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Elysium director Neill Blomkamp recently revealed that he first went to Eminem for the lead role in the film, before Matt Damon was ultimately chosen.
However, at no point during casting were the two competing, said the actor.
"I don't even think [Eminem] was my competition," Damon explained in an interview with MTV. "I think Neill [Blomkamp, director of Elysium] went to him, so there was no competition. He got the offer, but that's probably 75% of the things that I do -- somebody else got the offer before -- that's kind of the nature of the business. I think you end up getting the part you're supposed to get. The right actor gets the part, ultimately. In terms of me, I never asked Neill. I just found out about Eminem because I read it somewhere."
The actor goes onto explain that he and the Detroit rapper never met during the casting. Em was offered the role by Blomkamp, but later walked away... and Damon was next in line.
"I think Neill called him, and he passed, and then Neill called me," Damon explained. "It's not like they bring us all in for the cattle call: 'Goddamn it, [George] Clooney's here. I knew it.' It's the kind of thing like—before I was married—asking your girlfriend about ex-boyfriends. You don't want to know, and it doesn't affect your relationship. You just get the parts you get."
Elysium is set in the year 2154, where the very wealthy live on a man-made space station while the rest of the population resides on a ruined Earth. However, Damon's character, Max, takes on a mission to change how everything happens.
It hits theaters August 9.
However, at no point during casting were the two competing, said the actor.
"I don't even think [Eminem] was my competition," Damon explained in an interview with MTV. "I think Neill [Blomkamp, director of Elysium] went to him, so there was no competition. He got the offer, but that's probably 75% of the things that I do -- somebody else got the offer before -- that's kind of the nature of the business. I think you end up getting the part you're supposed to get. The right actor gets the part, ultimately. In terms of me, I never asked Neill. I just found out about Eminem because I read it somewhere."
The actor goes onto explain that he and the Detroit rapper never met during the casting. Em was offered the role by Blomkamp, but later walked away... and Damon was next in line.
"I think Neill called him, and he passed, and then Neill called me," Damon explained. "It's not like they bring us all in for the cattle call: 'Goddamn it, [George] Clooney's here. I knew it.' It's the kind of thing like—before I was married—asking your girlfriend about ex-boyfriends. You don't want to know, and it doesn't affect your relationship. You just get the parts you get."
Elysium is set in the year 2154, where the very wealthy live on a man-made space station while the rest of the population resides on a ruined Earth. However, Damon's character, Max, takes on a mission to change how everything happens.
It hits theaters August 9.
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