While some might take being labeled “boring” to heart, Matt Damon is happy to accept that characterization. In fact, the Bourne actor recently expressed his gratitude for being considered uninteresting by the media because the label has spared him from the relentless scrutiny faced by his close friend, Ben Affleck. During an appearance on the Radio Times Podcast with Casey Affleck to promote their new movie, The Instigators, Damon reflected on his “good fortune” and the reasons he’s been able to avoid the media spotlight for so long.
In the podcast, Damon was candid about the contrast between the media attention he receives versus what Ben has received over the years.
“I’ve been really lucky in that way … especially when I look at Casey’s brother, Ben. I can’t imagine living under that kind of scrutiny. And it’s been like that for 25 years and we’ve had parallel careers in a lot of ways and so I’m fortunate to have been kind of excused from that part of [it].”
The Instigators (2024)
3/5
Rory and Cobby are unlikely partners thrown together for a heist. However, when it goes awry, they team up to outrun police, backward bureaucrats, and a vengeful crime boss.
- Release Date
- August 2, 2024
Damon also acknowledged how the paparazzi and tabloid culture has followed Affleck’s every move due to his high-profile romances, particularly with Jennifer Lopez. On the other hand, Damon shares a stable and private relationship with his wife, Luciana Bozán Barroso, whom he met in 2003 and married in 2005. Damon thinks he’s lucky he “fell in love with someone who was not in the business who would tolerate that side of it,” and how helpful it was. Apparently, the culture of the early 2000s was particularly harsh on celebrity couples, which correlated with the “bizarre, disorienting feeling” of being famous.
“That magazine culture that was so huge … 25 years ago, kind of ignored me. Right, like a guy who’s married, it’s so boring. What would sell those things were scandal and sex and all that stuff … and as long as you didn’t do any of that stuff it wasn’t really worth their time to wait to take your picture, and so I ended up kind of getting left alone.”
Matt Damon and Ben Affleck Are Supportive of Each Other
Damon and Affleck have enjoyed parallel careers ever since their breakout success with Good Will Hunting, which they co-wrote and starred in. The movie earned Damon and Affleck an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay in 1998. This early success established the duo as Hollywood heavyweights. Since then, despite the differences in their media experiences, Matt Damon and Ben Affleck have remained best friends.
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Affleck has also spoken highly of Damon, particularly admiring him for being supportive during challenging times. In a 2022 interview with Entertainment Weekly, Affleck credited Damon with helping him navigate the aftermath of the critically pannedJustice League. “I had a real nadir experience around Justice League for a lot of different reasons,” he said, “I talked to [Matt Damon] about it and [he was] a principal influence on that decision.”
The duo most recently collaborated on the film Air, which explores the story behind Nike’s Air Jordan brand. Their partnership continues with another upcoming project titled RIP, a thriller, as well as another movie about Hulk Hogan’s infamous legal battle against Gawker directed by Gus Van Sant.
