Matt Damon is considered the face of the Bourne film franchise, and rightfully so, but he was not the first actor to step inside the shoes of the series’ titular character, Jason Bourne. Based on Robert Ludlum’s novel of the same name, The Bourne Identity became one of the most influential action movies of the mid-aughts that went on to inspire other long-running action franchises like Mission Impossible and James Bond with its across-the-globe spy drama setup, realistic fight scenes, white-knuckling car chases, and a minimalist yet effective storyline. Considering the first movie’s success, it is not surprising that it was followed up with four sequels and one spin-off.
Other than putting Doug Liman and Paul Greengrass’ directorial vision on full display, the Bourne movies also catapulted Matt Damon’s acting career to new heights. The Good Will Hunting star, who had previously worked primarily on light-hearted dramas, found his new identity as an action star and got a remarkable blockbuster franchise under his belt. However, long before Matt Damon played Jason Bourne in four of the five Bourne movies, another actor had portrayed the same character on the small screen.
The Actor Who Played Jason Bourne Before Matt Damon
Richard Chamberlain was the first actor to play Jason Bourne in ABC’s two-part television movie series titled The Bourne Identity, which premiered in 1988. Unlike the Matt Damon 2002 remake, Chamberlain’s The Bourne Identity is a loyal adaptation of Robert Ludlum’s novel and rarely strays away from the author’s depiction of the main character and his overarching spy narrative. Although Richard Chamberlain’s portrayal of Jason Bourne may not be as familiar as Matt Damon’s, the actor did an incredible job at portraying Ludlum’s vision of the character.
Although Jason Bourne is not among Chamberlain’s most well-known roles, the actor is recognizable for his work in films from the 1970s. He played Simmons in The Towering Inferno and was also the lead in Peter Weir’s The Last Wave. More recently, Chamberlain also appeared in TV shows such as Twin Peaks, Chuck, and Desperate Housewives.
How Chamberlain’s Jason Bourne Differed From Damon’s
While the opening arcs of both Jason Bourne narratives share many similarities, Chamberlain’s version of the character starts believing that he is a world-class assassin named “Carlos the Jackal,” who is based on a real Venezuelan terrorist. As the 1988 Bourne Identity unfolds, however, Chamberlain’s Jason Bourne learns that Carlos is someone else and gradually morphs into the good guy. In the movie’s climax, a showdown ensues between Bourne and Carlos where Jason Bourne becomes an ideal American hero by ultimately killing Carlos and saving the nations from the terrorist’s criminal motives.
In Matt Damon’s The Bourne Identity, on the other hand, Jason Bourne’s biggest fear becomes his reality when he learns that he was, indeed, an assassin doing the dirty work of killing world leaders for the American government. Unlike Chamberlain’s Bourne, whose self-doubt proves to be wrong, Damon’s assassin character becomes the villain in his own story. This affirms that Matt Damon’s Bourne Identity storyline is far darker and arguably better than Richard Chamberlain’s because it borrows some foundational ideas from the source material but elevates its intensity and stakes by stacking bigger mental and physical odds against Jason Bourne.
