Long before they were Oscar winners, Matt Damon and Ben Affleck were just two teenagers carrying big dreams—and even bigger confidence in each other.
Speaking to People magazinewhile promoting Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey, Damon looked back on the friendship that has survived Hollywood, parenthood and decades in the spotlight.
“I think starting out as an actor, you have to feel that way a little bit. You have to because the odds are so long against you,” Damon said.
“I think Ben and I bolstered each other when we were young. We were in our teens and we were coming down here to New York on the train or on the bus to audition for things, for The Mickey Mouse Club. We were the only people who believed in each other. We had families, but they weren’t in the entertainment business.”
“We were the only people who felt like we had a little foot in this door who said, ‘Yeah, you’re going to make it,’” he added.
“And I think you need to have that kind of defy-the-odds mentality to go into this life because it’s a bit of the circus life and it’s not a normal way to go.”
More than 45 years later, the childhood friends are still making movies together through their production company, Artists Equity.
“It doesn’t take much to get us emotional at this point,” Damon joked. “We’re at very similar stages with the kids and it’s definitely a new phase of life.”
“Our dreams came true and the greatest disservice we could do to our younger selves would be to not work together,” he added.
Their next collaboration is already underway, with Damon producing Affleck’s upcoming directorial project, Animals. For these two, friendship isn’t just personal—it’s still one of Hollywood’s best partnerships.
2026-07-22 14:37:00
