Matt Damon shares that his close working relationship with childhood friends Ben and Casey Affleck is built on trust, respect, and a lack of egos. In an interview with Yahoo Entertainment, Damon discussed how their decades-long friendship makes collaborating on projects like The Instigators an enjoyable and seamless experience.
While Ben didn’t act in The Instigators, he served as a producer for the Apple Original film, and Damon emphasized the importance of their deep connection, which transcends the challenges of filmmaking. “There’s never any question about what’s underneath our relationship,” Damon explained. “It’s built on 45 years of friendship and respect. That makes the work easy.”
Damon credits their ability to work without ego for much of their success, noting that their bluntness helps solve problems quickly on set. “We solve problems a lot quicker because we can just be really blunt with each other,” he said. “Egos aren’t really involved. If one of us doesn’t like an idea, it’s not taken personally.” This openness allows them to arrive at creative solutions faster and more effectively.
In The Instigators, Damon and Casey play two characters who reluctantly team up to rob a corrupt politician. Casey, who co-wrote the film, expressed his admiration for Damon, calling him one of his favorite actors and acknowledging that working with him ensures the movie will attract an audience. “Matt’s one of the best actors working, and people like to see him in movies,” Casey said.
Despite his accomplishments, including an Oscar win, Casey admitted that his career still has its struggles. “There are things I aspire to do that I don’t get to,” he said, citing a lack of opportunities to work with some of his idols like the Coen brothers. However, Casey remains grateful for the career he’s built, recognizing the luck and privilege of working with close friends like Damon, and he values the relationships over the prestige.
As both actors grow older, they find themselves more drawn to collaborating with those they know and trust, sharing stories and experiences they’ve accumulated over the years. “The older I get, the more I just want to work with people I love and respect,” Casey reflected.
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