Matt Damon Fears Oscars Host — and Faux-Nemesis — Jimmy Kimmel: ‘It’s Going to Be Ugly’
Although they originally tied the knot in a small courthouse ceremony in 2005 to avoid paparazzi, Matt Damon and wife Luciana renewed their wedding vows in front of 50 family and friends on the Caribbean island of St. Lucia in 2013. "It's nice to say your vows in front of family," Matt said of the pair's decision to have a second ceremony. "That's the point of taking the vows. These are people who will hold you to them. One of my vows was I gave her the side of the bed closer to the bathroom. And if I don't stick to that, I'm gonna hear about that from my mom, brother and father."
Matt Damon and Jimmy Kimmel are perhaps the most iconic frenemies in Hollywood history, and now their hilariously bitter rivalry will play out live at the 2017 Academy Awards!
The late night star will clearly have the upper hand, given his capacity as the Oscars emcee. In fact, he already took the first shot on Thursday when he defaced Damon’s seat marker with a mustache.
On the red carpet immediately prior to the broadcast, Damon admitted that he’s bracing himself for a rough evening at the hands of his (faux) nemesis.
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“I’m a member of the Academy so I think I’ll definitely make it into the theater, but I don’t know what he’s going have in store for me,” he told E! red carpet host Ryan Seacrest. “It’s going to be ugly.”
Asked by ABC red carpet host Michael Strahan if he has any plans to avoid Kimmel’s ire, Damon deadpanned, “I don’t know, he’s talentless himself, but unfortunately he’s got an incredible group of writers who work for him.
“So I’m afraid, I think I’m in for it tonight, it’s going to be a little rough,” he added with a laugh.
Less than an hour before showtime, Kimmel proved that statement true when he posted a faux-ominous Twitter pic of himself watching Damon onscreen outside the show, captioning the image “dead man walking the red carpet.”
Dead man walking the red carpet. #Oscars pic.twitter.com/j2KaUkdHTX
— Jimmy Kimmel (@jimmykimmel) February 27, 2017
Check out PEOPLE’s full 2017 Academy Awards coverage and complete winners list!
“We’ve tried a lot of couples therapy,” Damon also joked to E! — although apparently it hasn’t worked.
The Academy Awards kicks off live on ABC on Sunday, Feb. 26, with a 7 p.m. ET pre-show and 8:30 p.m. ceremony. See all the Oscar nominees and get your own ballot here!
