Overview

• Simon Rex says he bombed his 1997 audition for Good Will Hunting, recalling that Matt Damon laughed at his robotic line reading.
• Director Gus Van Sant advised Rex to enroll in acting school after the failed audition, a move that led to roles in Scary Movie and What I Like About You.
• The actor attended a special Hollywood screening to promote Americana, in which he stars as a Western antiquities dealer fighting over a rare Native American artifact.
• Americana premiered at SXSW in 2023 and is scheduled to open in theaters on August 15 alongside co-stars Sydney Sweeney, Paul Walter Hauser, Eric Dane, and Halsey.
• Drawing on his origins as an MTV video jockey, Rex says he still makes music privately and has retired his rap persona Dirt Nasty.