Ben Affleck and Matt Damon on forty years of friendship

Ben Affleck and Matt Damon met as kids in the early 1980s when their mothers introduced them. Four decades later, they've won an Oscar together, starred in countless films, and maintained a friendship that has outlasted most Hollywood marriages.

The pair recently sat down for a Netflix interview ahead of their new film The Rip, which releases January 16. They reflected on what's kept them close through the industry's typical machinery of ego and competition.

"The weird thing about us is that I don't remember either of us really contemplating other careers," Ben said. "Not because of some arrogance thinking it's gonna be successful. It just was like, this is what we're gonna do." Matt added that early on, when rejection was constant, they "really rooted hard for each other." There was no rivalry between them—just two kids who'd shared a bank account and now share a career.

What stands out in their reflection is how deliberate they've been about protecting the friendship itself. When you're both climbing the same ladder in an industry designed to pit people against each other, that kind of loyalty requires a choice. Matt noted that as long as they could "pay their bills," they'd be satisfied. That's not a small thing. It's the difference between chasing success and chasing stability together.

Fans noticed something in their banter: Ben's marriages have ended, but his partnership with Matt has remained steady. A good friendship, it turns out, can be more durable than romance. Not because it's easier—but because two people decided early on that they were in it together, through the humiliation and the awards, the box office wins and the roles that didn't land.

They're heading into their fifth decade as friends. The rarity of that in Hollywood says less about them and more about how few people are willing to prioritize loyalty over ambition.