The True Story Behind The Epic ‘Wounded Letter’ Prank George Clooney Played On Tina Fey And Amy Poehler, And How Matt Damon Totally Got Roped In
It’s awards season, meaning award show junkies can look forward to many comedic monologues starting off the many star-studded ceremonies. Hosts come and go, but we will never forget when Tina Fey and Amy Poehler hosting the Golden Globes together was a regular thing. They were fantastic, always making audiences howl with laughter before the awards were given out. However, one year, a joke directed at George Clooney got them involved in a hilarious prank war with the movie star, and somehow, he found a way to rope his pal Matt Damon into the whole thing.
The Jokes Amy Poehler And Tina Fey Made At The 2014 Golden Globes
Fey and Poehler are considered some of the best Golden Globes hosts of all time, and they got that reputation for a reason. Not only do they have impeccable chemistry and stage presence, but also know how to make a hilarious joke aimed at movie stars. At the 2014 Golden Globes, the SNL alumni decided to make a silly jab at Matt Damon for his role in Behind the Candelabra, a TV movie for HBO subscribers. They joked:
Matt Damon is here for ‘Behind the Candelabra.’ Matt, on any other night, in any other room, you would be a big deal, but tonight, and don’t take this the wrong way, you’re basically a garbage person.
The joke got a big laugh, and highlighted the large amount of A-list talent in the room. The funny ladies additionally made a joke about George Clooney, and his brief role in 2013’s Gravity. They said:
[Gravity is] the story of how George Clooney would rather float away into space and die than spend one more minute with a woman his own age.
The joke also was met with a strong postive reception, including from Clooney himself, who famously has a great sense of humor and can make a joke at his own expense. It was a nod to his “forever bachelor” image, which he held for a while before he wed Amal Clooney in 2014. Even though Clooney seemed to think the joke was funny, he still wanted to get Poehler and Fey back in his own way, and pulled a prank on the two co-hosts, using the joke about his friend Matt Damon as fuel.
How George Clooney Plotted And Executed His Revenge
Clooney is famous for his practical jokes, so a prank response was expected from the actor. He once left Matt Damon and Don Cheadle stranded at a haunted house, and even pranked Richard Kind into thinking his cat was chronically constipated. But this prank on Poehler and Fey may have been his best yet. In an interview with Sirius XM radio, the Michael Clayton star explained that he got the Sisters stars back by obtaining stationary made with Matt Damon’s name on it, and wrote a note to the comedians pretending to be the famous Good Will Hunting actor. He said:
I sent [Tina Fey] a letter going ‘Dear Tina… listen…” And it [says it’s] from Matt. It just says, ‘Look it sounds hypocritical ‘cause I laughed at the jokes about George and Leo, but that’s sort of what people think about them. But when you call me a garbage man, it just sounds like low hanging fruit. It sounds like an easy joke and I don’t want an apology or anything else. I just want you to know that my kid now calls me the garbage man, so I just wanted you to know how I felt.
This was a hilarious move, and even more funny knowing that George Clooney had to go the extra mile and get that stationary custom made. He decided not to let Damon in on the joke, either, so the actor had no idea that his Ocean’s 11 co-star decided to rope him into his schemes. The Jason Bourne star may have been an innocent victim of the practical joke, but this somehow makes it funnier.
How Tina Fey And Amy Poehler Responded To Matt Damon
Of course, all parties had to have figured out that George Clooney was pranking them eventually. Luckily, Amy Poehler and Tina Fey seemed to figure out by how the letter was written that something was off. The Damon joke was very mild, and the Boston-born actor has a great sense of humor. Tina Fey told Good Morning America (via Wonderwall) that after receiving the letter, they decided to send Matt Damon apology fruit baskets, while also telling him that they suspected George Clooney was pranking them.
When Damon received this massive gesture from the comedians, he was understandably confused. After reading the letters attached to the fruit baskets, it became very clear that he was being pranked, and the culprit was very obvious. He told the story from his perspective on The Late Show with David Letterman, saying:
I get these two fruit baskets, the size of your desk. I’m not [kidding], they are the biggest things I’ve ever seen. One says ‘Letter #1’ with an envelope attached, and one says ‘Letter #2’ with an envelope attached. I opened letter number one and it’s this apology from Tina and Amy saying ‘We really thought you could take a joke, you know we’re sorry we hurt your feelings.’ And then I open ‘Letter #2’ […] and ‘Letter #2’ says, ‘Dear Matt, if your note is part of some George Clooney prank, as I strongly suspect it is, you A-list amateurs are going to have to step it the f- up. We are not some easily confused starlets you’re dealing with here. We are grown ass professional comedians!’
Fey and Poehler must’ve assumed Matt Damon was in on the joke, but this token of “sincerity” was the first the actor had heard of it. He realized pretty quickly what had happened, and that Clooney made stationary impersonating him. He technically had it coming, considering he helped Brad Pitt play a prank on Clooney while filming in Italy. The whole thing is hilarious, and the way the comic duo responded made the whole thing even funnier. I hope Damon was able to get through all the fruit.
It seems like the pranks from Clooney have slowed down over the years, however Matt Damon did mention the actor’s love for practical jokes when honoring Clooney at the Kennedy Center. All four of these actors are absolutely hilarious, and I never get tired of this story. Clooney famously is unbeatable when it comes to these antics, but in 2014, he finally met his match with Amy Poehler and Tina Fey.
