MATT AND ANGIE CHANGE THEIR IMAGES

Matt Damon and Angelina Jolie play roles opposite themselves in The Good Shepherd.

Matt Damon is the dark and secretive CIA agent in The Good Shepherd and Angelina Jolie plays his clingy wife who seems to have no life of her own. Both play characters that are nothing like who we perceive them to be in real life.

Matt says Angelina nailed the part of a woman leading a life of quiet desperation, even though her life is anything but that.

“I was joking that she just followed whatever her instincts were and then did exactly the opposite and that’s how she found the character because she is nothing like this woman. But I think she does a really great job at portraying somebody believably; that life of quiet desperation. And she really transforms. We had the idea that she would age a little more than me because of her drinking and I think she really does that just really beautifully. She just really believe her every second she’s on there.”

Angelina who has become friends with the light-hearted Matt through Brad Pitt was taken aback by how shady he was in the role.

“He’s a great friend. Nobody has a bad thing to say about him. He’s nice. He’s a great father. Nothing dark about Matt and yet in this role I was very surprised at different moments to see a side of him where you’re not sure it’s him or Edward but there’s something dark and there’s something uncomfortable and there’s something that’s not nice to be in a room with. He does it in such a quiet subtle way but it’s so powerful because we all know him as such a lovely person so it is a big transformation for him to do this and so it was wonderful to watch.”

The Good Shepherd opens today in theaters.