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Ben Affleck and Matt Damon really are best friends forever.
Affleck, 53, and Damon, 55, reunited at the Tuesday, January 13, premiere of their new film The Rip in New York City, opening up about what they are learning and relearning about each other as they continue to work together over the years.
“I keep relearning things about Matt that I already knew and I forget them,” Affleck, 53, joked to Us Weekly exclusively before getting serious about their decades-long friendship. “Honestly, I am continuously reminded of what a great father he is and what a fabulous actor he is.”
Affleck added that it’s “fun” he and Damon get to navigate their careers together. “You’re really lucky if you can do this for a living,” he said. “And you’re exceptionally lucky if you can do it with people you love and care about.”
Damon then jokingly ribbed his BFF to “keep going” with the kind words, causing Affleck to reply, “Yeah, pick that money up and put in my back pocket!”
The ride-or-die duo have been together since they wrote and starred in 1997’s Oscar-winning drama Good Will Hunting. They have since gone on to collaborate together on multiple projects throughout the years, both in front of and behind the camera.The Rip serves as their most recent project, which follows a group of Miami cops who, after discovering a stash of millions in cash, start to question who they can rely on.
“These are people who don’t make a lot of money. And it’s about going out and doing an honest day’s work, and the integrity and the meaning of that,” Affleck explained of the film during a Monday, January 12, appearance on The Howard Stern Show. “[They’re] under-appreciated, under suspicion often, and underfunded.”
The pair also reflected on experiencing the highs and lows of fame while speaking to Stern, 72, noting that they feel lucky that they’ve had each other to lean on throughout their 40 years in the spotlight.
“Getting famous and successful kind of together, [we had] somebody to turn to and go ‘is this f***ing nuts, or what?’ Or to say ‘what are you doing, man?’” Affleck shared, to which Damon replied, “We hit the lottery. We hit it together.”
That remains true for their personal lives, as well. When asked if he’d been there for Affleck when he was going through “all his problems,” including his divorces and substance abuse issues, Damon told Stern he’s stood by his friend’s side for “all of it.”
Affleck was previously married to Jennifer Garner from 2005 to 2018 and the pair share three children together: Violet, 20, Seraphina, 17, and Samuel, 13. Their divorce was finalized in 2021, the same year the Argo director reconnected with Jennifer Lopez, who he was previously engaged to in 2002. They wed in 2022 but divorced after two years of marriage. Affleck has also been open about his struggles with alcohol over the years.
“Could you go to Ben and say, ‘I’m here to help you?’” Stern asked Damon, who didn’t hesitate in his reply. “Oh, yeah, our relationship isn’t affected by what people are saying.”
Affleck, for his part, shared how appreciative he is of having Damon in his life. “That means a lot to me,” he told The Odyssey actor. “That’s sort of what a real friend is.”
Damon has been married to wife Luciana Barroso since 2005 and the couple share four daughters: Alexia, 25, Isabella, 19, Gia, 17, and Stella, 15. When speaking with Stern on Monday, Damon confessed that Barroso initially thought Affleck was the “cute one”of the two when watching Good Will Hunting and before meeting Damon in person.
The trio have since worked together on multiple projects, with Barroso serving as a producer on The Rip. She is also set to l co-produce Affleck’s next directorial project, Animals. Despite the awkward first impressions, Affleck told Stern that they’ve all since become great friends and he’s beared witness to how strong Damon and Barroso are as a couple since the start.
“It’s a really gorgeous marriage and friendship and two people who when they’re apart and independent of one another are one another’s partner,” Affleck shared of Damon and Barroso’s 20-year union. “I have a feeling it’s improved.”
The Rip premieres on Netflix Friday, January 16.
