Jason Bourne actor Matt Damon punked random people into carrying out a bunch of entry-level spy tasks, which he assigned through a cell phone.
“We set up a simulation to give unsuspecting people the chance to feel like they’re in a spy movie,” the actor explained in a video. He pulled the stunt to promote his upcoming movie Jason Bourne, which stars Julia Stiles, Alicia Vikander, and Tommy Lee, and to raise money for Water.org.
Even though he kept laughing, the actor still got four strangers to follow his every command from saying code words to complimenting cute kids. None of them seemed to have a clue it was Damon on the other line, but they were all over the mission anyway. He even made a pork-intolerant man hold a hot dog for the good cause, and the guy nailed it.
Thanks to Damon’s legit spy lingo — “that manila envelope’s the hottest potato you’ve ever held in your hand,” and “believe me, it’s not about the hot dog. You’re not going to eat the hot dog, and the hot dog isn’t even real. It’s what’s in the hot dog” — it’s all extremely watchable for a prank video. (All the participants meet Damon and win tickets to the premiere of the new Bourne flick, but following his instructions was the true thrill of a lifetime.)
Watch the shenanigans and learn how to enter for a chance to meet Matt Damon at the Bourne premiere in July below.
More Must-Reads from TIME
- Why Trump’s Message Worked on Latino Men
- What Trump’s Win Could Mean for Housing
- The 100 Must-Read Books of 2024
- Sleep Doctors Share the 1 Tip That’s Changed Their Lives
- Column: Let’s Bring Back Romance
- What It’s Like to Have Long COVID As a Kid
- FX’s Say Nothing Is the Must-Watch Political Thriller of 2024
- Merle Bombardieri Is Helping People Make the Baby Decision
Contact us at letters@time.com