Matt Damon Reveals The One Role He Regrets Passing On

Matt Damon has appeared in many beloved films, from his breakout role in Good Will Hunting in 1997 to the 2026 summer blockbuster The Odyssey, but there is one role in his career that he still regrets giving up on.

In a new GQ Men of the Year cover story published on Thursday (November 5), Damon revealed that while he doesn't "want to live with regret," he still holds some disbelief over his decision not to star in the 2012 Seth MacFarlane comedy Ted, per Page Six. The role of John Bennett eventually went to Mark Wahlberg, who also reprised his role in the 2015 sequel.

"I've never had this experience where I laughed so hard reading a script," he said.

Despite thoroughly enjoying the script, even reading some of it aloud to friends, the Martian actor ended up passing on the role after admittedly overthinking the significance of the part.

"And then I just got too clever by half. I don't know what I was thinking," he said. "I was like, 'Well, maybe the teddy bear's actually the best part.'"

He continued, "So I overthought it, and I talked myself out of it."

Even though he might regret passing on the part, he believes Wahlberg was the right person for the job, adding, "Mark's great, and the movie's great, and I wouldn't have made it any better."