Jumping at the chance to work with Clint Eastwood and without even reading the script, Matt Damon's Boston "South End" accent shines through during his performance in "Invictus".
Reportedly assuming that Eastwood's effort would be a western, Damon arrived on set with his Stetson, chaps, spurs and a matched set of vintage Schofield pistols. He was surprised to see his wardrobe trailer filled with shorts and shirts reminiscent of training uniforms in the film, "Chariots of Fire".
Damon's limited prep for the film also found him wanting when it came to mastery of a South African accent. The director was asked about challenges with Damon's speech patterns. "It does tend to sound a little too much like South Boston", said Eastwood, "but I can work with it. Why, do you have a problem with that? Do ya, punk?"
Formerly "God" in a pair of films about television talking heads and their brush with the almighty, Morgan Freeman now plays the role of Nelson Mandella in Eastwood's film. Commenting on Damon's performance, Freeman says, "With the hair bleach job and the Arian look about him, he's kind of scary actually, but then he speaks and it takes you right back home to the comforts and sounds of New England".
