Matt Damon regrets passing on role in 2012 comedy Ted

Matt Damon, known for his roles in Good Will Hunting and the 2026 film The Odyssey, revealed in a GQ Men of the Year cover story that he regrets passing on a role in the 2012 comedy Ted, according to mix969.iheart.com.

The role of John Bennett ultimately went to Mark Wahlberg, who reprised the role in the 2015 sequel. Damon said he laughed hard reading the script and even read parts aloud to friends but overthought the significance of the part.

Damon admitted he talked himself out of the role by getting "too clever by half" and considering that the teddy bear character might be the best part. Despite his regret, he expressed that Wahlberg was the right choice for the role and praised the movie.

This reflection highlights Damon's rare experience of laughing so much while reading a script and his acknowledgment that the film and Wahlberg's performance were great, even if he might have done it differently.

The actor's comments were published on November 5 in the GQ Men of the Year cover story and reported by multiple iHeartRadio outlets.