In preparation to play his role in the thriller Stillwater, written and directed by Tom McCarthy, Matt Damon met several Oklahoma oil workers. McCarthy and Damon traveled to Oklahoma after the presidential elections in 2016. They describe this and similar research trips as valuable experiences and opportunities to connect with people from different walks of life.
Damon’s Role in Stillwater
The drama-thriller Stillwater was just released in the USA on July 30th. Matt Damon plays the role of an American oil rig worker, Bill Baker. He travels to France, where he attempts to overcome language and cultural barriers to exonerate his estranged daughter from prison. To prepare for this role, Damon spent time with actual oil rig workers in Oklahoma, learning about their lives and understanding the character he’s meant to embody in the movie.
Connecting With People From Different Backgrounds
The movie star Matt Damon stated that every research trip of this type reaffirms his beliefs that what binds people together is stronger than what divides them. Damon told The Hollywood Reporter that, even though their trip took place at the height of political division in the country, they still had a fun and meaningful experience connecting with the people. McCarthy concurred that it was a great chance to understand how similar people are and that it’s a shame how much politics and the media can cause a division.
Embodying the Character
Besides being happy to have made friends among the welcoming and warm people they met, Damon and McCarthy claim that the trip was a crucial experience that helped Damon truly embody his role. Damon explains that all the aspects of the character came from spending time with the people they met and that it helped him understand his character’s thoughts and decision-making process much better. At the same time, Abigail Breslin who is portraying Bill Baker’s daughter spent time visiting the prison and talking to guards, understanding what her day-to-day life would be like and studying similar cases to that of her character in Stillwater.