--- ---  # Here's Why Everyone Is So Annoyed With Matt Damon  by [Daniel D'Addario](https://time.com/author/daniel-daddario/)  ## Daniel D'Addario Sep 29, 2015 7:16 PM UTC  Matt Damon arrives for the UK premiere of "The Martian" at Leicester Square in London on Sept. 24, 2015. Matt Damon arrives for the UK premiere of "The Martian" at Leicester Square in London on Sept. 24, 2015.Stefan Wermuth—Reuters  by [Daniel D'Addario](https://time.com/author/daniel-daddario/)  ## Daniel D'Addario Sep 29, 2015 7:16 PM UTC Matt Damon has had a rough time in the press lately, and it’s consistently been brought on by his own statements. In his documentary series about the film industry, _Project Greenlight_, Damon lectured a black filmmaker about diversity, [for which he later apologized](http://time.com/4037168/matt-damon-diversity-response/). And [in an interview](http://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/sep/27/matt-damon-i-think-you-are-a-better-actor-the-less-people-know-about-you) meant to promote his new movie _The Martian_, Damon suggested that gay actors should not be public about their sexuality, saying: “In terms of actors, I think you’re a better actor the less people know about you period. And sexuality is a huge part of that. Whether you’re straight or gay, people shouldn’t know anything about your sexuality because that’s one of the mysteries that you should be able to play.” It would follow that gay actors shouldn’t come out, that telling the world about their sexuality runs counter to the goals of an effective actor. What’s strangest of all is that this line of thinking comes after Damon, in the same interview, describes how painful it was to be considered Ben Affleck’s lover in the 1990s and briefly describes his family happiness. If Damon really believed actors ought to reveal nothing about their personal lives, even this would seem too much; that he’s giving gay people unsolicited advice, which he doesn’t follow, about how to live their lives seems like an unforced error at best. ### _Mad Max: Fury Road_  Tom Hardy and Charlize Theron star in Mad Max: Fury Road Jasin Boland—Warner Bros. In a summer full of CGI dinosaurs and robots, _Mad Max: Fury Road_ proves that action blockbusters can still be the sort of high art that gets a standing ovation at the prestigious Cannes Film Festival. Director George Miller not only perfected the form, building the rickety fire-shooting vehicles from scratch, but adds narrative heft, taking on serious issues like sex slavery in a nuanced way. _—Eliana Dockterman_ ### _It Follows_  IT FOLLOWS, from left: Lili Sepe, Maika Monroe, 2014\. ©RADiUS-TWC RADiUS-TWC As a premise, “pretty teen girl running from certain doom” may not sound like the makings of an inventive horror film. Yet David Robert Mitchell’s indie sensibility makes the movie unlike any thriller you’ve seen before, while still paying homage to the best traditions of the form. _—Sarah Begley_ ### _Far From the Madding Crowd_  FAR FROM THE MADDING CROWD, Carey Mulligan, 2015\. ph: Alex Bailey/TM & copyright © Fox Searchlight. All rights reserved Alex Bailey—Fox Searchlight The new adaptation of Thomas Hardy’s novel appeals to the _Pride and Prejudice_ set, but with more subtlety and sadness than most Austen films, plus a hearty heaping of rustic drudgery. Carey Mulligan’s gutsy Bathsheba gets swept off her feet like the best of her 19th century romantic peers, but without their usual histrionics—somewhere between _Lean In_ and _Wuthering Heights_. _—Sarah Begley_ ### _Love & Mercy_  LOVE & MERCY, (aka LOVE AND MERCY), Paul Dano, as Brian Wilson, at drums: Kenny Wormald, as Dennis Wilson, 2014\. ph: Francois Duhamel/©Roadside Attractions Roadside Attractions Paul Dano fulfills the promise of roles in _Little Miss Sunshine_ and _There Will Be Blood_ as a young Brian Wilson, the Beach Boy who’s going slowly mad while recording the group’s landmark album _Pet Sounds_. John Cusack shows us the older Wilson, now paralyzed by overmedication at the hands of a villain. It’s a gripping story of mental illness, which is sadly all too common, and true musical genius—which is extremely rare. _—Sarah Begley_ **MORE** [The Top 10 Best Movie Performances of 2015](http://time.com/collection-post/4134970/top-10-best-movie-performances/) ### _Furious 7_  FURIOUS 7, (aka FAST & FURIOUS 7), from left: Tyrese Gibson, Jordana Brewster, Paul Walker, Ludacris, 2015\. ph: Scott Garfield/©Universal Pictures Scott Garfield—Universal Each _Fast & Furious_ movie has gleefully attempted to outdo the previous one. Brought down a plane in the last movie? How about making cars fly out of one in the next? While _Furious 7_ doubled down on its self-consciously corny lines and over-the-top stunts—crashing cars through not one, not two, but three high rises—it also took a moment to give a surprisingly moving send off to star Paul Walker, who died in 2013\. While he will be missed, this increasingly diverse franchise has a bright future. _—Eliana Dockterman_ ### _Ex Machina_  EX MACHINA, Alicia Vikander, 2015\. ©A24 A24 Alicia Vikander’s breakout year hinged on her spooky turn as a robot who may or may not have motives of her own. But this sci-fi thriller got its thrust from the creepy bond between the two men obsessed with Ava: tech billionaire Oscar Isaac and humble employee Domhnall Gleeson. _—Dan D’Addario_ **MORE** [The Top 10 Best Movies 0f 2015](http://time.com/collection-post/4134913/top-10-best-movies/) ### _Clouds of Sils Maria_  CLOUDS OF SILS MARIA, Kristen Stewart, 2014\. ph: Carole Bethuel/©IFC Films IFC Films Freed from _Twilight_, Kristen Stewart showed flashes of both savage intelligence and newfound sensitivity as the personal assistant to Juliette Binoche’s pampered, neurotic actress. The film works as both insider moviemaking satire and an enigmatic tribute to intergenerational bonds between women. _—Dan D’Addario_ ### _Welcome to Me_  WELCOME TO ME, Kristen Wiig, 2014\. ph: Suzanne Hanover/©Alchemy Suzanne Hanover—Alchemy Kristen Wiig, at her best, has always had a far more barbed edge than her comedy contemporaries; there’s real bite, and pathos, to her most memorable characters. Add Alice Klieg to that pantheon. Wiig commits utterly to the story of an ill woman who spends her lottery winnings on a five-day-a-week talk show dedicated to praising herself and shaming her enemies. It works as comment on our media age, but soars as a portrait of suffering that only Wiig could make hilarious. _—Dan D’Addario_ ### _Dope_  Open Road Films Writer-director Rick Famuyiwa’s tale about a nerdy black teen obsessed with ’90s hip hop culture rejects the trappings the typical coming-of-age flick, starting with its setting: Inglewood, Calif., otherwise known as “The Bottoms.” Newcomer Shameik Moore’s portrayal of Malcolm, who’s stuck between his ambition for a spot at Harvard and the whac-a-mole of obstacles that keep popping up to thwart him, thrusts the rising star into the well-deserved spotlight. _—Eliza Berman_ ### _Me and Earl and the Dying Girl_  ME AND EARL AND THE DYING GIRL, (aka ME,& EARL & THE DYING GIRL), from left: Olivia Cooke, Thomas Mann, RJ Cyler, 2015\. ph: Anne Marie Fox/TM & copyright © Fox Searchlight Pictures. All rights reserved Fox Searchlight Pictures Director Alfonso Gomez-Rejon’s adaptation of Jesse Andrews’ young adult novel is a love letter to his late father and a tribute to the cinema greats who professionally reared him—and the movie’s labor-of-love origins are felt throughout. Though its plot, in which a high school senior is forced by his parents to befriend a classmate with leukemia, begs comparisons to _The Fault in Our Stars_, the movie defies categorization as a typical teen cancer rom-com by keeping its quirky protagonists in the realm of friendship. _—Eliza Berman_ ### _The Boy Next Door_  Universal No, you didn’t stumble onto the list of worst movies so far, and no, this wasn’t included to make a larger point about how _The Boy Next Door_ is the rare thriller that lets a middle-aged heroine objectify a _dude_ for a change. (In that way, it’s basically the “I Luh Ya Papi” video of thrillers.) _The Boy Next Door_ gets its due here because the cheap twists and unintentionally laugh-out-loud dialogue (first edition of _The Iliad_, anyone?) made for one of the most deliriously _fun_ theater-going experiences of 2015. _—Nolan Feeney_ Damon has [already suggested](http://time.com/4053706/matt-damon-gay-actor-ellen/), in a follow-up interview with Ellen DeGeneres, that his remarks were taken out of context and sensationalized by online media. This is the frustrating sort of remark that’s not, strictly speaking, provable—the full context of what Damon said is known only to himself and his interviewer—but which manages to entirely sidestep clarifying his beliefs. The Matt Damon the public has now seen twice in recent weeks is a person whose openness about his beliefs is a double-edged sword. It’s admirable Damon is so unguarded about speaking freely (most actors on his level likely wouldn’t have a documentary series at all), but he seems to bristle whenever he runs up against anything that challenges his beliefs. His “apology” for the _Project Greenlight_ incident is a classic sorry-if-you-were-offended non-apology, going so far as to congratulate himself: “My comments were part of a much broader conversation about diversity in Hollywood and the fundamental nature of _Project Greenlight_ which did not make the show. I am sorry that they offended some people, but, at the very least, I am happy that they started a conversation about diversity in Hollywood.” And his defense of his recent comments is, more or less, that we should trust him that he’s not homophobic. But no one was seriously alleging Damon was a homophobe in the first place. Damon, a star who came to prominence a generation ago, is used to being able to control the message; the free-for-all of the web has now seemed to shock him twice in recent memory. The criticism of Damon’s comments on actors hiding their sexuality wasn’t that it was monstrous; it was simply the observation that a straight actor can “keep his private life private” while walking red carpets with his spouse, which a gay actor simply cannot. There are people out there who know more about the experiences of gay people than does Damon, and when they reacted to Damon’s comments, he simply kept talking over them, louder. It’s a strategy that feels taken from another era of star-making, and one that’s gone from making him look less-than-enlightened to raising real questions about why he cares _this_ much about why actors should keep their private lives private. In his clarification of his remarks, Damon reiterated to Ellen DeGeneres how painful it was to be mistaken for gay in the 1990s. If this is informing his current crusade, maybe it’s time he moved on. ### See Photos of Celebrities at the 2015 Emmys  Taraji P. Henson at the 67th Emmy Award on Sept. 20, 2015 in Los Angeles. Jason Merritt—Getty Images  SofÌa Vergara at the 67th Emmy Award on Sept. 20, 2015 in Los Angeles. Dan Steinberg—Invision/Television Acad  Ariel Winter and Laurent Claude Gaudette at the 67th Emmy Award on Sept. 20, 2015 in Los Angeles. Charles Sykes—Invision  Carice van Houten at the 67th Emmy Award on Sept. 20, 2015 in Los Angeles. Danny Moloshok—Invision/Television Acad  Nikolaj Coster-Waldau at the 67th Emmy Award on Sept. 20, 2015 in Los Angeles. Vince Bucci—Invision/AP  Gwendoline Christie at the 67th Emmy Award on Sept. 20, 2015 in Los Angeles. Jason Merritt—Getty Images  Sophie Turner at the 67th Emmy Award on Sept. 20, 2015 in Los Angeles. Frazer Harrison—Getty Images  Maisie Williams at the 67th Emmy Award on Sept. 20, 2015 in Los Angeles. Frazer Harrison—Getty Images  Elisabeth Moss at the 67th Emmy Award on Sept. 20, 2015 in Los Angeles. Jason Merritt—Getty Images  Jessica Pare attends the 67th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards on Sept. 20, 2015 in Los Angeles. Steve Granitz—WireImage/Getty Images  January Jones at the 67th Emmy Award on Sept. 20, 2015 in Los Angeles. Jason Merritt—Getty Images  Kiernan Shipka at the 67th Emmy Award on Sept. 20, 2015 in Los Angeles. Jason Merritt—Getty Images  Christina Hendricks at the 67th Emmy Award on Sept. 20, 2015 in Los Angeles. Jason Merritt—Getty Images  Uzo Aduba at the 67th Emmy Award on Sept. 20, 2015 in Los Angeles. Vince Bucci—Invision/AP  Danielle Brooks at the 67th Emmy Award on Sept. 20, 2015 in Los Angeles. Vince Bucci—Invision/AP  Laverne Cox at the 67th Emmy Award on Sept. 20, 2015 in Los Angeles. Jason Merritt—Getty Images  Samira Wiley at the 67th Emmy Award on Sept. 20, 2015 in Los Angeles. Vince Bucci—Invision/AP  Laura Prepon at the 67th Emmy Award on Sept. 20, 2015 in Los Angeles. Mark Ralston—AFP/Getty Images  Dascha Polanco at the 67th Emmy Award on Sept. 20, 2015 in Los Angeles. Larry Busacca—Getty Images  Taryn Manning at the 67th Emmy Award on Sept. 20, 2015 in Los Angeles. Jason Merritt—Getty Images  Andy Samberg at the 67th Emmy Award on Sept. 20, 2015 in Los Angeles. Frazer Harrison—Getty Images  Heidi Klum at the 67th Emmy Award on Sept. 20, 2015 in Los Angeles. Vince Bucci—Invision/AP  Charissa Thompson at the 67th Emmy Award on Sept. 20, 2015 in Los Angeles. Danny Moloshok—Invision/AP  Nancy O’Dell at the 67th Emmy Award on Sept. 20, 2015 in Los Angeles. Alberto E. Rodriguez—Getty Images  Giuliana Rancic at the 67th Emmy Award on Sept. 20, 2015 in Los Angeles. Alberto E. Rodriguez—Getty Images  Teyonah Parris at the 67th Emmy Award on Sept. 20, 2015 in Los Angeles. Frazer Harrison—Getty Images  Tatiana Maslany at the 67th Emmy Award on Sept. 20, 2015 in Los Angeles. Vince Bucci—Invision/AP  Keltie Knight at the 67th Emmy Award on Sept. 20, 2015 in Los Angeles. Danny Moloshok—Invision/AP  Louise Roe arrives at the 67th Primetime Emmy Awards on Sept. 20, 2015, at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles. Danny Moloshok—Invision/AP  Sarah Paulson at the 67th Emmy Award on Sept. 20, 2015 in Los Angeles. Mark Davis—Getty Images  Jessica Lange at the 67th Emmy Award on Sept. 20, 2015 in Los Angeles. Mario Anzuoni—Reuters  Emma Roberts at the 67th Emmy Award on Sept. 20, 2015 in Los Angeles. Steve Granitz—WireImage  Lady Gaga at the 67th Emmy Award on Sept. 20, 2015 in Los Angeles. Steve Granitz—WireImage  Jamie Lee Curtis at the 67th Emmy Award on Sept. 20, 2015 in Los Angeles. Vince Bucci—Invision/AP  Allison Janney at the 67th Emmy Award on Sept. 20, 2015 in Los Angeles. Dan Steinberg—Invision/AP  Lily Tomlin at the 67th Emmy Award on Sept. 20, 2015 in Los Angeles. Alberto E. Rodriguez—Getty Images  Aubrey Plaza at the 67th Emmy Award on Sept. 20, 2015 in Los Angeles. Vince Bucci—Invision/AP  Amy Poehler at the 67th Emmy Award on Sept. 20, 2015 in Los Angeles. Mario Anzuoni—Reuters  Julia Louis-Dreyfus at the 67th Emmy Award on Sept. 20, 2015 in Los Angeles. Jason Merritt—Getty Images  Tony Hale at the 67th Emmy Award on Sept. 20, 2015 in Los Angeles. Jason Merritt—Getty Images  Jane Krakowski at the 67th Emmy Award on Sept. 20, 2015 in Los Angeles. Frazer Harrison—Getty Images  Amy Schumer at the 67th Emmy Award on Sept. 20, 2015 in Los Angeles. Charles Sykes—Invision/AP  Nazanin Boniadi at the 67th Emmy Award on Sept. 20, 2015 in Los Angeles. Dan Steinberg—Invision/AP  Padma Lakshmi at the 67th Emmy Award on Sept. 20, 2015 in Los Angeles. Mark Davis—Getty Images  Fred Armisen and Carrie Brownstein at the 67th Emmy Award on Sept. 20, 2015 in Los Angeles. Vince Bucci—Invision/AP  Renee Bargh at the 67th Emmy Award on Sept. 20, 2015 in Los Angeles. Vince Bucci—Invision/AP  Christine Marzano at the 67th Emmy Award on Sept. 20, 2015 in Los Angeles. Jason Merritt—Getty Images  Kat Deeley at the 67th Emmy Award on Sept. 20, 2015 in Los Angeles. Mario Anzuoni—Reuters  Liz Hernandez at the 67th Emmy Award on Sept. 20, 2015 in Los Angeles. Vince Bucci/Invision/AP  David Foster at the 67th Emmy Award on Sept. 19, 2015 in Los Angeles. Dan Steinberg—Invision/AP  Natasha Lyonne at the 67th Emmy Award on Sept. 20, 2015 in Los Angeles. Jason Merritt—Getty Images  Lauren Lapkus at the 67th Emmy Award on Sept. 20, 2015 in Los Angeles. Paul Buck—EPA  David Benioff and Amanda Peet at the 67th Emmy Award on Sept. 20, 2015 in Los Angeles. Vince Bucci—Invision/AP  Paul Dano and Zoe Kazan at the 67th Emmy Award on Sept. 20, 2015 in Los Angeles. Vince Bucci—Invision/AP  Kim Dickens at the 67th Emmy Award on Sept. 20, 2015 in Los Angeles. Charles Sykes—Invision  Kate McKinnon at the 67th Emmy Award on Sept. 20, 2015 in Los Angeles. Danny Moloshok—Invision/Television Acad  Nathan Anderson and Anthony Anderson at the 67th Emmy Award on Sept. 20, 2015 in Los Angeles. Danny Moloshok—Invision/Television Acad  Tracee Ellis at the 67th Emmy Award on Sept. 20, 2015 in Los Angeles. Steve Granitz—WireImage/Getty Images  Maggie Gyllenhaal at the 67th Emmy Award on Sept. 20, 2015 in Los Angeles. Jason Merritt—Getty Images  Felicity Huffman at the 67th Emmy Award on Sept. 20, 2015 in Los Angeles. Vince Bucci—Invision/Television Acad  Regina King at the 67th Emmy Award on Sept. 20, 2015 in Los Angeles. Vince Bucci—Invision/AP  Debbie Matenopoulos at the 67th Emmy Award on Sept. 20, 2015 in Los Angeles. Danny Moloshok—Invision/AP  Ellie Kemper at the 67th Emmy Award on Sept. 20, 2015 in Los Angeles. Mark Davis—Getty Images  Morena Baccarin at the 67th Emmy Award on Sept. 20, 2015 in Los Angeles. Frazer Harrison—Getty Images Matt Damon Gay Remarks Ellen Degeneres Interview ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4054096/matt-damon-gay-comments-ellen-degeneres/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4054096/matt-damon-gay-comments-ellen-degeneres/"},"headline":"Here's Why Everyone Is So Annoyed With Matt Damon","datePublished":"2015-09-29T19:16:34.000Z","dateModified":"2026-05-11T05:01:26.623Z","description":"The actor's recent remarks in an interview rankled fans—with good reason","url":"https://time.com/4054096/matt-damon-gay-comments-ellen-degeneres/","keywords":["movies","Matt Damon","Ellen Degeneres"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt77dadb14d09f2947/698865e0cf40a8bb72c3ff39/matt-damon2.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Daniel D'Addario","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/daniel-daddario/"}],"articleSection":"Entertainment","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt77dadb14d09f2947/698865e0cf40a8bb72c3ff39/matt-damon2.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"Actor Damon arrives for the UK premiere of \"The Martian\" at Leicester Square in London","caption":"Actor Damon arrives for the UK premiere of \"The Martian\" at Leicester Square in London","creditText":"Stefan Wermuth—Reuters","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/entertainment/","name":"Entertainment"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/movies/","name":"movies"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/4054096/matt-damon-gay-comments-ellen-degeneres/","name":"Here's Why Everyone Is So Annoyed With Matt Damon"}}]}] ```