Key Insights
- Collaboration: Ben Affleck and Matt Damon have rekindled their partnership in film.
- Inspiration: Damon credits The Beatles for motivating their reunion.
- Admiration: Affleck expresses deep respect for Damon’s acting skills.
- Upcoming Projects: The duo has several films lined up, including The Rip.
Ben Affleck and Matt Damon started in Hollywood together, but at a certain point, their careers began to take different paths. However, in recent years, they’ve reunited onscreen and have no plans to stop. While speaking with GQ, Damon explained that the drive to work with Affleck again can be attributed to The Beatles.
The actor was watching Peter Jackson’s documentary Get Back, which ends with a note that The Beatles never worked together again. He immediately thought of Affleck. “Who cares if we oversaturate the marketplace with movies we’re both in?” he told Affleck. “We’re crazy if we don’t take advantage of the fact that we are both still here and able to do this.“
“Every time I act with Matt is a humbling experience because I learn to appreciate further just how good an actor he is,” Affleck told GQ. “He is so understated, so real and so honest—it’s the opposite of a ‘showy’ performance, and I think what he does is more difficult. When you know someone as long as I’ve known Matt, you develop a pretty good sense of what is real and what isn’t and it’s almost impossible to catch Matt acting. He is really a master of realism and it’s something I deeply admire about him. One of many things.“
It sounds like Damon and Affleck will work together as often and as long as possible. Bring on the Grumpy Old Men reboot in 20 years!
The pair officially reunited for Ridley Scott’s The Last Duel and joined forces for Air, which Affleck also directed. Next up is The Rip, an action thriller from Joe Carnahan. The film follows a “team of Miami cops whose trust begins to fray when they discover millions in cash in a derelict stash house. As outside forces learn about the size of the seizure, everything for the team is called into question — including who they can rely on.” In addition to Affleck and Damon, the film stars Teyana Taylor, Steven Yeun, Sasha Calle, Catalina Sandino, Néstor Carbonell, Kyle Chandler, Lina Esco, and Scott Adkins. It’s set to be released on Netflix on January 16, 2026.
