Jeremy Renner was thrilled when Matt Damon called him "awesome".

The actor has been cast as the new lead in The Bourne Legacy, the latest in the series of spy film Matt used to star in.

Jeremy and Matt met at the Academy Awards in 2010, where Matt praised the actor's Oscar-nominated performance in The Town

"Matt Damon was sat in front of me. He funnily enough, had just seen The Town, because he and Ben Affleck [director] are best buds. I hadn't even seen it then," he recounted to Empire magazine. "So he saw the movie and he was like, Dude! Dude! I saw the movie and it's so great and you're awesome!'

"So it was a f**king funny introduction, just being at the Academy Awards and having Matt Damon telling you you're awesome."

Jeremy spent very little time considering the role of Aaron Cross in The Bourne Legacy, despite the profound effect leading a blockbuster would have on his life.

"I had to think about what that would mean for my family, my friends, my personal life. It shifts all those relationships in different ways," he confessed. "We can't just go have a cup of coffee somewhere."