9 Strangest Film Casting Choices (That Actually Worked)

It seems strange today that there was a time that Matt Damon was ever questioned as a casting choice. The Boston native has proven himself time and time again to be one of the most versatile and chameleon-like actors in Hollywood and has even developed a hobby of doing brief, nigh-unrecognizable cameos in random films just to prove he can fit into any mold.

But in the early days of his career, he was still proving himself. He exploded to mainstream recognition with Good Will Hunting and proved he wasn't just a pretty face with his brief but impactful role in Saving Private Ryan. He proved he could be funny in Dogma and that he could be a tormented villain in The Talented Mr. Ripley. But while he had demonstrated his chops as a leading man, he had never been able to prove himself as an action hero.

That's why audiences were incredulous when he was cast in the film adaptation of Robert Ludlum's popular spy thriller The Bourne Identity. The novel was a favorite of casual readers and nobody wanted to see Jason Bourne misrepresented on the big screen. Fortunately, Damon was able to tick off the last box of his Hollywood checklist and audiences were relieved to see Damon not only handle himself in the action sequences, but successfully demonstrate the character's psychological and enigmatic trauma.