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My guest tonight is an award winning actor and producer of the critically acclaimed documentary about you two and the Bosnian War called Kiss the Future. Please welcome, Matt damon.
Ko. Welcome. All right.
I react to everybody like that this movie is it's it's remarkable a story I I I hadn't heard of it. So it follows the seize of Sarajevo and sort of the art, the art community that sprang out of it, and also the ways in which you too was sort of used as a as a touchstone to pull people together at that time. I wonder, what, what, what what compelled you to tell this story?
Well, it's I had the same reaction. I just somebody told me the story and it was so incredible. And we had this great director, Nana chichen Shine, who who was from there and who who came in and talked to us about it, and I just wanted to help get the story out there and get it because it's such a beautiful story and ultimately about light winning, triumphing over triumphing over dark.
You know.
So and these people in Sarajevo who were just so resilient but used music as like an act of defiance and resistance in the middle of these horrible circumstances. And I just found it just a beautiful story. So we just so I'm producer on it. It's like a documentary. It's not my normal kind of thing to do, but it just it was something I wanted to put out there for people to see.
Yeah, I think it's it's remarkable in watching war torn Sarajevo and you see people who are they talk about dodging bullets and stiper fires so they can go listen to music in a basement. How like normalcy is so so important to them just to feel like they're connected to something. There's moments in there when it's like I wish we could just like airlift Taylor Swift and dropped her in Ukraine just to sort of find some peace.
It feels very modern in that way that might be the answer to everything.
Yeah we could, Yeah she.
Can figure it out.
Yeah yeah, absolutely.
But it is that it is that, you know, the movie really covers all of these lives of these Sarah Evans who who really came to that conclusion reflecting on life and what is life really and actually it was worth risking their lives to go to gather so that they could listen to music or play music or just be together and and and that that bonded them and strengthened their community and that resilience and you know, it's as as Bono said in that little clip there, it
was it was carrying on with their lives was a way of saying, you know, you're not beating us, you're not defeating You will not take our lives from us.
You can, you can kill me, but you still won't take this from me.
There's a great photo in there that we have of one of these punk rock drummers who lost his hand on the front lines and he and he there's a picture of him with his drumstick duct taped to his to his army in place of where you know, where his hand was, and he's just and he's and he's playing like death metal, like come on, you know, like like you're not going to take music away from me, you know, And and uh, it's just a beautiful The stories are really incredible and the people that we we
we got a lot of footage from from the sarah Avans who were there, and so you know, there's a wedding in the in the middle of like all these real moments that were really happening amidst this siege.
I think they sort of articulate that with the wedding, the scene in the wedding under all of this chaos. And again it's it's hard to watch this and not see the image of your seene on news as well, but then to see people go through wedding, walking through war torn areas and just finding those moments of joy, and you really see joy as an act of resistance.
In those moments exactly exactly.
This This movie also follows again this this this YouTube concert in Sarajevo and sort of the conversation around you two a little bit, and they're sort of looked at in some ways as a way that art can shine through, it can find a beacon for people, a way out. I'm curious as an artist yourself. What were touchstones for you?
Clearly you didn't grow up in war torn Boston from my understanding, but I'm wondering, as an artist and a creator, like finding those touchstones that make you feel connected to something larger. What what do you see when you watch and produce a film like that?
Well, I feel Look, I mean I was, I was in Australia last year looking at cave art that was eighteen thousand years old, and just that very human impulse that we have to tell stories to each other and it's a way to kind of tell somebody another perspective, right, and if you and if you you know, for filmmaking, if you can put people in other people's shoes, that builds empathy and compassion. And as you know, Edge says in that, yeah, there are there really are these legitimate
dark forces that are trying to divide us. And you see that a lot in politics, you see that a lot, and and what art and music and film does hopefully is is it's a bulwark against that and an attempt to kind of bridge those divides and keep these communities together.
Do you feel attention to somebody as a creator and a producer, like we're in such partisan times, such political times, uh, and selling political ideas is not the not the easiest sell as it used to be. People don't want to go near that as far as producing things that might have a larger political agenda.
Uh.
But you also are balancing having a platform and such a difficult time. Like, what do you see as you are moving forward and making things? How do you see the art that you want to produce and to be a part of.
Well, I think you want you know what, whatever it is you're making, your your heart has to be in it and you have to feel like it's Look, even if it's a movie that isn't overtly political, if it's about building understanding about the you know, if you can watch a movie that has no relation to your to your life and and be affected by the characters, then that's that's that's one little small bit of evolution, you know.
And and we're bombarded by all of the you know, I mean you you're forced to sit through it because you got to write jokes about it, but but I mean it really is kind of an assault on your senses. And then the and and it's constantly telling you that that that we're different and we're divided and we're split, and and I think movies like this and and uh and and and other films can can can kind of call bullshit on that idea, say we're actually a lot closer than than than we think, or then we're.
Told, I mean, then.
It's like there there's a final quote in this movie that's a poignant one. They wonder whether we need that concert more today than we needed it in ninety seven.
Yeah, that was one of the serae.
Evens said that, which was really and that's why Nanad decided to close the movie with it, because it is you do see a lot of parallels to all over the world to what was happening there, and so again it's a I mean, it ultimately is really an uplifting movie because it's it's beautiful to watch, you know, these people and what they did and how they overcame their situation.
The band and what you know.
Incidentally, the band was there one kind of They were reluctant at first, just because they didn't want to make a U two movie.
No we don't want to.
We were like no, no, no, you know, we're gonna put the Sara Evans in the center of this and that's when they so they gave us all of this footage and the concert at the end that they play is it was the first time that the fifty thousand people gathered and they were on different sides of this conflict, and they gathered and just listened to music together.
And the movie is.
Called Kiss the Future because Bono when he started this concert, he grabbed the microphone and he said the past, kiss the Future. And so that's why we call the movie Kiss the Future, because that was the Yeah, well it's.
A beautiful movie. I had more than before.
Kiss the Future is now available to stream exclusively on Paramount Plus.
Matt Damon.
My guest Tonight, is an Emmy winning actor and comedian who plays Leon Black on Curb Your Enthusiasm, Please welcoup JV.
Slouth. Oh shit, Oh that's great, Oh my god? What hey man?
Yeah, yeah, it's dobrating. Baby.
Let me tell you something. Yeah, no two or words have ever been spoken man than that. Yeah, let me tell you something. Yeah, you invent.
That car, right, you will be assassinated.
Yeah, you know how you were ruined? Yah, big big oil went right.
What I liked about that clip was the dick hole for the car, you still had to get out.
And walk to it.
I was thinking you would get out of work to it. What's that stuff to mean?
What the hey? Whatever? Hey? That perfect?
I set you up perfect? So was that in the script dick in the hole in the coffee or is that just JB doing JB like just check you a dick called?
You know?
Curb Kurb has no no script, you know, it's only an outline based on the idea for the for the episode. But that changes also based on where you go. It's just like branches. It's branches everywhere right falking the road. You got a child where you want to go?
It's fun in particular to watch you because everyone's playing a little bit of an exaggerated version of themselves, but it seems like you're playing a completely different character.
Is that?
Is that?
Is that a fair assessment?
You?
You know what I have to say?
What Leon would say? Right? You know?
And it's one of those things where I get caught up in this guy's world.
I truly do where.
I just I'm not myself right, I'm a compassionate heart woman guy. Of course, we got we share some cadence, maybe little things here, Yeah, delivery and stuff like that.
He swears a lot, a lot, and you haven't even sworn.
I'll get to that, but anyway, yeah, he swears a lot. You know.
One time, you know, I was driving home from set, okay, and I called my wife Art calling, how was your day?
You know that was great? Well, she says all the time, what did Leon say? Today? Did Leon say?
But that's that's that's what curb is, man, it is truly, you are creating on the fly.
Yeah, that's a that's a wonderful wife.
I mean, I called my wife on the way home and she's like, here's what needs to happen tonight.
We got lunches to make. We got this And I love that.
Your full updated what what went down today?
When when people meet you, do they want JB, do they want Leon?
Do you give them Leon? They call me Leon all time.
It depends who they are, you know, but I got a lot of Leon.
You see that as a compliment, just a compliment, you know.
I'll always say life is like a series of checkpoints. I like that you find out.
What they love about you in the moment. Okay, okay, and maybe something that will come along there. People won't forget about Leon. But y'all chart a new path. Manah, some other amazing character will pop up.
I mean, you debuted in Curb in season six.
Yeah, man, it's seventeen years later you're here talking to me about it.
Was it crazy?
Did that ever cross some mind?
I was.
I was two years old when you debuted.
I mean, you know this business, You don't get a job thinking I'll be doing this for seint get it.
Sometimes you get a job and you don't even know if you are gonna be on the next season.
Yo. So I truly.
Mean it's not even a joke, Joe.
It's real. It's real.
You Sometimes you gotta take a job. You gotta take a friend, you gotta take somebody's lady.
Sometimes you got to take stuff.
I got it.
But that's how you get there. And you do a great job, and you just be in the moment and you do exactly what they're looking for and you give them more of what the want. There talking about I love it and that, you know, But I mean there are terms of the screw that you got to figure out what your character like, Like on Curb, I decide in the moment, you know, I don't decide before I
get there. I don't decide based on what's written. I decide in the moment if I want to have Larry's back but go against him, which is a fascinating way. I trying to find out what's going to be the best path. What am I gonna get the most funny out of having us back or fighting with him?
You know what I mean? Good fight, it's always great.
But there's also takes of you deciding a the work right or is just JB always? I mean because it is fun watching because you see Larry sometimes crack or you can see in his eyes he goes, I.
Don't know what's happening to this?
Yeah, yeah, but yeah, that's where the stand up part comes in.
I'm just gonna ask you about stand up.
That's what it comes in there because we we as stand ups.
We we have to be able to read people. I'm can be in a room full of two.
Thousand people in the audience, I have to find that one who's not left. I know, right, he's just like, I know, yeah, I see you man, you know, but I think and you don't.
Think, oh I'm making one thousand nine or nine of people left. You think what's wrong with this money? Yeah exactly, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, But that's what I do. That's why he's that's that's what we do. And not just improv people, but stand up comedians have a unique we can feel. We're like we call the impath. We're not impath, impath.
We we like we can feel your energy.
We feel it.
We know when to move on to the next bit.
The decibelts on our ear goes up and comes back down to a certain level, and we know to move on. Not even we got a little opening for the next bit. But we gotta read people, and we gotta I gotta read him because I'm trying to honestly make a snop bubble come out his.
But also when you do.
A good slid, you make somebody laugh and it makes a slop bubble come out.
That's that's the ultimate. But what's what's interesting about that too is he's.
Also your boss, so you gotta think about that too.
But but but you got to keep people on your toes to man, because look, man, yeah, dems are des are. Like you said, I came on in season six, this train was already moving.
Have you ever jumped on a moving subway? Train I have not no shit is daring and fascinating.
It's fascinating and depth defying, its depth defying.
Right.
But because you're almost lateful work, already late for work, right, you jumped between cars and I gotta be at work at a certain time, i'ma get fired. But anyway, I don't recommend you're doing that. But the train was already moving, right, So I had to sit there and figure out jumping on the train that's already moving, that's already amazing successful show.
You know that.
I was a big fan of the show, and my wife manifested me being on the show. I read that told me I was gonna be on that damn show.
I said, I love this show so much.
I love to be on this show one day, right right, I said, you're gonna be on that show one day. I love that lo and behold that sweet lady. Seventeen years later, lady man, she told me I was gonna be on that show. But yeah, I I go even back further. The first thing I ever did was I took an improv class before I even started doing stand up, cause I wanted to find out who I wanted to
do stand up. I wanted to find out who I want to be on that stage and off that stage, cause you once you create your character, you're writing off stage, which also writing on stage because now you're listening to what people love about you.
I mean, I've read that you you have said stand up has been a vehicle for you, that you get on it, you get off it, you take it somewhere. And that fascinates me because there's definitely a compulsion of stand ups that like I always do stand up, I'm a stand up.
I'm a stand up.
But have explain to me, elaborate what you mean by stand up is a vehicle for you?
Stand up is your vehicle because you gotta take care of it.
You got to maintain it. Yep, you gotta love to drive it. Oh I like that. I got to love to drive it.
Man, that's your vehicle to get to any place you want to get to. Stand up standup comics also take the drama of the world and we convert that drama because we have a different filtration system.
We are deep minded. We are we are we've been through a lot.
To take everything we've been through and we're range it to make you laugh about it.
Yeah, we are also therapists.
We touch on things, We touch on things that only we can touch on it in that way. Yeah, if you look, man, if you get rid of the comedian, you might as well just die. No, I'm telling you, because there's no way in hell you could take the brunt of the real world every day without somebody who's able to take that world filtraded, put it through their body and give it.
Back to you in a manageable form. I love. No one can do that but a comedian.
I love that. Last question for.
You, Curb.
Curb is done? JB.
Smooth is not done.
No, what's next?
Field?
What do you got going on?
Man? Look, this is this is the time where you know.
The cool thing about what I have accomplished throughout my career is people don't understand this, but a lot of times I gotta make time for curb, okay, and not the other way around, because you know, commercial campaigns, TV shows, movies. You know, I'm shitting every.
Time, every time I'm frank to plant, every time I look on there you dressed a Caesar.
There's seasons, there's white claw, There's all these amazing things that I do. I am an amazing spokesperson. I truly know, I believe, I believe, I believe.
Want to sell.
Anything that I love, that I like.
Feels genuine, it feels it has to be genuine.
So that's the power. And people out there, please don't be afraid of the power of no. Do not be ever afraid of the power of no, because another opportunity is gonna come around. Right So now it's time for Curb is one. It's one show. I don't shoot Curb three hundred and sixty five days a year. Curb is one show that takes a few two or three months to shoot, and I'm done the rest of the year. I gotta be to be on the go I am. I am a big hustle man, I truly do. But
I find a way to remain grounded. I found a way to to also figure out what's next for me.
You know.
Therefore, I gotta sell a brand. I believe I have a brand. I have a unique voice. I believe.
I believe people believe in me even when they think I'm around with them.
But I take time for people Number one, because I know that what I have you.
Can they need. Sometimes I connect.
Can you know how many times I missed flights for somebody in the airport.
It stopped me.
They talking to me, you know.
But we have our our our production company that we started, Alternate Side Productions.
This is going.
And I use Alternate Side because I got a whole lot of tickets growing up Austin the side to speak parking regulations here in New York City.
So I use that austin In side just to have my New.
York roots and my manager and my partner Miles. We are going to do some amazing things man in TV and film and keep the brand going because I truly believe you're selling something amazing. You're able to drive that vehicle, you know, to the next battle.
Man, You've always made me laugh on curb your stand up. Thank you for coming and hanging out with us. Congratulations I final scene it up.
Curve here.
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