it: an Oscar and a Golden Globe. Then there was a lull for some time and only seven years later, after The Bourne Ultimatum, I began to be inundated with scripts and proposals. As you can see, sometimes it is useful to lose individuality in order to gain it.

“And yet you continue to choose roles that touch on politics or the influence of capital on our lives.

“If it’s so striking, I should seriously think about it.” This is a dangerous development for an acting career. When people say about an actor’s performance: “Look how well he plays!”, then there is nothing worse than such praise. It indicates that my “game” is unnatural and noticeable, and therefore bad. Also, the roles should not be similar to each other or revolve around the same topic. Besides, there is no such genre as “political film”. Even if, for example, politics plays a prominent role in Syriana, the plot tells about nothing else but our everyday life. Yes, and politics is our daily life, and every day we are faced with economic and social problems. But all this revolves around our everyday life, that is, around what we talk about in films.

— You mentioned that you started your career as a screenwriter. Why haven’t you yourself stood on the other side of the camera and made a single film?

“I’m still discussing this possibility.” But there are other reasons. An actor has the extraordinary privilege of being able to work with different directors. When I was filming The Talented Mr. Ripley with Anthony Minghella, he kept asking me to rate Clint Eastwood, Gus Van Sant, Francis Coppola or Steven Spielberg. I then wondered why this man, who had already been nominated for an Oscar four times and even won one, was still interested in other people. Now it became clear to me on what small “island” the director moves. While working on his own projects, he does not have the opportunity to see what his colleagues are doing, and sometimes he does not even have time to watch their films. Did you know that until recently Sydney Pollack not only directed his own films, but also acted with other directors? All for the same reason. Can you imagine how many directors I have worked with over the past ten years, how many projects I have participated in? What about the director? He may have made two or three films, and only if he was lucky. Then, if I start working on my own project, then in addition to the time spent - three to four years on each of them - I will have to refuse offers from such masters as Paul Greengrass or Steven Soderbergh. It wouldn't be easy.

— What have you learned from working with different directors?

— The most important experience of working with a famous director is to see how he works with the film troupe, how he manages it, how he copes with a large staff and deals with even the last worker and craftsman on the set. The most important task that a director faces every second of filming is decision making. This is where director's skill lies: from 500 proposals, choose one, the only correct one, and at the same time not waste the remaining nerves. When I was little, the director seemed to me like a guy with a thick cigar in his teeth, sitting at the control panel, holding a microphone in his hands, where he shouts something from time to time, without listening to anyone. These times have passed without a trace. Now the director has become a diplomat, a lawyer for “ideas,” and a conductor.

— How do you feel about your popularity?

— I lead a quiet lifestyle and try not to advertise my trips to the supermarket. For the same reason I don’t hire bodyguards. They would only attract more attention than they would help my family's safety. Therefore, even if the paparazzi begin to pursue me, they will not notice anything special or scandalous in my life.

— You starred in “The Talented Mr. Ripley” with Gwyneth Paltrow. Now you're in a duet again, this time in Steven Soderbergh's Contagion...

- It's a wonderful feeling. It’s like meeting an old, forgotten friend and it seems like you left him just yesterday. It's hard to believe that 12 years have passed since then. When Gwyneth and I filmed with Anthony Minghella, we were still at the very beginning of our journey. Now, both professionally and personally, we have achieved success: we have played many roles, we both have children, so the topics for conversation have also doubled. And although Gwyneth was only on set for a few days, we were able to talk about a lot.

— By the way, about children. I think you have four girls? They say that you not only manage to act in films and write promising scripts, but also change their diapers...

- This is true. My wife and I share all responsibilities in half. Recently, my brother, who, unlike me, has two boyfriends, said to me: “You know Matt, it’s more expensive to raise girls than boys. Do you understand what that means? You’ll have to work until you’re old.”

“Damon, your head is clean-shaven.” Is this a new style?

— People ask me about this all the time. You know, I just decided to save money on shampoo. ( Laughs. ) The children adore my new hairstyle, every now and then they stroke, scratch and slap me on the head... But no, this is not a change in style. It’s just that I’m filming a new film with Neill Blomkamp (director of the film “District N 9” - “O” ), and the script requires no hair.

Interviewed by Tatiana Rosenstein

Damon Identification

Gallery

“Ogonyok” recalled several roles in which Matt Damon is far from being as simple as it seems

"Good Will Hunting", 1997, dir. Gus Van Sant

In appearance, he is an ordinary guy from the lower classes, working as a janitor at the university, very reserved, and moderately angry. In fact, he is a mathematical genius who psychopathically avoids recognizing this fact and clings to his usual way of life.

"Dogma", 1999, dir. Kevin Smith

He looks like a cute guy in jeans and a sports jacket. In fact, he is an angel of death exiled to Earth (wings and armor included), trying at all costs to return to heaven.

"The Talented Mr. Ripley", 1999, dir. Anthony Minghella

In appearance, he is a simple-minded bespectacled man, slightly boring, but possessing minor talents (the ability to imitate other people's voices and handwriting). In fact, he is a pathologically vain guy who knows how to make acquaintances, a charming killer.

The Bourne trilogy (2002-2007)

dir. Doug Liman, Paul Greengrass

In appearance, he is an ordinary super agent who performs ordinary special tasks with the help of special skills and special equipment. In fact, it is a metaphor for the “internal failure of humanity,” an attempt to separate oneself from the function that the world imposes.

"The Brothers Grimm", 2005, dir. Terry Gilliam

In appearance, he is an ordinary petty swindler who trades in expelling “evil spirits.” In fact, he is a man not lacking in courage, exposing the “belief in the miraculous,” for which people are forced to pay with their blood.

"It's good to lose your individuality"