NEWSMatt Damon Reveals the Ben Affleck Phone Call He Waited '45 Years' to Receive: 'He’s One of the Great Loves of My Life'
Matt Damon opened up about the phone call he received from BFF Ben Affleck that he waited '45 years' for.
July 17 2026, Updated 2:40 a.m. ET
Matt Damon recently opened up about a long-awaited phone call he received from his best friend Ben Affleck.
The 55-year-old actor appeared for an interview with MTV UK alongside his The Odyssey costar Zendaya on Wednesday, July 15. The conversation brought up the immense amount of praise their new movie has been garnering from critics so far.
However, what really made Damon soak in the grandeur of Christopher Nolan's mythical masterpiece was hearing from his childhood BFF.
Matt Damon gushed about Ben Affleck's praise of his performance in 'The Odyssey.'
“I got a phone call from him that I think I’ve been waiting 45 years to get,” the actor said.
“He didn’t stop talking for an hour. It was like he’d seen the movie 20 times. He got absolutely everything. Every detail. He somehow soaked it all in in one viewing,” he continued.
According to Damon, the Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice actor’s appreciation was one of the most important pieces of feedback he received for his performance in the movie.
Matt Damon Called Ben Affleck His Great Love
Matt Damon and Ben Affleck cofounded their production company, Artists Equity, in 2022.
The Martian star also took the opportunity to reflect on their “45-year friendship.”
The duo met during their childhood in Boston, per Entertainment Weekly.
Ever since, they have remained a constant presence in each other's lives and careers, supporting one another throughout many ups and downs they have experienced.
The pair, who have costarred in movies like Good Will Hunting, Air and The Rip, also cofounded their production company Artists Equity in November 2022.
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Matt Damon called Ben Affleck one of the 'great loves' of his life.
“Look at that dashing picture of him. He’s really giving Blue Steel in that one,” Damon said adoringly of his friend in the interview, referencing Ben Stiller’s iconic pose in Zoolander.
“We’ve been through a whole h--- of a lot together, and he’s one of the great loves of my life, I will say about Ben,” the Jason Bourne star admitted.
Ben Affleck Shared His Excitement for 'The Odyssey' Long Before the Movie Hit the Theaters
Ben Affleck revealed he went to the theaters just to watch 'The Odyssey' trailer on the big screen.
Meanwhile, Affleck previously shared his enthusiasm for The Odyssey with Esquire in an interview.
“It was the first time in my life that I went to the movie theater just to see the trailer,” the Gone Girl star said in January.
He also told GQ in March 2025 that he appreciates Nolan’s filmmaking genius.
“I may go visit Matt on the set just to watch Nolan direct,” he told the outlet.
Ben Affleck said he wanted to visit Matt Damon while 'The Odyssey' was being filmed to witness Christopher Nolan's direction.
“I’m not even kidding at all,” he added.
He also stated that he would have loved the chance to work with other big names in the industry.
“I would’ve taken Saving Private Ryan. If Martin Scorsese called me and told me to play a waiter, I would take it. Steven Spielberg is one of the great filmmaking architects to ever live,” he said.
