How Ben Affleck Is Closer to Matt Damon Than Any of His Lovers — We Reveal How 'Hollywood Bros' Went From Fight Partners to Oscar-Winners... and Joint Bank Account Holders

Matt Damon and Ben Affleck have been friends for almost their entire lives.

The best friends met in the 1980s when Damon was 10 and Affleck was 8. They lived only two blocks away, and their mothers introduced them to each other.

In 2019, the Oppenheimer actor revealed on Conan their friendship became stronger when Affleck defended him in a fight.

Damon said: "I remember that was like a big moment. He will put himself in a really bad spot for me. This is a good friend."

As they attended Cambridge Rindge and Latin High School, Damon and Affleck developed a love for baseball and acting. The Justice League actor told Parade how his pal made him feel "less alone".

Affleck said: "Before Matt, I was by myself. Acting was a solo activity where I'd just go off and do something, act in a little TV show or something, and no one understood it.

"None of the other kids knew what it was I did, how it worked, or anything. All of a sudden I had this friend, Matt, and he gets it and wants to do it and thinks it's interesting and wants to talk about it. Soon both of us are doing it."

Their friendship led them to do auditions together, later appearing in Kevin Costner's Field of Dreams as extras.

During an appearance on The Bill Simmons Podcast in 2023, the award-winning actors revealed they had a shared bank account when they were starting in the industry.

The Ford v Ferrari star said: "It was unusual, but we needed the money for auditions."

Although they attended different colleges, Damon and Affleck's friendship remained stronger than ever.

In 1992, they costarred along with Brendan Fraser in School Ties. Damon had a lead role while Affleck played a supporting character.

In the years after Damon and Affleck's official debut, they worked together as co-writers and costars in different flicks. Among the projects are Glory Daze, Chasing Amy, Good Will Hunting, Dogma, Jersey Girl, The Last Duel and Air.

Their latest flick will be Netflix's Animals, in which Damon will star and Affleck will direct.

In 1998, the pair scored their first-ever award when they won the Best Screenplay at the Golden Globes.

Damon and Affleck have maintained their unmatched connection over the years.

In 2014, they spoke about the early days of their friendship and career in Hollywood.

The Gone Girl actor said: "Those times were fun! We had a great time! We were young, we didn't have the kinds of fears that you have when you get into your forties if you haven't gotten to where you want to go. We were in our twenties and we just had a blast!"

Damon added: "We've known each other for more than 30 years, and the fact that we have a company together is kind of a part of the whole thing. We used to have business lunches together in high school when we had no business to talk about."

When Affleck was condemned, the Saving Private Ryan star came forward to defend him in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter.

"Ten years ago, the public image of him could not have been farther apart from who he actually is. It was like he was being cast in a role, that he was a talentless kind of meathead, with his whole relationship with Jennifer Lopez."

Before their recent projects were announced, The Bourne Identity actor predicted his and Affleck's continuous collaborations during a 2018 appearance on The Bill Simmons Podcast.

Damon said: "It was interesting, Good Will Hunting took us such a long time, and we always told ourselves and each other we just don't have time to write."

In February, Damon and Affleck showcased their friendship by collaborating on the Super Bowl's DunKings Dunkin' commercial.

Their appearance came after Damon shared on Who's Talking to Chris Wallace how his father's death in 2017 changed his and Affleck's friendship.

He said: "Ben was very, very close with him.

"You start to see the end game and you start to feel like I want to make every second count. I don't want to fritter away time anymore."

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