Matt Damon is hoping 2016 will see ‘The Martian’ director Ridley Scott win an Oscar.
Ridley has been nominated for the Best Director Academy Award on three occasions, for ‘Thelma & Louise’, ‘Gladiator’ and ‘Black Hawk Down’, but has never won.
But Matt thinks this could be the year that Ridley emerges victorious.
He said: "Ridley is just a master director. There are a handful of them on planet Earth. But he is one of them. Awards – whatever, who gives a f**k. I mean, except for this one. But … I hope this is his year.
"I don’t know if you’re supposed to say that out loud. But … when I did ‘The Departed,’ we said it out loud a lot about Martin Scorsese and it panned out."
Matt was speaking at the opening night gala for the Palm Springs International Film Festival in California over the weekend.
The Oscar nominations are set to be announced on January 14, with the ceremony itself taking place on February 28.
‘The Martian’ told the story of Matt’s astronaut character Mark Watney having to battle for survival after being left stranded on Mars.
The film was widely praised for its mixture of tense dramatic scenes and comedic moments, as well as the incredible images of space it featured.
Matt Damon backs Ridley Scott for Oscar victory
