Matt Damon: 'Avatar suffered without me'

Matt Damon has joked that Avatar would have been more successful if he had starred in it.

Last month, director James Cameron revealed that he considered Damon for the lead role.

Damon has now explained that he turned down a part in the record-breaking movie because filming clashed with The Bourne Ultimatum.

"It's true, and I read the script and thought it was great," Damon told Access Hollywood. "I talked to [Cameron] a couple of times about it. It was when we were making The Bourne Ultimatum.

"The timing was just off. [Cameron] was great. He said, 'No, you should absolutely stay and finish the job'. He was a gentleman about it."

Damon added that he was upset he could not join the Avatar cast because he wanted to work with Cameron.

"It was harder to let go of because I really wanted to watch Jim Cameron work," he explained. "I always take jobs because of the director... I think everybody would like the chance to sit next to Cameron."

He also joked about the success of the movie and said: "Clearly my not participating cost the film a lot."

Damon was recently cast as Robert F. Kennedy in a new biopic of the politician.