Ben Affleck and Matt Damon have been longtime buddies.
This year marks 25 years since the successful actors starred in "Good Will Hunting," which was originally released in December 1997. Damon portrayed Will Hunting, a janitor with a genius-level IQ score. In this film, Damon’s character said the iconic line, "How do you like them apples?" that is still used 25 years later.
The pair’s most recent film, "The Last Duel," was released in 2021. Damon and Affleck are also teaming up to start their independent production company, Artists Equity. According to Variety, Affleck will serve as CEO, and Damon will take on the role as chief content officer. Affleck and Damon’s first project is already in the works. They both star in an upcoming, untitled film about former Nike executive Sonny Vaccaro's life story.
Here's a look back at Affleck and Damon’s history together.
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Both Affleck and Damon grew up in Cambridge, Massachusetts and quickly became friends when Damon was 10 and Affleck was 8. In previous interviews, both actors have expressed they each had a love for acting at an early age, which drew them to one another.
In 2016, Damon spoke with Entertainment Tonight about how the stars grew up together and detailed their bond.
"I’ve known him for 35 years, and we grew up together," he told the outlet. "We were both in love with the same thing — acting and filmmaking. I think we fed on each other’s obsession during really formative, important years and that bonded us for life."
In 2004, Damon’s brother, Kyle, spoke with People magazine about the pair's friendship and shared that in high school, the boys weren’t the "cool kids" on campus and were considered "drama geeks."
In 2007, Affleck shared with Parade that he and Damon would take the train in high school to New York City to audition for acting roles.
"We'd take the train. Or sometimes we'd even take the airplane, back when there was the Eastern Shuttle or People's Express," Affleck told the outlet. "It cost like $20 to fly, and you could smoke on the plane. We were smoking like idiots because we thought we were really supposed to be grown-up. It was pitiful."
Fast-forward several years, Damon and Affleck appeared on the big screen in major roles together.
Damon, then 27, and Affleck, then 25, co-wrote the film "Good Will Hunting" together while they were roommates. "We rented this house on the beach in Venice and 800 people came and stayed with us and got drunk," Affleck previously said, according to Forbes magazine.
"Then we ran out of money and had to get an apartment. It was, like, everything was exciting," he said. "So we lived in Glendale and Eagle Rock, and we lived in Hollywood, West Hollywood, Venice, by the Hollywood Bowl, all over the place. We’d get thrown out of some places, or we’d have to upgrade or downgrade depending on who had money."
According to Us Weekly, Affleck and Damon used the release of "Good Will Hunting" to secure a new apartment before they had any credit to their names.
"I remember it was printed in Daily Variety that we were going to get $600,000 on it. We had no credit, so we went to rent this house that was $3,000 a month, and we used a copy of the Daily Variety to get the place," Affleck said, per the outlet. "I was like, 'I don't have credit, but this is who we are.' And the landlord was like, 'All right, sure.'"
The film also starred Minnie Driver, the late Robin Williams and "Yellowstone's" Cole Hauser.
In 1998, Matt and Ben won their first Oscar award for best original screenplay for "Good Will Hunting."
At 25, Affleck became the youngest writer to win an Oscar for best screenwriting, according to IMDb.
"I just said to Matt, 'Losing would suck and winning would be really scary -- and it's really, really scary," Affleck said during his acceptance speech, per Us Weekly. "We're just two young guys who were fortunate to be involved with a lot of great people."
Damon and Affleck first appeared together in minor roles in the 1989 "Field of Dreams" movie. After the success of "Good Will Hunting," the pals returned to starring roles in the 1999 "Dogma."
Damon made an appearance in Affleck’s "Jersey Girl," where he starred alongside his now-wife, Jennifer Lopez, in 2004.
They were also seen in "Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back," "Chasing Amy," "School Ties," "Jay and Silent Bob Reboot," The Third Wheel" and their most recent appearance, "The Last Duel."
Their next feature together will be in the untitled Nike film that their production company, Artists Equity, is producing. Damon will star as Vaccaro and Affleck will take on the role of Nike co-founder Phil Knight. The film will follow Vaccaro's story as he set out to sign Michael Jordan to the shoe brand, according to the Hollywood Reporter.
This project will be the first time Affleck has directed Damon in a film.
Affleck has been outspoken with his alcohol addiction over the last decade.
He has been to rehab for alcoholism multiple times, and according to a report, Damon was a key supporter during those challenging times.
"When Matt and Ben were young, they loved to party together and have fun, but as soon as Matt realized Ben had issues with substance abuse, he made sure he wouldn't enable him," a source told Entertainment Tonight in 2018. "Matt stopped drinking with Ben because in no way does he want to support another downward spiral. Matt is a very loyal, stable and grounded friend who only wants success and happiness for Ben."
The source noted that although the duo has been close friends for over 30 years, Damon was initially surprised on how serious Affleck’s addiction was.
"Matt and Ben have always remained close friends in life, but when Ben relapsed, it was a surprise to Matt," the source added. "Matt had no idea how serious Ben's problem had become."
The source continued, "Matt wants to be a good influence on Ben. Ben's team, his closest friends and family truly support their friendship. They want them to hang out more, which in turn could help keep him away from the crowd that doesn't support his sober lifestyle."
Lopez and Affleck rekindled their relationship after the singer and her fiancé, Alex Rodriguez, called it quits in April 2021.
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The "Hustlers" star and "The Way Back" actor were previously engaged for roughly two years. The two split in 2004 and Affleck went on to marry actress Jennifer Garner in 2005. The pair – who share three children together – divorced in 2018.
In August, Affleck and Lopez said "I do" in front of family and friends, including Damon. He and his wife, Luciana Barroso, took a private jet to Affleck’s estate in Georgia to see the couple tie the knot.
About a year before the wedding, Damon shared his thoughts on Lopez and Affleck’s rekindled romance. "Oh man, no one's pulling harder than I am," Damon said on "The Carlos Watson Show."
"They're both great," he added. "I just want for their happiness. They seem pretty happy right now."
Affleck and Damon announced in November that they are teaming up to start their independent production company, Artists Equity.
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The duo has received $100 million in financing from investment firm RedBird Capital Partners for their new endeavor, which puts a large focus on giving profits from projects back to the actors and all the crew members who play such a vital role in making movies and television shows happen.
Affleck will serve as the company's chief executive while Damon will become chief creative officer. According to Affleck, Damon will star in and produce a number of films exclusively for Artists Equity.
There are several films on the horizon for the newly formed company. Affleck told the outlet that three projects are expected to be released next year and their goal is to release five every year.
Even though there is always more to learn, Affleck and Damon both have a wealth of experience in a variety of roles in the industry to bring to their new production company.
"I have already been humbled," Affleck said in an interview with the New York Times. "But my only regret is that I didn’t have the sense of self to try this earlier. Now I feel very ready to do it. I’m right at that period of life where you have enough experience and confidence and self-assuredness."
