Summary
A universally acclaimed, multi-award-winning movie nearly reunited Mark Wahlberg and Matt Damon four years after they shared the screen inThe Departed. Among the all-starcast of Martin Scorsese’sThe Departed, featuring the likes of Leonardo DiCaprio, Martin Sheen, and Jack Nicolson, wasWahlberg as Massachusetts State Police Staff Sergeant Sean Dignam and Damon as the crooked Staff Sergeant Colin Sullivan.The Departed, which seeks to expose a mole amid the MSP’s infiltration of Irish mob boss Frank Costello’s crime organization, pits Wahlberg and Damon against one another in an epic crime thriller full of plot twists and great acting.
Although both have become big-name actors well in demand in Hollywood, surprisingly,Wahlberg and Damon rarely find themselves in movies together. Their combined efforts inThe Departedhelped the film become one ofthe best gangster movies of the 2000s. That is to say,The Departedwas incredibly lucrative, pocketing nearly $300 million worldwide, and universally acclaimed, drawing 99 wins and 141 nominations from the Academy Awards, the Golden Globes, and more. Granted,The Departedwas a full cast and crew effort, but the film’s success begs why Wahlberg and Damon haven’t combined their star power for a second go-round.
Mark Wahlberg Stole A Movie From Leonardo DiCaprio & Matt Damon In Just 10 Minutes Of Screen Time
Mark Wahlberg has been nominated for one acting Oscar at the Academy Awards so far, one that he surprisingly beat out DiCaprio and Damon for.
Matt Damon Was Linked To Two Different Roles In The Fighter
Damon Was Considered To Play Dicky Ecklund and Micky Ward
Wahlberg and Damon almost reunited in a film of comparable success - David O. Russell’sThe Fighter, which earned $129 million worldwide on a $25 million budget (viaBox Office Mojo), 74 wins and 123 award nominations total, and an overallRotten Tomatoescritical approval rating of 91%. The biographical sports drama centers onthe life of professional boxer Micky Ward(Wahlberg), who tries to escape the shadow of his more famous but troubled older brother, Dicky Eklund (Christian Bale).BeforeThe Fighterfeatured Wahlberg as Micky and Bale as Dicky,Damon was considered for both roles.
Rapper Eminem was initially considered for the role of Micky Ward inThe Fighter.
WhileThe Fighterwas close to featuring Wahlberg and Damon as brothers in a performance that surely would’ve been worth the reunion, as it happens, the film’s cast turned out to be different from those considered in development.
According toThe Hollywood Reporter, there was a plan for the film to star Damon as Micky (with Brad Pitt as Dicky) until Wahlberg signed on and was cast instead. PerDigital Spy, Damon was then intended to play Dicky, but dropped out of the film along with original director Darren Aronofsky. WhileThe Fighterwas close to featuring Wahlberg and Damon as brothersin a performance that surely would’ve been worth the reunion, as it happens, the film’s cast turned out to be different from those considered in development. In the end, however, it turned out for the better.
The Fighter’s Casting Choices Worked Out Perfectly
Christian Bale And Mark Wahlberg Were Perfect As Co-Stars
Ultimately, Wahlberg and Bale’s performances and chemistry showed beyond a doubt thatThe Fighter’scasting choices worked out perfectly. His role as Micky proved to be one of thebest performances of Wahlberg’s career, and among films such asBoogie Nights, The Departed, andThree Kings,The Fighterranks as one of his best movies to date. The same can be said of Bale, who was showered with dozens of award wins and nominations and scored his very first Oscar and Golden Globe for his supporting role as Dicky.
Mark Wahlberg was a 2011 Golden Globe nominee for Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Drama forThe Fighter, but lost out to Colin Firth (The King’s Speech).
SinceThe Fighter’spremiere, Damon himself co-signed the ultimate casting of the movie, expressing no regret for passing on playing Dicky.Damon told theDaily Recordin 2011, “I dropped out… ButI look at Christian’s performance and go, “My God, the right actor got the part.“Passing overThe Fighterseemingly allowed Damon to enjoy his own late 2010 and early 2011 releases, including hit filmsTrue GritandThe Adjustment Bureau.The Fighter’sultimate casting decision also means that Mark Wahlberg and Matt Damon haven’t performed together sinceThe Departed, but everything ended well for all parties involved.
The Departed
Cast
The Departed, directed by Martin Scorsese, depicts the tense interplay between the police and the Irish Mafia in South Boston. As an undercover officer infiltrates the criminal underworld, a syndicate informant rises within the police force, culminating in a high-stakes struggle to uncover the dual moles within their ranks.
The Fighter
The Fighter is a biographical sports film based on the true story of boxer Micky Ward and his older brother Dicky Eklund. Micky, who has fallen from grace after his legendary bout with Sugar Ray Leonard and losses along the way, is participating in an interview that he believes is about his boxing career but turns out to be a piece on crack addiction. Seeking redemption and a way back into the ring, Mickey and Dicky train together to restore their family’s honor and repair a broken home.
