Simon Rex shares why Matt Damon burst out 'laughing' at him

Simon Rex recently recalled disastrously bombing his Good Will Hunting audition so badly that Matt Damon could not stop laughing.

In a talk with PEOPLE magazine during a special screening of his new movie, Americana, at the Desert 5 Spot in Hollywood, California, the 51-year-old Hollywood actor shed light on how he went from being an MTV video jockey to acting in projects with stars such as Sydney Sweeney.

Rex also revealed his acting career began following a terrible audition for 1997’s Good Will Hunting that made Damon laugh at him. The movie, which cast Ben Affleck and Rob Williams along with the Interstellar star, ended up securing two Oscars.

He shared, “It is funny because I started off as a VJ announcing videos in the '90s, and that's why I'm an actor,” adding director Gus Van Sant “saw me on MTV and he goes, 'I want that guy to read for my movie, Good Will Hunting.'”

"So, I auditioned for Good Will Hunting and I bombed the audition and he said, 'You're not ready, but you should go to acting school.' And now here we are,” the Magic Fram star noted.

When the reporter asked how the audition went wrong, Rex explained, "I was reading the lines like a robot because I had never acted before. And Matt Damon was laughing at me as I'm reading the lines like this."

On the professional front, he has worked on projects, including Red Rocket, What I Like About You, Blink Twice, Poker Face, Greedy People, Down Low, and the Scary Movie franchise.

It is pertinent to mention that Simon Rex’s upcoming film is Americana and it is scheduled to hit theatres on August 15, 2025.