MATT DAMON - DAMON THANKS BOSTON POLICE WITH FILM ROLES

DAMON THANKS BOSTON POLICE WITH FILM ROLES

MATT DAMON honoured the real-life drug detectives who helped him research his new role in THE DEPARTED by insisting they all featured in the film. THE BOURNE IDENTITY star spent weeks with police in Boston, Massachusetts researching his role as a crack detective - and was even invited to join them during a drugs raid. The Boston native recalls, "It was just fascinating. I got to kind of investigate this subculture of the state police. "Any time you get access like that it's really the most interesting part of this job... I spent a lot of time just soaking it in, having meals with them and picking stuff up. "Then there was this raid on this crack house. I'm sure I was in no real danger. They brought twice as many cops than they normally do on those raids. I was in the back of the line with my bullet proof vest on, thinking, 'What am I doing here?' "We used the raid for a scene in the movie and the guys who are in the shot with me in the movie were there that night when I was with them."