Matt Damon Recalls Scary Encounter That Gave Him Serious Fear of Sharks

Throughout his career, Matt Damon has appeared in some adrenaline-pumping action movies and found himself in some heart-stopping situations. Damon has seemingly done it all in movies, but there are some things that still strike fear in his heart. 

Damon opened up about one of his biggest fears in an April 1 appearance on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert. When asked what he believes is the scariest animal, he admitted he's most terrified of great white sharks. It all stems from a diving experience he had more than a decade ago. 

"I went shark diving like 15 years ago in South Africa," he recounted to Colbert. "A great white shark I'd say is something I would never want to see unless I'm in a cage. And they are just so much bigger than you think." 

Beyond the size, Damon is scared of them because of how at home they are in their surroundings while humans, even in shark cages, are often paralyzed with fear. 

"[I'm] completely in awe of how beautiful they are," he admitted, "but completely aware of how ridiculously lethal they are."

"They’re perfectly camouflaged in that water,” he continued. "A five-meter shark will just be next to you before you even see it. It does help you realize you don’t have a chance." He gushed about the power they display when they breach and concluded "They are death machines."

One of the world's fiercest apex predators, the great white shark is certainly not something you want to see while swimming. Of course, if you can't resist, you can always do a shark diving trip like Damon did, either with or without a cage.