Ben Affleck attended the New York afterparty for his best friend Matt Damon's new film, "The Odyssey," on Tuesday night, arriving with his son Samuel. Affleck, who did not walk the red carpet, joined Damon as he celebrated the Christopher Nolan epic.
Damon, who stars in the film, called his lead role "by far the biggest thing I've ever been anywhere near." Affleck's presence underscored a friendship that has spanned four decades, beginning when they were children growing up a block and a half apart in Boston. They first met when Damon was 10 and Affleck was eight.
Their shared passion for acting and movies formed the foundation of their bond. "We were together all the time writing a screenplay together," Damon recalled in a recent interview. This collaboration led to their Oscar-winning screenplay for "Good Will Hunting," which they also starred in.
More recently, Affleck and Damon founded the production company Artists Equity. Their first film together under this banner was "Air" in 2023, and their next collaboration, "The Rip," is scheduled for 2026, marking their third project together in five years, following "The Last Duel" and "Air."
Damon has spoken about the ease of their creative partnership, noting a deep trust and focus on the project at hand. "It's just the allegiance is to the thing that we're making, and we're trying to get there as quickly as we can and as efficiently as we can," he said. He added that working with Affleck is "a very easy experience" and "really fun."
This public display of support comes after Damon affirmed his unwavering loyalty to Affleck during a January appearance on The Howard Stern Show. When asked about supporting Affleck through personal struggles, including divorces and battles with addiction, Damon stated, "I was there for all of it." Affleck described this sentiment as meaningful, saying, "That means a lot to me. That's sort of what a real friend is."