Matt Damon and Ben Affleck through the years

Born in Cambridge, Mass., on October 8, 1970, Damon had a self-described lonely childhood, which continued into his teen years. However, things began to change for the better when he attended public high school at Cambridge Rindge and Latin School. Not only was Damon successful academically there, but he also found a home in the school's theater program, where he acted in several productions. One of his classmates, who would become a close friend, was Ben Affleck, two years younger than Damon, but someone who would become an important part of his life.

Though Affleck was born in Berkeley, Calif., on August 15, 1972, his family relocated to Massachusetts when he was a toddler, and Cambridge soon became home. Like Damon, Affeck's mother was a school teacher, while his father performed as a stage actor during the 1960s. The arts were a big part of Affleck's upbringing, and he earned his first acting gig at age seven. At the aforementioned Cambridge Rindge and Latin, Affleck tended to land plum roles in the school's productions. He also found a kindred acting spirit in Damon, who shared his dream of acting for a living. 

Affleck and Damon were focused on their high school theater work as "drama geeks" before becoming Hollywood sex symbols. Damon eventually took his talent and book smarts to nearby Harvard University, but the pair often traveled to New York City to audition for roles in television and movies. One of their first such gigs together came in pure anonymity as uncredited extras in the beloved 1989 Kevin Costner classic Field of Dreams. They were part of the crowd seen at Fenway Park when Costner's Ray Kinsella takes James Earl Jones' Terence Mann to a Boston Red Sox game.

While attending Harvard, Damon made his credited film debut in the 1988 romantic comedy Mystic Pizza. However, he also wrote an early treatment of what would become the script for Good Will Hunting for an English class, where Affleck reportedly ran scenes from the project. Meanwhile, after high school, Affleck gained more acting roles while trying to continue his academic career. He landed at Los Angeles' Occidental College, where he directed student films. The first movie in which the duo held prominent roles was 1992's School Ties , which starred recent Oscar winner Brendan Fraser. Affleck had a big part while Damon earned a non-speaking role in the 1995 indie comedy Glory Daze, but they also lived together around the L.A. area to save money and work on the script for Good Will Hunting.

Speaking of money, one of the most interesting stories — which is actually quite practical and even a little endearing — about Damon and Affleck harkens back to the late 1980s and into the '90s. While auditioning for roles, working on the Good Will Hunting script, and rooming together in their apartment, the two also shared a bank account. "It was unusual, but we needed the money for auditions," Damon told The Bill Simmons Podcast . That makes perfect sense, and Affleck and Damon proved to be motivating factors for one another on that quest to fulfill their Hollywood dreams.

With advice and guidance from the likes of legendary actor/director Rob Reiner and mutual friend Kevin Smith, Damon and Affleck finished the screenplay for Good Will Hunting, the story about a rough-around-the-edges former orphan who happens to be a mathematical genius. In 1994, the screenplay was bought by Castle Rock. However, later issues with that company led to the script being purchased by Miramax. It was also important that the pals starred in the movie, which was directed by Gus Van Sant and co-starred the legendary Robin Williams, who won a Best Supporting Actor Academy Award for his performance. 

Good Will Hunting was released in early December 1997, some eight months after Affleck and Damon, each paid $600,000 for their roles, appeared in Kevin Smith's Chasing Amy. Good Will Hunting  was a massive success, making over $225 million against a  $10 million budget. A heartwarming film, the movie took the Hollywood status of Affleck and Damon to astronomical heights — not only for their work as actors but screenwriters. The film was nominated for nine Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor (Damon), and Best Supporting Actress (Minnie Driver). In addition to Robin Williams's victory, Damon and Affleck won the Oscar for Best Screenplay -- Written Directly for the Screen. 

The seemingly overnight success of Good Will Hunting thrust both Damon and Affleck onto the A-list of Hollywood actors. Damon immediately followed with successful leading roles in Rounders and The Talented Mr. Ripley. His appearance in Saving Private Ryan was brief but impactful. Meanwhile, Affleck followed up his Good Will Hunting presence with a turn in 1998's Shakespeare in Love , the surprise Oscar winner for Best Picture. The same year, he became an action star opposite Bruce Willis and Liv Tyler in Armageddon. 

Released in 1999, Dogma featured Affleck and Damon as fallen angels, Bartleby and Loki, respectively, looking to get back into heaven via a loophole. Directed by buddy Kevin Smith, the movie offered the duo to star in a comedic environment. Though Dogma is not considered one of Smith's strongest films, it was proved that Damon and Affleck were big enough stars to do about anything at that point in their careers and not really pay a professional price. Two years later, the pair wasn't afraid to poke fun at its Good Will Hunting fame in another Smith project, Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back.

Beginning in 2001, Damon and Affleck were among a host of co-producers involved with the documentary television series Project Greenlight. The series featured potentially promising rookie filmmakers directing a feature film. It ran for four seasons — the first three in 2001, '03, and '05, and most recently in 2015. Project Greenlight earned four Primetime Emmy nominations -- for Outstanding Non-Fiction Program (Reality), Outstanding Reality Program, and Outstanding Unstructured Reality Program. However, the series never earned an Emmy victory.

In a post-Good Will Hunting world, Affleck and Damon have starred in their share of clunkers. Forces of Nature, Reindeer Games, and Gigli for Affleck, while there was Damon sci-fi dud Titan A.E. For better or worse, the two have also played some of the most iconic characters and film franchises. For Damon, there's the Oceans series of films and his run as Jason Bourne. Meanwhile, Affleck was a solid Jack Ryan but struck out as Batman. The pair also continued to be praised, notably by the Academy, for their work while farther removed from Good Will Hunting.

In 2010, Damon earned his third Oscar nomination, this time for Best Supporting Actor for Invictus. Six years later, he received his second Best Actor nom for The Martian. As of 2023, Damon still awaited that elusive acting Academy Award victory. Affleck, meanwhile, proved he could also get the job done behind the scenes. He earned major praise in his feature-film directing debut with 2007's Gone Baby Gone, then again for The Town (2010) and Argo (2012). The latter won the Oscar for Best Picture and earned Affleck the Golden Globe for Best Director.  

When it comes to star quality, both Damon and Affleck remain firmly entrenched among the Hollywood elite. Damon has been a dependable star on and off screen since the Good Will Hunting breakout (he's been married to his only wife, Luciana Bozán, since 2005). Affleck, meanwhile, is a common subject for tabloid journalism. Whether talking about his failed movies, relationships with fellow stars like Gwyneth Paltrow, Jennifer Garner, and current wife Jennifer Lopez, battles with alcohol and mental health issues, plus accusations of inappropriate behavior toward women, his life personal life seems more dramatic than some of his on-screen performances.

In 2021, Damon and Affleck were at it again with The Last Duel. The pair co-wrote the screenplay, along with Nicole Holofcener, based on a 2004 book about the medieval French knight Jean de Carrouges (Damon), who challenges one-time friend Jacques Le Gris  (Adam Driver) after the former accuses the latter of sexually assaulting his wife. Affleck also features in the Ridley Scott-directed movie that was critically well-received. However, Affleck's performance did earn him a Golden Raspberry Award nomination for Worst Supporting Actor.

The buzz surrounding 2023's AIR, the Affleck-directed biopic about Nike's rise to global dominance, and specifically the courting of then-budding NBA star Michael Jordan, is huge. So, is there another potential Oscar moment in the offering for Damon, who stars as marketing guru Sonny Vaccaro, and Affleck, who also plays Nike co-founder Phil Knight, to share? We'll see. But one thing seems certain: Barring unforeseen circumstances, this won't be the last time the two friends work together. A love of the cinematic arts kickstarted their friendship, and that bond seems stronger than ever.