“We grew up in the same place — we grew up a couple blocks from each other,” Matt Damon corrected me of his co-star in the upcoming Apple TV+ movie, The Instigators, Casey Affleck.
At this moment, I realized my research had led me astray. Damon was born in Cambridge, Massachusetts, while Affleck was born in Falmouth, Massachusetts.
On paper, that is a few hours distance. But the two go way back. After all, Damon wrote and starred in Good Will Hunting with Casey's brother, Ben Affleck, which launched their careers.
The two have remained good pals, and it was evident during my interview with the pair. They have previously worked together several times and are coming off Christopher Nolan's Best Picture-winning Oppenheimer.
When asked if they were sick of each other yet, Affleck did not even hesitate before saying, “Yeah. Matt's a great actor, but I'm really, really sick of working with him.”
A smiling Damon added, “Years ago. That ship sailed.”
On a serious note, the two would do anything and any project together. While Damon claims there aren't any projects the two haven't done that they wish they had, he left the door open to reuniting with Casey Affleck again.
“Anything that we thought was good, I'd definitely do with Case,” Damon claimed. “We've done a lot. We've done a bunch of movies together. We did a play in London together 20 years ago — we like working together.
A sort of homecoming
The new Apple TV movie follows two thieves, played by Damon and Affleck, who go on the run after a failed heist. Along the way, they take Rory's (Damon) therapist, played by Hong Chau, as a “hostage.”
The Instigators is set in both of the boys' hometown of Boston, Massachusetts (as evidenced by the perfectly placed Dunkin' cups). While both have made movies back home in the past, they both acknowledged how much comfort it brings.
“I think there is a level of comfort coming back because we know the city and the kind of culture, the sense of humor, that all feels really familiar,” Damon explained. “So it's always nice to come back for that reason. We're not trying to figure out a new place or understand what life is like in a different city.
“Each city, area, and region of America really do differ, and you [have] got to kind of soak it in. If you're going to do a movie somewhere, you [have] got to hang out there and try to understand what life's like there. And we just don't have to do any of that here. We just come home,” he added.
It does not sound like Casey Affleck is as fond of new locations. They leave him disoriented, as he puts it.
“I've done movies where you go to a place that you've never been before, and sometimes it's disorienting,” said Affleck. “You don't really know if the set feels real — if the circumstances are real. [There are] of all [these] difficult-to-describe things that make something feel authentic.
“You don't have your bearings. It doesn't sound like much, but it's nice to be working in a place you know well,” Affleck concluded.
A therapeutic occupation
Of course, Rory sees a therapist in The Instigators. While Dr. Donna Rivera (Chau) is his therapist, she also tries to work with Cobby (Affleck) in their interactions.
Both Damon and Affleck find acting to be therapeutic. Damon explained that even acting classes allow you to “burn through a lot of excess emotion,” but “in a healthy way. [You get to] kind of vent it.”
For Affleck, acting allows him to “process a lot of stuff.” Plus, it is not lost on him that he is in a unique career field where he is constantly praised and pampered.
“Most people go to work, [but] they don't get to bring all of their unprocessed feelings, go to work, sit around and cry and have people pat them on the back and tell them, ‘Good job,'” he explained while chuckling. “It's nice to have that outlet.”
Matt Damon reflects on U2's Songs of Innocence
On September 9, 2024, U2's Songs of Innocence will turn 10. The album introduced a new era for fans, as Bono writes a lot about his childhood on the album. Songs of Experience and Songs of Surrender followed.
Previously, Damon has worked with the band on the documentary Kiss the Future. Matt Damon and Ben Affleck's Artists Equity co-produced the documentary, which depicted U2's iconic 1997 Sarajevo concert.
Bringing U2 up in our interview brought a smile to Damon's face. “Awesome questions,” he complimented.
He called Songs of Innocence turning 10 “bizarre” as it has sped by. “That was fast,” Damon quipped.
Songs of Innocence is a “great” album, and Damon elaborated on how the band has impacted him. He called U2 the “soundtrack of my life.”
“I love those guys. I mean, they [are] the soundtrack of my life,” Damon praised. “They came on [to] the scene when I was in adolescence, and I've been following them for 40 years.”
As for U2 lead singer Bono's son, Elijah Hewson, and his band Inhaler, Damon will be missing their 2024 tour. They play a show in New York City on October 18 and one in Boston the following night. At least his daughters may be in attendance.
“I'm working in October. So I might miss Inhaler,” said Damon. “Though I'm sure my daughters are going to go.”
Previously, Matt Damon has been vocal about his praise for Inhaler. While being interviewed on Radio X, he called Inhaler “epic” and “fantastic.” That is a ringing endorsement from the Oscar winner.
The Instigators will be released on August 2 in theaters and August 9 on Apple TV+.
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