2. Matt Damon
Matt Damon is a movie star, there's no denying that. He could also use a little bit of a career boost (keep in mind, I'm writing this before
Elysium and
Monuments Men). Ever since wrapping up the
Bourne trilogy, the closest thing to a universally-praised film he's been in is the Coen brothers' remake of
True Grit in 2010 and we can all agree that was the Jeff Bridges show. It's been a while since he headlined a hit film. Working with Tarantino could change that. And even if he does have a comeback year in 2013, acting in a Tarantino film is a great way to keep your hot streak going. Damon has solid acting range (he played Pvt. James Ryan and Collin Sullivan) and can obviously pull off drama easily. The underrated part about Damon is his sense of humor.
Good Will Hunting has several laugh-out-loud moments and his guest appearances on
30 Rock and
Jimmy Kimmel Live support my claim that he's a great comedic actor. Like I said in the Downey entry, being able to balance drama and comedy is a must in a Tarantino film. As an added bonus, Damon has also shown he has serious action chops with his work in the
Bourne trilogy and (presumably)
Elysium. If Tarantino had another film end with a bloody shootout like the one in
Django Unchained, Damon wouldn't look out of place shooting guns and beating people up. In the last few years, his best friend Ben Affleck has started to overshadow him. Tarantino could bring Damon back with a vengeance.