Movies News Talk
Renowned for his performances in Movies including Good Will Hunting and the Bourne series, Matt Damon voiced his reluctance to return the 1999 film The Talented Mr. Ripley's character of Tom Ripley. Damon said in a recent interview that he struggled to interact with the new Netflix series adaptation since he had great emotional attachment to the original film.
Matt Damon has particular affection for the gifted Mr. Ripley. Released in 1999, the movie established him as a starring man and signaled a major career turning point. Damon says he loves this movie, which he attributes to his liking of the character Tom Ripley and his experience working with director Anthony Minghella—who has lately gone away.
Damon said that although the new Ripley series's caliber and the gifted ensemble—including Andrew Scott as Tom Ripley—were commendable, he found viewing to be challenging. Strong emotional ties he had to the original movie, especially with director Anthony Minghella, made it difficult for him to separate his feelings from the current adaptation.
Damon hesitated, but he did not rule out entirely the likelihood of going back to be Tom Ripley. Still, he said, the chance has not presented itself. There is room for adaptations of other works in Patricia Highsmith's Ripliad trilogy whereby Damon can once again play his legendary role. Given his emotional attachment to the first movie, it's uncertain, though, if he would be ready to return the character even should the chance present itself.
Still a highly praised and significant piece, the 1999 film adaptation of The Talented Mr. Ripley It made Matt Damon a flexible actor able to represent difficult and morally dubious roles. The popularity of the movie and Damon's unforgettable performance have solidified its position in film history, hence any new adaptation has a difficult challenge ahead to surpass.