Greetings, reader!
This is a silly premise, but let me explain. I'm guessing you're all familiar with Matt Damon (I mean, the Finnish band Ursus Factory even has a great song called Matt Damon, about being sick of him being in every movie). But more and more people are becoming aware of Jesse Plemons, a great actor who strikes an amusing resemblance to that of Mr. Damon. I remember when Plemons played somewhat of a breakthrough role as neo-nazi drug dealer Todd on Breaking Bad, and due to his resemblance to the more famous actor and the nature of the series he was in, the internet dubbed him "Meth Damon". Funnily enough, Meth Damon's career has had a pretty impressive trajectory - so much so, that I recently started to ponder that he's honestly gone from being the guy who looks like Matt Damon to being roughly the same level of actor. So, here's a ranking of the very best acting roles I've seen from both men combined!
Here are my honorable mentions: Matt Damon as Mitch Emhoff in Contagion (2011), Jesse Plemons as Chuckie O'Brian in The Irishman (2019), Matt Damon as Carol in 30 Rock (2006-2013), Jesse Plemons as Jake in Paul (2011), Matt Damon as Fake Loki in Thor: The Dark World (2013), Thor: Ragnarok (2017) and Thor: Love and Thunder (2022).
15. Matt Damon as Jason Bourne in The Bourne Ultimatum (2002)
A pretty standard action flick lead performance - nothing Oscar-worthy, but gets the job done while being everything the script calls for. The amnesia is a nice touch, as Damon sells it believably with his many bewildered facial expressions amidst the fast-paced action sequences.
14. Matt Damon as Francois Pienaar in Invictus (2009)
Inevitably outshined by the Nelson Mandela portrayal in the same film, but a very solid secondary lead performance nonetheless. This was one of the first Matt Damon performances I saw, and it definitely worked in terms of memorability and recognition of an actor who knows his shit. It's one of the three acting roles that have earned him an Oscar nomination, and while there are some less decorated performances from him that I rank ahead of Invictus, I definitely understand why he got nominated for this one.
13. Jesse Plemons as Jake Burton in Grey's Anatomy (2005-)
It's just one episode, but one of the more memorable 1-episode guest roles in the entirety of Grey's Anatomy. The makeup department may be the biggest star here, truly making a young Plemons unrecognizable with the believable case of craniodiaphyseal dysplasia - but amidst all the prosthetics, Plemons' acting chops really sell the role of this unforgettable hospital patient. With a role like this so early in his career, Plemons was already destined for greatness.
12. Matt Damon as Mann in Interstellar (2014)
A semi-rare villain turn for Mr. Damon, but he makes it work. While the film's best performances come from McConaughey and Chastain, ol' Matt isn't far behind with his antics as the bitter and vengefull Mann.
11. Jesse Plemons as George Burbank in The Power of the Dog (2021)
The whole ensemble cast in this Oscar-winning Jane Campion drama does a rather excellent job, but I'd argue that it's Meth Damon (not to be confused with Matt Damon) who nails the film's most memorable performance. While the character's arch isn't quite as gripping as some of the other ones in the film, it's the reactions of Plemons' character George, to all the horrible shit going down around him, that really seal the deal on the film's emotional impact.
Whether it's his wife struggling with alcoholism or his brother dealing with toxic masculinity, poor George Burbank has to live through it all, and Jesse Plemons does a brilliant job showcasing the toll something like that takes on a person. The role earned Plemons a well-deserved Oscar nomination - it was his first, and it's so far his only, although I'd bet good money that it won't remain that way for long.
10. Matt Damon as Brett Kavanaugh on Saturday Night Live (1975-)
Yeah, it's just one cold open, but still - parody is a great form of entertainment, and few have mastered it as well as Matt Damon in this modern classic of SNL. I was extra impressed when I read Colin Jost's autobiography, thus learning that they called Damon about this role during the previous night, and that he had said yes, flown over the next morning and chugged a beer to get into character. But, yeah, I remember how therapeutic it felt to have followed the Kavanaugh hearings in a state of horror and disbelief throughout the week, only for SNL's parody to hit so hard that I was borderline crying from laughter.
Damon did a great job portraying what a whiny, overtly emotional, rage-issue-riddled loser the rapist trying to lie his way into the Supreme Court is and was. The story obviously became incredibly depressing when said rapist was confirmed, but at the time when it was all up in the air, Matt Damon sure provided a much-needed moment of levity by giving some of the most well-deserved ridicule and mockery in human history.
9. Matt Damon as Linus Caldwell in the Ocean's Trilogy (2001-2007)
These two in immediate succession is quite the testament to Mr. Damon's range. But, yeah - in a film franchise largely built on A-list actors providing memorable performances, Matt Damon as the unassuming yet arrogant pickpocket Linus Caldwell is definitely one of the most entertaining and memorable roles. Kudos for coming in as a young dude and outshining the star power of Elliot Gould, Carl Reiner, Bernie Mac and arguably George Clooney himself (Brad Pitt's Rusty Ryan remains untouched, though).
8. Jesse Plemons as Todd in Breaking Bad (2008-2013)
The big breakthrough role for Mr. Plemons, and the origin of the hilarious 'Meth Damon' nickname. Like pretty much any given major character in Breaking Bad, the villainous Todd is very well-acted, with his initially unassuming vibe being a cover for a villainous monster, someone who is strikingly evil even by Breaking Bad standards, and who comes off as carefree because he really does not care. It's an untypical villain performance, but a very creepy and real-feeling one. Bravo.
7. Matt Damon as Ryan in Saving Private Ryan (1998)
Fun fact: between getting rescued from war-torn Europe in this flick, getting rescued from the Gulf War in Courage Under Fire, getting rescued from a crisis in the Middle East in The Green Zone, getting rescued from a space station in Elysium, getting rescued as a part of earth's evacuation in Titan A.E., getting rescued from Mars in The Martian and getting rescued from an even more faraway planet in Interstellar, it has been estimated that the U.S. government has spend around 900 billion dollars saving Matt Damon in various movies.
In the OG of one of cinema's most prominent subgenres, a.k.a. "a group of rag-tag misfits must team up in order to rescue Matt Damon from a f**king dangerous place" movies, Damon plays Ryan - the youngest of four brothers, whose immediate recovery is ordered in order to save his family further pain after all three of his brothers have died in combat. Although he only appears in the film's final act, Damon's role as the title character is highly memorable and gripping. From the pain of losing his siblings to the conflict of being the target of a rescue operation that gets other soldiers killed, a young Matt Damon portrays it all in a credible manner.
6. Matt Damon as Leslie Graves in Oppenheimer (2023)
True story: when I was scrolling Matt Damon's IMDB for the purpose of this list, I fully went "Wait, he was in Oppenheimer? Why don't I remember him in that? Must have been a small role" - only to realize that he was one of the main guys, and a very memorable role, but he had disappeared into the role so well that I forgot it was Matt Damon.
That's often what you're supposed to do as an actor, and very hard to do when you're one of the most recognizable faces in Hollywood. Of course I knew it was Matt Damon when watching the film, but it didn't remain in my memory as a Matt Damon role per se, because it was such a unique character performance that it just feels like a natural part of the film and not an A-list celebrity playing the role.
5. Jesse Plemons as Jake in I'm Thinking of Ending Things (2020)
This was when I really started to realize what a force to be reckoned with Jesse Plemons was starting to be. In this arthouse film, one that is f**king weird even by Charlie Kaufman standards, Plemons and his co-star Jessie Buckley provide two absolute powerhouse leading performances. Plemons' character Jake is cryptic and complex, and his commanding presence in the layered role really helps Kaufman's script reach full potential. Hard to imagine anyone else (even the great Matt Damon himself) nailing this specific role so well.
4. Matt Damon as Colin in The Departed (2006)
It must feel like walking among giants to act in a film with a cast as star-studded as The Departed - but by 2006, Matt Damon had grown into such a superstar that he definitely managed to hold his own alongside the likes of Nicholson, DiCaprio and Sheen. In the role of a gangster, groomed from a young age to become a police officer so he can infiltrate the Boston PD and work as the mob's mole within the system, Damon brings effortless layers into believably acting the part of someone who is believably acting a part.
3. Jesse Plemons as Robert Daly in Black Mirror (2011-)
Ah, so f**king good. Jesse Plemons portrays Robert Daly in my all-time favorite Black Mirror episode, USS Callister, as well as its sequel (the only direct sequel the anthology series has ever done) USS Callister: Into Infinity. In both episodes, his performance is mesmerizing with all its layers. The contrast between the Daly we see in the 'real world' and the one we see in the virtual reality just hits hard on so many levels, while making for a frighteningly realistic interpretation of the incel / 'nice guy' psyche. Plemons brings range, nuance and a deep understanding of his complex and utterly fascinating villain character into the role, keeping the viewer on their toes at any given moment.
2. Matt Damon as Mark Watney in The Martian (2015)
The challenge of playing the protagonist in a book adaptation is always its own thing, as there's a lot to live up to. As a huge fan of Andy Weir's novel The Martian, I'm happy to report that Matt Damon absolutely f**king became Mark Watney for the big-screen adaptation. The character's dry and sarcastic humor, his cool and science-based sense of survival, and the gradual unveiling of his more vulnerable and sentimental side all plays out like it does in the book, not to mention the fact that this is definitely the most charistmatic and entertaining role that Damon has ever provided throughout his prolific career.
1. Matt Damon as Will in Good Will Hunting (1997)
Brilliant, absolutely brilliant, and a career-defining performance with good reason. Like his co-stars Robin Williams and Ben Affleck, Matt Damon expertly combines grittiness and heart to create a role perfect for this film, making his character feel like a real, complex person you know and care about. Nuance, charisma, humor, emotional fragility, expert line delivery - it's all there, and it's fantastic. Not only does it make all the sense in the world that he was nominated for the Oscar for Best Leading Actor, but I thoroughly think that he should have won over Jack Nicholson in As Good As It Gets (which obviously isn't bad either).
Well, there you have it - 10 Matt Damon roles and 5 Meth Damon roles made the cut, and the top 2 was all Matt, so the OG still wins. For now, at least - it's very possible that 10 or 20 years from now, it'll be even more even.
Thank you for reading! Tune in next week for my annual Premier League predictions, ahead of the 2025/26 season.
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