Matt Damon's Loophole In Hiatus Agreement With Wife Made 'Oppenheimer' Possible

Matt Damon cannot stop talking about the love of his life!

The renowned actor and his wife, Luciana Barroso, have been married for nearly twenty years, having walked down the aisle in 2005 and welcomed four daughters — Alexia, Isabella, Gia, and Stella.

This week, the "Good Will Hunting" screen star disclosed that he told the former bartender that he would take a break from acting until he got a call from Christopher Nolan.

The Argentinian beauty agreed to his terms, and as fate would have it, Nolan called with an offer for Damon to appear in the upcoming "Oppenheimer," where he plays the role of General Leslie Groves.

Over the last several years, Damon has appeared in various highly-acclaimed films, including 2020's "The Last Duel and Stillwater." In 2021, he made a cameo appearance in the MCU's "Thor: Love and Thunder" and starred in - and produced - the hit sports drama "Air" this year, so we know he keeps a busy schedule.

However, since that hectic schedule nearly ruined his relationship with Barroso, the "Jason Bourne" famed star had to offer an unbeatable deal to her. Speaking on his tactics with Entertainment Weekly, the father-of-four divulged that he "negotiated extensively" with his wife about his ability to partake in "Oppenheimer" given that he had previously told her he was taking an acting hiatus.

"This is going to sound made up, but it's actually true," Damon began during the outlet's "Around the Table" alongside Nolan and co-stars Emily Blunt, Cillian Murphy, and Robert Downey Jr.

"I had — not to get too personal — negotiated extensively with my wife that I was taking time off. I had been in Interstellar, and then Chris put me on ice for a couple of movies, so I wasn't in the rotation, but I actually negotiated in couples therapy ­— this is a true story — the one caveat to my taking time off was if Chris Nolan called," he continued.

The 52-year-old's request came from his previous experience with Nolan, where "he never tells you" if he is working on a project and "just calls you out of the blue."

Echoing his co-star's remarks about the director's impromptu approach to casting stars for his films, Murphy — who plays the titular "Oppenheimer" character, confirmed he had "no idea" about the role before Nolan called him. Both actors' confessions come after Damon admitted that Barroso had helped him through a depressive spell while shooting an undisclosed film.

Per The Blast, the One Campaign activist, who received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2007, had stated during a recent interview, "Without naming any particular movies, sometimes you find yourself in a movie that you know, perhaps, might not be what you had hoped it would be, and you're still making it."

After recounting that his wife "pulled" him up after he "fell into a depression" halfway through production when he still had "months to go," he added:

"And she just said, 'We're here now.' You know, and it was like, I do pride myself, in large part because of her, at being a professional actor, and what being a professional actor means is you go, and you do the 15-hour day and give it absolutely everything, even in what you know is going to be a losing effort. And if you can do that with the best possible attitude, then you're a pro, and she really helped me with that."

According to The Blast's report in May, Damon openly expressed remorse over his decision to decline a role in the 2009 science fiction masterpiece, "Avatar," labeling the choice as the dumbest act ever committed by an actor. The primary source of his regret arose from the substantial amount of money he missed out on due to the film's immense success, grossing billions of dollars at the Box Office.

As it turned out, the "Thor: Love and Thunder" star would have made an estimated $250 million if he had played the role of Jake Sully, the main protagonist in the franchise. Upon seeing his distress, his fellow performer, Zoe Saldana, who portrayed Neytiri Sully, attempted to comfort him by proclaiming her doubts that his career "suffered because of it."

In response, Matt Damon queried, "Do you know what kind of movie that would've been if I had been in it?" Amid the expression of personal regret, the Golden Globe Award winner voiced his admiration for Saldana's impressive contributions to several films that have surpassed the $2 billion milestone.

This list encompasses her involvement in the original "Avatar," and its sequel, "Avatar: The Way of Water," as well as her participation in MCU projects, including "Avengers: Infinity War" and "Avengers: Endgame."