It would have been a lot of money!
Despite the fact that many performers claim that their passion is what draws them to the business, many jobs finish with a huge pay day.
But not every actor follows the money, and Matt Damon is a prime example of this.
The 53-year-old has already acknowledged that he declined the opportunity to receive a role in one of the largest movies of all time, which would have earned him more than any other actor had ever been paid for.
Damon has starred in some of the largest franchises thus far in his career, so it's not like he has been short on cash or parts.
However, he regrets letting go of one series in particular, and the director in particular.
Speaking back in 2021, Damon disclosed that when James Cameron offered him a certain role, he declined it, turning away the most salary of his entire career by a significant margin.
Cameron wanted Damon to play the lead role in his film, Avatar. You may be familiar with the movie.
Additionally, he was prepared to forfeit ten percent of the entire movie in exchange for Damon playing the lead role.
Damon, however, clarified that he "had to turn down Avatar."
He stated: "James Cameron offered me ten percent of Avatar if I did it, but I was working on post-production for The Bourne Ultimatum."
Damon would have earned a huge salary as well, considering that the movie went on to earn more money at the box office than any other movie ever at the time, garnering praise from critics and audiences alike for its amazing special effects.
Had he accepted the role of Jake Sully, which eventually went to Sam Worthington, he would have made almost $250 million.
He's actually talked about it quite a bit, so it's obvious that it's had an impact on him.
But the thing that really gets to him might not be the fact that he lost out on the enormous sum of money.
It's possible that because Cameron produces so few movies, he lost out on the chance to collaborate with him.
Back in a 2019 conversation with Christian Bale for GQ he said: "I've left more money on the table than any actor actually.
"Cameron said to me in the course of that conversation, 'Well, you know, I've only made six movies.'
"I didn't realise that ... I realised in having to say no that I was probably passing on the chance to ever work with him.
“So that sucked and that's still brutal."
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