At a Glance
- Matt Damon and Ben Affleck’s 40-year friendship began in Boston and led to an Oscar win for Good Will Hunting.
- Their new movie, The Rip, premieres on January 16, 2025.
- The duo recently promoted the film together, including a joint appearance on Today.
- Why it matters: The pair’s enduring creative partnership continues to shape Hollywood collaborations.
From schoolyard drama geeks to Oscar-winning screenwriters, Matt Damon and Ben Affleck have built one of Hollywood’s most durable partnerships. Their latest film, The Rip, arrives January 16, 2025, marking another chapter in a friendship that spans four decades.
Boston Beginnings
Damon and Affleck met as kids in Cambridge, Massachusetts, bonding over a shared obsession with acting. Both attended the same high school-Damon graduating in 1992, Affleck in 1994. Damon’s brother, Kyle, told News Of Losangeles they “weren’t considered cool kids. They were drama geeks.”
Affleck recalled the instant connection: “Matt gave acting a framework… Before Matt, I was by myself. Acting was a solo activity… All of a sudden, I had this friend, Matt, and he gets it.”
Breakthrough with Good Will Hunting
In 1996 the pair co-wrote Good Will Hunting, casting themselves as best friends. The 1997 release swept award season:
- Golden Globe for Best Original Screenplay, 1998
- Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay, 1998
On the Oscar stage, Affleck opened their acceptance speech: “Ha! I just said to Matt that losing would suck and winning would be really scary, and it’s really, really scary.”
Frequent Collaborations
After Good Will Hunting, Damon and Affleck shared the screen in 1999’s Dogma and launched the HBO documentary series Project Greenlight (2001-2005, revived 2015) to mentor first-time filmmakers. They later formed Pearl Street Productions, backing projects together while juggling solo careers.
Awards and Honors
- Guys of the Decade, Spike TV Guy’s Choice Awards, 2016
- Joint presentation of Best Adapted Screenplay at the 2017 Oscars
- American Cinematheque Award to Damon in 2010, with Affleck and then-wife Jennifer Garner cheering from the audience. Garner dubbed them “the actual prototype for the great Hollywood bromance.”
Family Ties
Their families have intertwined over the years. At the 2021 New York premiere of The Last Duel, Damon attended with wife Luciana while Affleck joined them on the red carpet. Damon told Entertainment Tonight, “I’ve known him for 35 years… We were both in love with the same thing-acting and filmmaking… That bonded us for life.”
Recent Projects
- The Last Duel (2021) – Written with Nicole Holofcener, their first joint screenplay in 25 years
- Air (2023) – Affleck directed and starred as Phil Knight; Damon played Sonny Vaccaro
- Super Bowl 2024 – Alongside Patriots legend Tom Brady, they appeared as the “DunKings” in a Dunkin’ commercial celebrating their Boston roots
The Rip Promotions
To kick off 2025, Damon and Affleck are jointly promoting The Rip. Cameras captured them laughing during a Today show appearance, and they looked “ultra-suave” at the New York premiere on January 13, 2025.
Lighthearted Memories
On The Howard Stern Show, Damon shared that wife Luciana initially thought Affleck was the cuter Good Will Hunting star when she first saw the film in high school. Damon joked, “Finally she met him and all that went away.” Affleck quipped, “I never got that vibe from her… So I think something I did in real life rubbed it off.”
Key Takeaways
- Damon and Affleck’s partnership began in Boston classrooms and continues on global screens
- Their collaboration has yielded an Oscar, multiple box-office hits, and a production company
- With The Rip set for release, the duo prove that four decades on, their creative chemistry remains intact
