Matt Damon Issues Apology For Diversity Comments Made On 'Project Greenlight'

Matt Damon has found himself in hot water over comments he made about diversity on the "Project Greenlight" Season 4 premiere Sunday night. Damon apologized to all he offended Wednesday, saying his remarks were taken out of context.

Damon issued a statement to TMZ apologizing for comments he made on HBO's "Project Greenlight." "I believe deeply that there needs to be more diverse filmmakers making movies. I want every young person watching 'Project Greenlight' to believe that filmmaking is a viable form of creative expression for them too," he said in the statement.

"My comments were part of a much broader conversation about diversity in Hollywood and the fundamental nature of 'Project Greenlight' which did not make the show. I am sorry that they offended some people, but, at the very least, I am happy that they started a conversation about diversity in Hollywood. This is an ongoing conversation we should be having," Damon continued.

You can see a clip of Damon's comments in the tweet below:

Damon made comments on the show to African-American film producer Effie Brown saying that films need diverse actors, and not necessarily diverse directors and producers, which created an uproar on the Internet. On the show, which is about the process of choosing a screenplay and producing it, the script the filmmakers will be working with involves a black prostitute.

According to "Entertainment Tonight," Brown believed directing duo Leo Angelos and Kristen Brancaccio, an Asian man and a white woman, should make the movie, while Damon disagreed and suggested diversity should be focused on the casting of a movie, not the casting of "Project Greenlight."

"I will say that the only team that is left with diversity is the team that announced they like this script the most as it is, and that is Leo and Kristen. Everyone else had major problems with it and exactly what you're bringing up and exactly the things that we brought up to each other," Damon said on the show. "So I think on the surface they might look like one thing, but they might end up giving us something that we don't want."

"Project Greenlight" airs on HBO Sundays at 10 p.m. EDT. Matt Damon and Ben Affleck are executive producers of the documentary series. Season 4 will air Sept. 13 to Nov. 1.