Matt Damon has issued an apology for remarks that several critics have called tone deaf and racially insensitive.
"I am sorry that they offended some people," he says in a statement. "But, at the very least, I am happy they started a conversation about diversity in Hollywood."
In an episode of the HBO series Project Greenlight, a competition that aims to give up-and-coming directors a chance to helm a feature film, Damon is shown interrupting Effie Brown -- a black female producer -- and apparently dismissing her suggestion that diversity is needed behind the scenes, as well as in front of the camera.
“When you’re talking about diversity, you do it in the casting of the film, not the casting of the show," he says. He and Ben Affleck serve as co-executive producers of the show.
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Later, Damon says that he's glad Brown "flagged the issue of diversity," but believed that point of Project Greenlight is to give "somebody this job based entirely on merit and leaving all other factors out of it."
The episode angered viewers, sparking a strong social media backlash. But in a statement to TMZ, Damon is now apologizing for how his remarks were taken, saying, "I am sorry that they offended some people."
Matt Damon has issued a statement to TMZ apologizing for his controversial 'Project Greenlight' diversity comments. pic.twitter.com/xmvAM2FW4Q— Anthony Dominic (@tmzanthony) September 16, 2015