John Goodman had fun making The Monuments Men, Blues Brothers 2000, which is nice

When an actor reflects on their entire career, it’s only natural that the duds should come up in conversation. John Goodman, recently honored with a career retrospective from the SAG-AFTRA Foundation, has known a dud or two in his long, prolific career. (Just look to the box office performance of his latest picture.) Yet two projects stand out among them all—not for their tortuous productions or his disinterest in the roles, but for how they underperformed or outright flopped despite the fun he had making them. Speaking with Joe Neumaier of WOR-710 AM Radio, Goodman reflected on his experiences with George Clooney’s critically dismissed war comedy The Monuments Men and Jon Landis’ flop sequel Blues Brothers 2000, and how both productions remain near and dear to him. 

“[The Monuments Men] was one of those movies, like Blues Brothers 2000, I probably shouldn’t have done,” Goodman said. “But I had more fun doing it working with these great musicians. Wilson Pickett, Eddie ‘Knock on Wood’ Floyd, Sam Moore from Sam And Dave, all these great cats. It didn’t do well.” As for The Monuments Men, which featured Bill Murray, Bob Balaban, Matt Damon, and Cate Blanchett among its cast, Goodman expressed his appreciation for having made it despite its cool reception. “George’s movie, I had one of the best times I’ve ever had on a film—nothin’.” His director’s excitement about filmmaking was one aspect that stands out. “George loves movies, and he loves stories, and he’s such a great storyteller himself […] I think he’s a great director,” Goodman said. “I had fun with him. Monuments Men. We were over in Germany for six months. And England.”