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Interview With "The Adjustment Bureau" Star Matt Damon

Aired March 3, 2011 - 21:00   ET


PIERS MORGAN, HOST: Matt Damon is an Oscar winner, one of "People" magazine's sexiest men alive, and one of the most private men in Hollywood.

JOHN SLATTERY, ACTOR, "THE ADJUSTMENT BUREAU": The first rule about Matt Damon is you do not talk about Matt Damon.

ANTHONY MACKIE, ACTOR, "THE ADJUSTMENT BUREAU": The second rule about Matt Damon is you don't talk about Matt Damon.

MORGAN: But tonight he's agreed to open up to me.

Has there been a moment when you could have veered down the Charlie Sheen route?

MATT DAMON, ACTOR: Sure, there's always a moment for anybody.

MORGAN: Matt Damon --

DAMON: I might be the luckiest man on earth. I really mean that.

MORGAN: Emily Blunt --

EMILY BLUNT, ACTRESS, "THE ADJUSTMENT BUREAU": The stories I could tell. But I won't.

MORGAN: John Slattery, Anthony Mackie, cast of "The Adjustment Bureau." Mystery, conspiracy, secrets, this show is going to have it all.

Matt Damon, how are you?

DAMON: Terrific.

MORGAN: I saw the film last night. And -- it's a compelling movie based around a very simple premise. "The Adjustment Bureau," where somebody can basically control your life, your free will, and dictate how you lead it.

And I thought what better way to start this than to get you to be "The Adjustment Bureau". You've got unlimited power. What are you going to do?

DAMON: What do I do if I'm "The Adjustment Bureau"? Oh my goodness.

MORGAN: You do anything you want.

DAMON: Wow. This could turn into a Miss America answer pretty quickly.


DAMON: Wow. What do I do if I'm "The Adjustment Bureau"? Well, I could -- I would make a lot of changes, I think, in the way things are running right now. I'd get into the Supreme Court and I'd change their mind about the Citizens United decision. I'd change Obama's mind about a number of things, education.

MORGAN: What would you make him do?

DAMON: Well, this is a -- you know, my mother is a professor of early childhood education.


DAMON: And like a lot of educators, she's terrified about what's going on and this kind of market-based reform that people kind of come out of it with a business attitude or kind of approaching education which really -- it's really the wrong -- the wrong way to approach it. And find --

MORGAN: Sure. You're the adjuster. You're "The adjustment Bureau" chief.

DAMON: Well --

MORGAN: You haven't got a hat but --


DAMON: I haven't got the hat. But --

MORGAN: To give you some idea of the powers you would have, I'm going to show a quick clip from the movie. Give you time to gather some earth-changing thoughts.


DAMON: Who the hell are you guys?

SLATTERY: We are the people who make sure things happen according to plan. My name is Richardson.


MORGAN: Now that is the moment in the movie when you kind of realized life is not going to be quite the same again, isn't it?

DAMON: Right. That's the moment when the character sees behind the curtain and realizes that the idea that Phillip Dick came up with was that fate is -- you know, is this group of people basically. And their job is to keep us all on the path we're meant to be on, our predetermined path.

And so what the movie is about is it's my character and Emily Blunt's character fall in love. And -- but we're not in the -- it's not in the plan book for us to be together. So eventually we decide to kind of fight the --

MORGAN: And it's where humanity can kind of overcome the will of even this cyber- robotic force that -- dominating your lives. I mean you can, you can get through with the power of human spirit.

DAMON: Well, the question is, can you with -- you know, if you embrace your free will, if you really fight for your free will, you know, can you overcome fate, is basically --

MORGAN: I like their power, this law. I think it's a wonderful power to have. To control free will over people who are abusing their free will. And that's really the point I was making about if you had as much choice as you liked to do anything.

I mean let's go through big issues. I mean you're very vocal about politics and stuff. I think in a really laudable way. Many -- many actors don't do that. And I think they should because you're in a powerful position to have a view.

In terms of this power that I've awarded you, you were very vocal about Sarah Palin when she first rose to prominence. Just before the last election.

Have you revised your thoughts? Do you regret any of them? Has she gotten more dangerous as the last two years have progressed?

DAMON: No, what -- what I actually said was, I thought of a really reasonable thing at the time. It was -- it was September, and we were I think about eight weeks away from the election, and I was at the Toronto Film Festival. And somebody asked me a question. And she had yet -- she hadn't given an interview yet.

And what I said was I thought that was reckless to have somebody who is literally a heartbeat away from the presidency and -- and she was a complete mystery to everybody. She hadn't done the Katie Couric interview yet. And so -- and that was what I was pointing out.

But the reaction was really interesting. I mean, the reaction was a kind of -- I think showed the level of division in the country. I mean some people just -- you know, really were upset with me for saying anything and some people were happy that I said something. But --

MORGAN: So (INAUDIBLE) won the election. Because you focused people's attention in one moment on what was an extraordinary situation, where someone could come from nowhere, as you rightly said, and potentially run the country.

DAMON: Yes. I mean, I would never say I would have won the election but --

MORGAN: Of course.

DAMON: But I think I said something that a lot of people were saying. I just was the first person that it got picked up, I think.

MORGAN: What do you think of her now?

DAMON: Well, I mean, I disagree with her politically. So obviously she's not somebody who I would vote for. I think that -- you know, I haven't followed her, I didn't really see her show. And you know, I didn't watch it. So --

MORGAN: You didn't watch "Sarah Palin in Alaska"?

DAMON: I didn't. I didn't.


MORGAN: Well, you are up on the intellectual and current affairs.

DAMON: I have four daughters, I don't have time to watch that.


MORGAN: Are you happy with the way that Obama has been running the country? Are you a fan?



DAMON: No. And I think -- I really think he misinterpreted his mandate. I think -- I don't -- a friend said to me the other day, I thought it was a great line, I no longer hope for audacity, you know? And you know he's doubled down on a lot of things. Going back to that education thing.

One of the things, if I were the adjustment bureau, this idea that we're testing kids and we're tying teachers' salaries to how the kids are performing on tests, it's just -- it's a really -- you know, that kind of mechanized thinking has nothing to do with higher order of thinking.

We're training them, we're not teaching them. The programs that are getting cut out at a lot of these schools and the things that are getting focused on are the things that are going to wind us up -- put us in -- put us in jeopardy down the road.

MORGAN: What do you make of what's happened to America in terms of the huge financial crisis? The aftermath seems to be the bankers that got us into the mess are, as usual, helping themselves to all the bonuses.

DAMON: Right. MORGAN: And everyone is sitting here jobless and thinking what the hell is going on.

DAMON: Yes. That's a pretty good description of -- you know, but at least we all got a tax break.


MORGAN: Yes, what do you think of that? I mean you know, guys like you --

DAMON: Well --


DAMON: Did you start a small business with your tax break?

MORGAN: I did not.

DAMON: I didn't either.


DAMON: I didn't either.

MORGAN: Again, does that come back to your sort of slightly disillusioned view of Obama, that when you voted for audacity of hope it wouldn't have been giving the rich tax breaks and watching 10 percent of your population remain unemployed?

DAMON: Right. And in his State of the Union he doesn't even say the worst "poverty." You know? I mean it's like you got millions of people languishing in it, and with no hope of finding a job or a good job, and it's just -- it's really -- look, I understand it's a tough job.

I appreciate that he is a deep thinker. I do appreciate that about him. He's a brilliant guy. But I definitely wanted more. And I believe that there was more there. I think -- I think most people want to do their share. You know, I think you're allowed to ask your citizenry to engage. And I think he had that moment to do it and he didn't do it.

MORGAN: So we've lost the audacity. Have we still got hope, you think?

DAMON: Oh, man. I'm --

MORGAN: You don't seem very hopeful.

DAMON: Well, I'm hopeful on a -- look, I'm an optimist. Though someone said to me the other day, an optimist is -- somebody had a great line to me the other day. A Russian saying, it was like a -- you know, an optimist is just a pessimist who hasn't lived long enough. Something like that. I forget the translation. But yes, I'm -- I'm a little -- I'm just a little bummed out. I was really on a high. You know, I -- like a lot of people around the country was really -- November, 2008, was -- I thought, you know, the beginning of turning this -- I mean, look, it's so expensive now, you know.

You know he needs the Wall Street money. It's like the speech I make in the movie.

MORGAN: You play a senator in the movie. When I hear you speak like this, I mean, the obvious question to ask you is, do you have political aspiration at all?

DAMON: Not at all.

MORGAN: And if not, why don't you?

DAMON: Well, I'm really interested in politics. I think we all should be and you know have opinions. And I'm interested in everyone's opinion. I'm interested in people who don't agree with me. I like it talk to people, I like to learn. And I don't know everything. You know, I -- but I'm not at all interested in being a politician.

First of all, I love my job. I love making movies. I just love making movies.

MORGAN: A point like, you know, Arnold Schwarzenegger when you've made enough of those action films and you think, right, let's try something really -- that I can change things in the world.

DAMON: Well, I feel like -- I feel like the work that I do now allows me to change things. I mean, like with Water.org, I mean that's really where I'm putting most of my free time is with a nonpartisan, nonpolitical movement to try to get clean water to people.

MORGAN: What's the single most effective thing you could do with that if you had your adjustment bureau hat on?

DAMON: Well, the thing is with water there's not like -- there's not a magic bullet. There's -- you know, the issue is this. Every 15 seconds, a kid somewhere on planet earth dies because they don't have access to clean water and sanitation.

And that's the first hurdle to clear. Because in America or in England, you just walk to the tap. You turn the faucet on and you've got clean water. So it's not even a problem that we can relate to.

But it's a staggering problem. I mean every 15 seconds, millions of children every year. And it's totally preventable. But, you know, the question becomes what's the best way to drive water to the most people. And the realty is it's a lot of things, it's going to take, including innovation.

In fact, my partner, Gary White, one of these innovations that I'm really proud of that I'd love to just tell you about for a second is called Water Credit. And in places like India, and these crowded slums where the municipality is pumping water right through -- right under the street there.

People would be walking, you know, a mile or a mile and a half to a water source at a designated time and waiting and standing around to collect their water. Well, what he figured out was for 75 bucks, you could connect directly to the municipality. So suddenly these people had water in their house whenever they wanted it.

MORGAN: Saves however many lives? I mean you can probably not quantify it.

DAMON: And which saves that time. So in the time they were wasting walking to get the water and standing around waiting for their turn, they could work. And so those loans paid off at 99 percent, where Water.org underwrote the loans, proved the model to the banks.

And now they're sourcing commercial capital and we just get out of the way. So it's one of many really good ideas.

MORGAN: I think it's going rather well, these experiments. I'm going to keep your "Adjustment Bureau" hat on.

DAMON: OK. Good.

MORGAN: And when we come back after the break I'm going to move it to the big question for you, Matt Damon. What's harder, making a blockbuster movie or being a dad of four little girls?

DAMON: Do you want me to tell you now or after the break?



MORGAN: Back now with Matt Damon, star of the thriller "The Adjustment Bureau."

Matt, I put this hat on you because in the movie, the guy with the hat is John Slattery, can do anything. You know? He's got the power to change whatever he likes.

If you had the power to have some kind of control over your four daughters, would you take it?

DAMON: There's no adjustment bureau in the world that -- yes, you know, it is very challenging and very fun to have four girls. I -- the world is just the -- it's a different place for me. You know, I just -- I love watching how they think and how they engage with the world. And I just love them. It's just fun -- it's fantastic.

MORGAN: You've had quite a long time now exposed to the craziness of being a movie star. I read in one interview that you've had a very good conversation with George Clooney, who's now a good friend of yours. But when you first had a big hit, he took you aside and gave you the old grandmaster movie star chat which he himself had based it on Paul Newman.

DAMON: Yes. Yes.

MORGAN: What are the rules? I mean if you were advising a young guy who had a big hit movie, what did George say to you?

DAMON: Well, the first thing he said the first day I met him was don't let them keep you inside. And that was great, great advice.

MORGAN: By that you mean physically in your home?

DAMON: Physically don't -- just because they're -- the celebrity can feel a little oppressive. And don't let it -- don't let it make you not live your life. And that was what Paul Newman had said to him.

And I think when you first become famous, it's so strange. It's just -- because the world is exactly the same, it just relates to you a little differently, you know. So your world is completely different. But the world is exactly the same.

MORGAN: Is it really exciting to start with? Do you think, wow, this is what I've lived for, this moment?

DAMON: Well, the work part, yes. I mean the work part, that was it for me. That was the rush. But the fame itself -- I remember somebody said to me right before "Good Will Hunting" came out, they said, "You're going to be famous, and it's going to be fun for a week."

And I remember when it came out I remember thinking, when do I get my week?


DAMON: But look, I mean, it's -- it's allowed me to do all of this work that I love. And I mean, I feel like -- I turned 40 a few months ago, and I said -- we went out to dinner, my family and some friends, and I said to the room, and I really -- and it occurred to me at the moment, I didn't know what I was going to say, and I stood up and I said, "I think I might be the luckiest man on earth."

I really mean that. You know, I really mean that.

MORGAN: And why did you think that?

DAMON: Because I've got the most amazing family, and I've got the most amazing wife. And I've got the most beautiful kids. And I have a job that I love to do. And people that I'm excited to go and work with. And I just -- I feel now like I just want to focus on my health, so that I can just live this life. It's really --

MORGAN: Has there been a moment when you could have veered down the Charlie Sheen route?

DAMON: Sure, there's always a moment for anybody. It's tough to find an anchor out there in L.A. and look, with substance abuse, I mean it's -- that's a disease that is -- I mean, it's just a beast. And it's -- and it -- the lifestyle out there, you know, you need an anchor or you're -- you know, you can go down. There are a lot of different roads you can go down, and none of them are good.

MORGAN: If one of your girls decided that she wanted to be an actress -- it's a fascinating interview with Billy Ray Cyrus about Miley, where he really just finally loses it and says, you know, you have no idea how bad it's been. That I've had to be this protector for her. He loves his daughter but you'll always wield out to defend and protect her.

It's like -- it's this constant attention that he's had to go through because of his daughter being in the same profession.

Do you worry about that? Would you encourage a daughter of yours to be an actress?

DAMON: No, and my parents didn't encourage me to -- well, they didn't discourage me from being an actor. But they discouraged me -- I got in the union when I was 16. And I started coming down here to New York by myself with money that I'd made by -- you know, in local commercials in Boston.

Ben and I actually -- Ben Affleck and I actually had a joint bank account, and the bank account was money that we'd made doing local commercials and we could only use it on trips to New York to audition.

And when I look back at that, as 16-year-old and a 14-year-old, I mean we were really young to be taking the bus by ourselves to New York and spending a day going to, you know, an audition. We were living kind of adult lives as teenagers.

And I'm very fortunate that I didn't get a job then because I did end up going to college, and I did -- and that's really what my parents wanted for me. They said, look, do theater now and do -- that's great. But go to school, and there will be plenty of time for you to be an actor.

And I think that's the advice that I would give my girls. There's no rush to do it now. Let's -- you know, your teenage years should be fun, they should be with your friends. You shouldn't be -- you shouldn't have professional commitments.

MORGAN: People say about you, you're one of the most normal superstars there is.

DAMON: Superstars?

MORGAN: I mean, when I say superstar, how do you react to that phrase?

DAMON: It just seems funny to me to talk about --


MORGAN: Is it ludicrous?

DAMON: To me, yes. But --

MORGAN: Because you're really -- you're Matt Damon, you're a human being, right?

DAMON: Yes. Yes. But --

MORGAN: How do you stay normal?

DAMON: The best answer I ever heard to that was George. We were doing an interview for one of the "Oceans" movies and somebody said that to him, said, you're such a normal guy, how do you stay normal? He goes, well, I have a whole team of people to do that.


MORGAN: What's the secret to a successful marriage in Hollywood?

DAMON: Well, we don't live in Hollywood.

MORGAN: That's one.

DAMON: Yes. I live in New York. That's one. No, I think -- look, it's a personal thing. I think at the end of the day, I wouldn't give advice about marriage. I mean somebody -- I think marriage is -- someone asked do I like marriage -- once and I said I think marriage is kind of a ridiculous idea.

What I like is being married to my wife. And that's really what makes the marriage. She does. You know, that's my whole life works because of her.

MORGAN: Are you easy to live with?

DAMON: I'm sure I'm not. I'm sure I'm not as easy to live with as she is. She's -- it's a breeze for me but --

MORGAN: You got a two-week rule?


MORGAN: You aren't allowed to be apart for more than two weeks?

DAMON: Yes. Yes, we don't do well when we're apart. And I don't want to be apart from my kids. And it's worked so far. I mean for one, there was a good tax deal in New York. So I can make an argument to a movie company to come shoot their interiors here which allows me to keep the girls in school and keeps some continuity there.

And then if I -- for instance, "True Grit" which I did my deal with Joel and Ethan was, I just told them about the two-week rule and they scheduled the movie so that I was actually never away from the family for more than one week, the way they scheduled.

So it was like I was a traveling salesman. I'd get up, I'd go over to Newark, I'd catch the flight. I'd go to Austin. And work for two days and turn around --

MORGAN: Like George in "Up in the Air"?

DAMON: I was basically George in "Up in the Air." I thought -- I got about that many miles.

MORGAN: When we come back, I'm going to talk to you about the reason you can do that kind of deal because you have become the most bankable star in Hollywood.

DAMON: I have?

MORGAN: You have.

DAMON: I want to hear all about that.


MORGAN: I'm back now with Hollywood superstar Matt Damon.

And Matt, I'm going to play you a clip like I did with Anthony Hopkins very recently. And I think you'll find it interesting.

DAMON: I saw it.

MORGAN: You saw it? OK. Well, let's remind you.


ANTHONY HOPKINS, ACTOR: I'm a great fan of Matt Damon.


HOPKINS: I think he's a terrific actor. Terrific actor. One of my favorite films was "The Talented Mr. Ripley." Great performance. Very sinister, very scary.


MORGAN: That's pretty high praise, wasn't it?

DAMON: I was -- this is funny because my wife and I -- this is going to sound like I'm blowing smoke but we were sitting in bed watching PIERS MORGAN.

MORGAN: Well, as you should.

DAMON: As one does. And just enjoying watching Anthony Hopkins because you know he's a hero of mine. And he said that, and there was like -- hang on a second. I looked at Lucy and she looked at me. And I grabbed the remote -- you know, it's the DirecTV, so you can rewind -- I rewound it.

And he said it again. And I paused it and I said, "He just paid me a compliment." It was -- I was very, very, very -- it was great to hear that from him. He's just -- he's just brilliant. And -- MORGAN: A remarkable character. I love interviewing him. He's just -- he's a mesmeric presence when you're with him.

DAMON: Yes. Yes.

MORGAN: He's got one of those faces, you can't take your eyes off him.

DAMON: Yes. And he's apparently a lot of fun to work with. I've never had the chance to work with him but I know a lot of people who have. And I would love to get the chance.

MORGAN: You were voted by "Forbes" magazine the most bankable star in Hollywood. Apparently it's because every dollar that a studio spends on you generates $27 back. And that makes you top dog.

DAMON: Yes. That was from 2007, and I called my agent immediately. And I said, you know, I said would you do your job, man? I said, I am grossly underpaid. And then -- and then this year, because they do it by your last three movies, they did a list of the top 10 people who were least worth the money, and I had made -- I made that list based on my last three movies. And I called Patrick, who was my agent, good work.


MORGAN: You had become a liability.

DAMON: Yes, right. You know I got three more movies to try to -- to try to turn it around.

MORGAN: Will there be a fourth "Bourne"?

DAMON: I really hope so. I talk to --

MORGAN: With Paul Greengrass?

DAMON: With Paul. Well, that's --

MORGAN: Because there has to be.

DAMON: And --

MORGAN: That movie was just the best action film I've seen in decades.

DAMON: Thank you. Thank you. Look, I spent a good part of the last decade playing that guy. And I love working with Paul and Frank Marshall and Dan Bradley and the group we put together. It's just a great group. And I feel like we can definitely make another. Our deal is we just won't do it unless we feel like it's as good as the other three.

MORGAN: Tom Hanks -- you've quoted this story -- said that he believed everybody can have a hugely successful superstar career with one movie. You're only have a one movie away. DAMON: Yes. He said that to me on "Saving Private Ryan." He said -- we were all sitting in a fox hole and he said, "Your mailman is one movie away from being the biggest movie star in the world."

MORGAN: Do you believe that?

DAMON: Yes. Yes. I mean, look, I think of, you know, me and Ben, and "Good Will Hunting" and what that one movie did. I mean it completely changed our lives, completely changed our lives.

MORGAN: Do you ever wonder what would have happened if that movie had bombed and the next three movies had bombed and that was it? Do you ever think, what would I have done?

DAMON: Well, we just would have written another movie and gone and done it, which is what Ben did do. You know, Ben kind of fell out of favor, you know. He got -- he got just a crushing amount of publicity in his personal life, and that made people I think loathe to work him for a little while there. And he was kind of in the penalty box.

And so he did what we did originally, which was he -- first with "Gone Baby Gone," which is a terrific movie, his directorial debut. He wrote that, directed it, and then with "The Town," he couldn't get a job as an actor that he wanted and so he wrote for himself and went and directed it himself.

MORGAN: If you were picking a dream team for a movie, and you had your ultimate power hat on yet again, who would it be? Who would be the leading man, leading lady, producer, director?

DAMON: Well, my hope is to start directing. That's really where I want -- I --

MORGAN: Let's make you director.

DAMON: OK. Here, my -- he said this so I can say it publicly. My cinematographer, Stephen Soderbergh, has already agreed to be my cinematographer on my first movie. So I would lock him up.

MORGAN: He's locked in. Who's the producer?

DAMON: Well, Chris Moore, who produced "Good Will Hunting," my old friend, Chris and John Gordon, those guys. I definitely want to --

MORGAN: Paul Greengrass to help with direction --

DAMON: Paul's brilliant, yeah. The great thing about -- Anthony Minghella sent it once a long time ago. When I went to meet him for "The Talented Mr. Ripley," he started asking questions about Gus Van Zandt and Steven Spielberg and Francis Ford Coppola. I was looking at him like you just won 43 Academy Awards, and you're asking me questions about these directors.

He said, well, what you have to understand is as an actor, you have a real gift, which is you get to go -- he said directors live on their own islands, and we don't get to travel to each other's islands. The reason actors make good directors is because you can go and explore these different processes with these different guys. And you can take what works for you to build your own style. So --

MORGAN: Who are your acting stars? Leading man, leading lady?

DAMON: Oh, I mean, it always depends on the job. I have so many friends who --

MORGAN: The last movie you are ever going to make. This is it before you die.

DAMON: I'm going to have to cast Ben then.

MORGAN: Ben's the leading man?

DAMON: Ben would be my leading man.

MORGAN: Leading lady?

DAMON: I wouldn't do too bad with Emily Blunt.

MORGAN: That's why I know you're a pro. She's about to walk in the room. She would kill you otherwise. Before I bring in your co- stars, I want to ask you if I ask each of them -- because you're pretty well perfect. I need to get into the nitty-gritty of where your fault lines lie.

If I was to ask each of them what's the most annoying thing about Matt Damon --

DAMON: You'd get good answers. I don't know.

MORGAN: What would Emily say, do you think?

DAMON: I have no idea, but I'm dying to find out.

MORGAN: Should we find out?

DAMON: I would love to find out.

MORGAN: I'll call them in. When we come back, I'm going to bring in Matt's co-stars, Emily Blunt, John Slaterry and Anthony Mackie.



EMILY BLUNT, ACTRESS: Oh, my God. What's happening to me? What's happening to me?

DAMON: We're being chased. I need you to trust me. I need you to trust me. OK. Come on.


MORGAN: And we're joined by Matt's co-stars from "Adjustment Bureau," Emily blunt, John Slattery, and Anthony Mackie. I asked Matt if he had the "Adjustment Bureau" hat on -- a fetching hat it is, too, John, if you don't mind me saying -- what would you all do if you had that power to change fate? What would you do?

BLUNT: Might infuse some women into "The Adjustment Bureau."

MORGAN: Really?

BLUNT: -- flying the sisterhood flag now.

DAMON: You got to explain what happened, though. That was unfortunate, was -- "The Adjustment Bureau" is all male because there was a reveal at the end the chairman is a woman. But that part has been cut out.

BLUNT: Of course it was.

DAMON: My mother said, I had a slight problem with --

BLUNT: Yeah.

DAMON: Oh, ma, it was a mistake.

BLUNT: Some female thinking might be good.

MORGAN: If you had ultimate power, Emily, there must be something you would do if you could change things. What would it be?

BLUNT: I agree with you that it's hard not to sound pageantesque when you answer this. But I think health -- people's health, people are sick, cancer's terrifying, and they don't have any -- there's not the support to help people, not like where you and I are from.

My grandma is in hospital right now, and getting taken care of just tremendously well. And my mom and I were just saying isn't that remarkable that she's got that help. She just got a stroke and she's being well looked after. It wouldn't be the case over here.

MORGAN: As you know, it's for all, you know. What I find extraordinary in this country is Obama tries to bring in a health care plan that, whatever you think of it, brings 30 million more people into some form of health care, everyone goes crazy and says how outrageous this is. In Britain, you know, we take it for granted. We get free health care.

BLUNT: Yes. Yes.

DAMON: There is -- there was a Republican strategist who I know and I was talking to him. I just invited him over one day for breakfast, just because I said I just want to understand what -- where are we missing each other. And we -- I listened to him for a long time. Then he listened to me. And we talked. Finally, he goes, oh, I see, health care. He goes, you see it as a right. And I see it as a privilege.

MORGAN: Isn't that it?

DAMON: Well, I said, that is exactly it. You've -- you have identified the problem, because I do see it as a right.

MORGAN: What would you do? Come on. You've got this weird fedora hat on.

ANTHONY MACKIE, ACTOR: It's a nice fedora --

BLUNT: You wear it very well.

MORGAN: Wear it well.

MACKIE: Why is yours nice and mine's weird?


MORGAN: Let me twist the question for you. Let's make it -- because you can change fate, what's the thing you would change about your life, if you had the chance to go back again? If you had that power?

MACKIE: I left home at a very young age. And because of that, I sacrificed time with my parents, with my friends, with my siblings. And I had to grow up extremely fast. And I would change that. I would stay home. I would not go to summer camp and celebrate my mom's 50th birthday at the party.

I would -- I would stay and spend as much time with my sister as I could, because I missed, you know, five, six years of our lives together. And we're 364 days apart. She's my closest friend. But there was a period in my life where we were just detached because I had to make sacrifices to get where I am today.

MORGAN: If you hadn't made the sacrifices, would you be sitting here now as the star of a big movie?

MACKIE: I wouldn't. I wouldn't. It's what's so interesting bout this movie, with fate versus free will. I think we're all fated to some great destiny. But it's our free will that deters us on our path. I think the choices we make are -- definitely influence -- the greatest influence on the outcome of our lives.

MORGAN: John, I mean, other than getting Donald Draper's women or something, what would be something that you --

JOHN SLATTERY, ACTOR: You know, if I could go back and adjust a specific event? I mean, I find it amazing that the handgun situation in this country -- I mean, I would go back and adjust the gentleman that pulled that gun and shot those people in Tucson. But the fact that he could walk into a -- into a store and buy a gun and with the past that this guy's had -- I mean, he had teachers in his classrooms that were afraid to turn around and write on the board because they thought they were going to turn around and this guy was going to have a gun in his hand.

The Second Amendment, the right to bear arms, is one thing. For people to be able to walk into a store and buy a Glock with an extended 30-bullet clip and -- to me, it's insane. So I mean, that might be something I would adjust.

DAMON: There should be a crazy eye test. Like if you have crazy eye, you shouldn't be allowed to buy a gun.

SLATTERY: Who was behind the counter and saw that guy -- look --

DAMON: You should be going --


MORGAN: We'll take a short break. When we come back, I want to ask everyone, since we're on this theme of fate -- I'm going to put my hat on. This is the Slattery hat from the movie.

SLATTERY: A gentlemanly hat.

MORGAN: There we are. Not massively well fitting. But when we come back, I'm going ask each of them, on the same sort of theme with a twist, what would be the moment in their lives that they would relive if they got the chance?


MORGAN: Back now with the cast of "Adjustment Bureau," Matt Damon, Emily Blunt, John Slattery and Anthony Mackie. So I put the question before the break, which is the moment that you would all relive if you literally had ten minutes left. What would be the moment, Matt?

DAMON: Boy, I -- I kind of wonder what the next moment is. You know what I mean? I -- I don't know that -- I think --

MORGAN: You can't include marriage and kids because that's the obvious.

DAMON: It's too obvious. Then you think -- even if you did say, well, the birth of one of my kids, you know, that was pretty tough on my wife. No, no, we're not reliving that, you know.

MORGAN: What about professionally for you?

BLUNT: Working with Emily Blunt.


BLUNT: Every day. MORGAN: He's already named you the greatest actress he's worked with.

BLUNT: That's amazing.

DAMON: Meryl Streep said that about her.

MORGAN: Really?


BLUNT: I want to hear Meryl Streep say that.

DAMON: That Anthony Hopkins thing for me, that's going to be my new screen saver.

BLUNT: Yeah.

MORGAN: I know you both mean it, really. To hear the stars of that caliber pay you those kind of compliments must be as good as it gets for you.

BLUNT: I think it's all shades of surreal. You know, these people that you've been watching and admiring for years. You know, when they say that, you're like who is she talking about? You know, you just -- it's strange. You have a disconnect.

MORGAN: Tell me about your moment. What would be the moment you'd relive?

MACKIE: You know, I -- I would relive -- right now -- I would relive all four years of college in ten minutes. Those were the most amazing -- I came to New York at 17 to go to Juilliard. And it was the best experience -- I would pay good money to go back to college and just be like a 45-year-old freshman. That was the best experience of my life.

MORGAN: Is it because you don't have any responsibilities?

MACKIE: You have nothing.

MORGAN: You don't have to worry about anybody but yourself.

MACKIE: And you play ramen noodle poker.

BLUNT: What is that --

MACKIE: We didn't have money. So we played poker for ramen noodles. They came in the care packages from home.

DAMON: Ramen --

MACKIE: Ramen noodles. You make the egg noodles, and they wrap.

DAMON: I know.

MACKIE: It was great, man. I would go back to college in a heartbeat and never graduate.

MORGAN: What about you, John?

SLATTERY: Oh, I'm going to bring it down now. I had a couple of friends that I lost early that I would go back and I'd bring those guys back. They made -- two particularly close people that decided to take their own lives. And I think that they -- I always wonder right at that instant did they -- did they think, oh, this was a mistake?

Anyway, whether or not they -- that would be my -- I would go back and bring those guys back.

MORGAN: I've got the same feeling. I had a good friend of mine die in his late 20s. And you think all of the times you complain about, you know, the crap we go through.


MORGAN: I think back to him.

SLATTERY: I think it was a series of -- someone said, you know, they had problems they couldn't see over. Was -- you know, small problems, one on top of the other, a lousy job, car broke down, girlfriend broke up, whatever. And they just maybe couldn't see over it and decided to make a hasty decision.

MORGAN: When we come back, we're going to talk about the future, which again will go with my hat I'm going to wear, and find out where you all see your several in, I don't know, ten years time.


MORGAN: I'm back now with Matt Damon, Emily Blunt, John Slattery and Anthony Mackie, the cast of "The Adjustment Bureau." I forgot to ask the most important question of all, which is when you all walked out, I asked Matt, if they were all being honest -- obviously, he has this halo of being Mr. Perfect. So what are the faults of Mr. Perfect?

BLUNT: I don't know.

DAMON: Careful.

Easy, easy.

SLATTERY: Clearly, I dress like him. I have no problem at all.

MACKIE: He's a bad texter. He texts like -- he spells everything correctly and everything is a perfect sentence. I'm like, dude --

MORGAN: I'm with you. I'm with you. I can't --

DAMON: I have a 12-year-old. And it's like I'm telling her this is not okay, this text language. So I'm very careful about texting and -- yeah, lol. MORGAN: I spell out every word perfectly and punctuate. Everything. I can't stand any grown adult --


MORGAN: When I see lol on something over 12, honestly, something dies inside me.

MACKIE: I love it.


MACKIE: That's it. I love all of it. LMAO.

BLUNT: Laughing my ass off.


MORGAN: In the spirit of humor that I've now fallen upon here, we're going to play a little clip from Mr. Jimmy Kimmel, which I think may be familiar to you.


JIMMY KIMMEL, : I'm sick of him getting awards. Do you know how much water he wasted during that shower scene in "School Ties?" A lot.

BLUNT: Did you do that?

KIMMEL: Yes, he did do that.

BLUNT: Matt, come on. Matt's work has already saved countless lives. And for that reason, on behalf of the Broadcast Film Critics Association, I'm proud to present him with the Joe Siegel Award.

KIMMEL: Ladies and gentlemen, his holiness, Matt Damon.

DAMON: Really nice to get this from Emily. We did a movie that's coming out in a couple months and she's just one of the best actresses I've ever met and just a wonderful person.

Jimmy, I literally have no idea why you're here.


MORGAN: There we start to see the real Matt Damon creeping out there, hammering into Jimmy Kimmel.

DAMON: My ongoing feud with him. I relish it, I really do.

MORGAN: How important is humor on the sets of these things?

BLUNT: I did my first job with Judi Dench. And she's extraordinary and such a great laugher. She's the worst giggler in the world. She just said, it's just -- it's ass clenchingly excruciating. It's the best way of saying it.

MORGAN: Please tell me it's as fun behind the cameras as it -- it is my favorite show.

BLUNT: Mine too.

SLATTERY: It's fantastic. But it's a short schedule, so you have to really come ready to go to work. But it does --

MORGAN: Who are the --


SLATTERY: You know, it's impossible for him not to. He's there first shot to last shot every day. So -- and yeah, he's very funny. Everybody is. Elizabeth Moss. They're all really -- I think Vincent Kartheiser gets short thrift. I think people actually think he's that little weasel that he plays on TV. He's nothing like that.

So yeah, it's a lot of fun.

MORGAN: Give me a very quick resume of the future for each of you. You're about to get involved in a movie, I hear.

SLATTERY: That was a little -- that's a little further down the line in print than it is in actuality. I did write a script that I would like to direct. I directed a couple of episodes of "Starring Anthony."

MORGAN: Are you in it?

SLATTERY: No, I'm kidding.

They are currently negotiating something. The studio, the network, the powers that be --

MORGAN: It will be work --

SLATTERY: It will be back, yes. We're all hopeful and optimistic.

MORGAN: I don't really care what happens next year as long as "Mad Men" is back and Bourne is back. I'll die a happy man. I'll be relaxed. My life will be -- Anthony, what's happening with you? Jesse Owens I'm hearing?

MACKIE: Jesse Owens, working on it, trying to get it made.

DAMON: I can outrun you.

MACKIE: You had to run one block and you pulled your hamstring.

DAMON: I had street shoes on and I kicked his ass.

MACKIE: In high school, I ran a good 12 and a half, 13. I was fast. BLUNT: Wow, that's fast.

DAMON: What happened to you?

MACKIE: I got old, man. I turned 30 and things change.

MORGAN: Wait until you turn 40. Trust me.


SLATTERY: Matt ran a lot. And then there's a whole sequence of him in a cab and us running.

MACKIE: There was a lot of running.

SLATTERY: Running on the streets of New York is no fun.

MORGAN: For Emily, you're a young gazelle. Let's turn to you. What are you up to next?

BLUNT: I'm about to start a film in march called "Lupo." It's with Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Bruce Willis. It's a post-apocalyptic, dark thriller. Did you meet for it?


MACKIE: We're going to be hanging out in New Orleans.


MACKIE: We're going to be in New Orleans. You should come down.

BLUNT: Yeah, you've got to come down.

MORGAN: If rumors are right, you're going to be playing Liberace's gay lover.


DAMON: See, that's the thing. Some people work with quotas and, you know, see, I don't do it that way. I respond to the best material.

MORGAN: Is it true you're sexting with Michael Douglas, who plays Liberace? Be honest.

DAMON: Well, the last time I saw Michael is the Golden Globes. I turned around. I didn't know he was there. I saw him and I looked at him. And he just looked at me and he goes, get your chapstick ready.

So we're going to shoot that next summer. So 2012 we're going to shoot that one. But I'm looking forward to it. Two great roles for us. And we're both looking forward to it.

MORGAN: Listen, thank you for all coming in. It's been most entertaining.

BLUNT: Thank you.

SLATTERY: Thank you.

MORGAN: Matt, Emily, Anthony, John, it's a great film. Get out there and watch. Here's my colleague Anderson Cooper with "AC 360."