Time may pass, but the connection between Ben Affleck and Matt Damon stays strong as ever.
The pair interviewed together on The Howard Stern Show, discussing their decades-long bond, which has weathered the good and the bad in their careers.
Ben Affleck is especially grateful for the connection. Some years, he’s struggled with divorce and alcohol addiction, and Damon has stuck by his side, making him a “real friend.”
Learn more about the pair’s connection below.
Where it All Began
Believe it or not, Ben Affleck and Matt Damon have known each other since they were kids.
The pair were introduced by their mothers. The mothers were teachers who knew each other professionally, back when they were 8 and 10 years old, respectively.
Reflecting on the moment they met in a 2023 episode of Smartless, Affleck recalled, “He was nice to me. We were just kids who grew up two blocks apart, and both wanted to be actors — for whatever reason it is that makes you want to do that thing — and hung out. And then we’re in the same friend group, and then sort of went off and [were] just dumb enough to think, ‘It’ll pan out!'”
Decades-Long Friendship
As the two made their way in the acting world, they got their first break in 1997. The film? Oscar-winning Good Will Hunting. After that, the pair launched into the limelight, starring in bigger and more star-studded films. However, they never forgot that connection between them.
During the Stern interview, Affleck commented, “…the really intense love relationships you have with other young men who you’re really loyal to and really close to and who you grew up with, and a lot of times those relationships are lifelong. I think as young men at least, [we] understood better how important these pure friendships were, and what they meant to us and how they kind of define your identity as early as high school.”
When the question of friendship was pointed at Damon and whether he can still rely on Affleck, Damon replied, “Oh, yeah, our relationship isn’t affected by what people are saying. I was there for all of it.”
Affleck was touched by the comment, turning to Stern and stating, “That’s sort of what a real friend is.”
The Good and the Bad
It’s important to note that there was some turbulence in their lives, but mainly in Affleck’s.
The actor had a rough decade, littered with divorces and alcohol. First up is a high-profile divorce from Jennifer Garner. Then Affleck admitted himself to alcohol addiction treatment. Plus, there were the days of Bennifer part two, when Affleck married ex-fianceé Jennifer Lopez in 2022, only to split in 2025.
Damon helped Affleck through all of the rough patches. That connection was partly due to their similar introduction to Hollywood.
Since the pair became famous at the same time, they could turn to each other and ask, “‘Is this f—ing nuts, or what?’ Or to say, ‘What are you doing, man?'”
New Project Together
Ben Affleck and Matt Damon will continue their friendship into their next project, starring in the new film The Rip.
The crime thriller is based on true events, centering around a group of Miami cops who discover a stash of millions in cash. As outsiders learn about the money, it makes it harder to find someone to rely on.
The pair talked about the film on TODAY, along with teaming up on screen again, their 40-year-long friendship, and even joking about their least favorite trait in each other.
It’s clear the two have forged a deep bond that will surely continue for years, and shows just how important friendships can be.