Ben Affleck and Matt Damon are known for their close friendship, having collaborated on many film projects together. But these two were so close that they once shared a bank account dedicated to helping launch their careers.
During a joint appearance on The Bill Simmons Podcast this week, the pair revealed they opened the bank account when they were short on cash. “It was unusual, but we needed the money for auditions,” Matt explained, adding it was a “weird thing in retrospect.”
Ben elaborated, saying, “We were going to help each other and be there for each other. It was like, ‘You’re not going to be alone. I’m not going to be alone. Let’s go out there and do this together.’”
Matt explained how the dynamic worked – whenever any of them scored a role, they would put their earnings into the joint account to go towards future audition costs.
The actor added that the rules about the account were flexible for a time. “You were allowed to go to [auditions in] New York with the money,” he went on. “You were allowed to take out $10 and get quarters and go to [the arcade] and play video games.”
However, he admitted that things eventually started getting complicated. By the time they started earning a stable income, the friends closed the account.
Ben and Matt’s friendship goes beyond their early acting careers. They actually met in childhood when their mothers introduced them; Ben was 8, while Matt was 10. After high school, the duo moved in together and jointly wrote the script for Good Will Hunting, The film later earned them an Oscar for Best Original Screenplay in 1998.
Ben previously reflect on what it was like living with Matt when writing the hit movie. “ We rented this house on the beach in Venice and 800 people came and stayed with us and got drunk,” he explained.
“Then we ran out of money and had to get an apartment. It was, like, everything was exciting,” Ben went on. “So, we lived in Glendale and Eagle Rock and we lived in Hollywood, West Hollywood, Venice, by the Hollywood Bowl, all over the place. We’d get thrown out of some places or we’d have to upgrade or downgrade depending on who had money.”
With their huge success in Hollywood, the actors have no need for a joint bank account. Ben is reportedly worth of $150 million, while Matt is worth an estimated $170 million.
Sources; Buzzfeed, Celebrity Net Worth, Forbes,
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