Matt Damon and Ben Affleck have been close since they were kids. Here's a timeline of their friendship.

Jessica BoothSep 17, 2020, 23:37 IST

Matt Damon and Ben Affleck met when they were 10 and 8 years old, respectively.Shutterstock; Frazer Harrison/Getty

Matt Damon and Ben Affleck were introduced as kids back in the 1980s, and they've been friends, costars, and writing partners since.
As young actors, the friends worked together in "Field of Dreams," "School Ties," and "Glory Daze."
They went on to cowrite and costar in "Good Will Hunting," which landed them an Oscar for best screenplay.
Damon and Affleck are vocal about their friendship in interviews, and they've been known to hype each other up on social media.

Matt Damon and Ben Affleck have one of the most famous friendships in Hollywood. The two became close long before they made it big as A-list actors, and they've managed to maintain their relationship for nearly 40 years.

Damon and Affleck have worked together on a few notable projects, but they've also had plenty of cute moments together over the years where they show their support for each other.

Read on for a timeline of some of the best moments from their decades-long friendship.

1980s: Affleck and Damon met as kids after their moms introduced them.

Ben Affleck and Matt Damon became friends in the 1980s. Getty / Carlo Allegri

April 1989: They were both extras in "Field of Dreams."

The friends both had small, uncredited roles in the film. Universal Pictures

Early 1990s: The two were "drama geeks" in high school, and they got into acting together.

Ben Affleck and Matt Damon went to high school together. Ron Galella, Ltd./Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images

September 1992: They had their first legitimate movie roles together in "School Ties."

Matt Damon and Ben Affleck both appeared in "School Ties." Paramount Pictures

September 1995: They acted together again in "Glory Daze."

Ben Affleck starred in "Glory Daze." Sony Pictures Home Entertainment

1996: They reportedly lived together for a brief time while writing the screenplay for "Good Will Hunting."

Actors Ben Affleck and Matt Damon posing for pictures in 1997. Yukio Gion/AP

April 1997: They both appeared in "Chasing Amy."

Ben Affleck starred in "Chasing Amy." Miramax Films

December 1997: They cowrote and costarred in "Good Will Hunting."

Matt Damon and Ben Affleck in "Good Will Hunting." Miramax via YouTube

March 1998: The friends won their first Oscar together.

Matt Damon and Ben Affleck won an Oscar for "Good Will Hunting." Shutterstock

November 1999: Their next film together was "Dogma."

Matt Damon and Ben Affleck in "Dogma." Lionsgate Films

December 2001: They began producing the documentary "Project Greenlight" together.

The documentary ran for four seasons on HBO. Reuters

May 2002: They partnered up on the big screen for "The Third Wheel."

Ben Affleck in "The Third Wheel." Miramax

2004: The two took a few lighthearted jabs at each other in the media.

It's hard to tell if the slight rift was personal or taken as a joke. Angela Weiss/ Getty Images

March 2004: Damon made a brief appearance in Affleck's film "Jersey Girl."

Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck starred in "Jersey Girl." Miramax

March 2010: Affleck helped honor his friend at the Cinematheque award show.

Ben Affleck presented the award to his best friend, Matt Damon. GUS RUELAS/Reuters

December 2012: Damon spoke about dealing with false reports that he and Affleck were gay.

The reports had circulated many years before this interview. AP

September 2015: In an interview, Damon defended Affleck and called him "misunderstood."

Ben Affleck had faced a lot of criticism in the press. Jamie McCarthy/Getty

February 2016: Affleck snuck Damon on to "Jimmy Kimmel Live."

Matt Damon and Ben Affleck on "Jimmy Kimmel Live" in 2016. ABC

June 2016: The best friends won the "guys of the decade" award and gave another sweet acceptance speech together.

Matt Damon and Ben Affleck accepted the award in 2016. Kevin Winter/Getty Images

June 2016: Affleck posted a funny throwback photo of Damon for National Best Friends Day.

Matt Damon and Ben Affleck have talked about their friendship on social media. Frazer Harrison/Getty

January 2017: Affleck described his perfect day, which included Damon.

Ben Affleck is open about their friendship in interviews. Kevin Winter/Getty Images

February 2017: Damon and Affleck returned to the Oscars stage to present an award together.

Ben Affleck and Matt Damon presented the award for best adapted screenplay. Kevin Winter/Getty Images

March 2018: Damon defended Affleck's tattoo, which was being ridiculed on the internet.

Matt Damon came to his friend's defense. Kevin Winter/Getty Images

November 2019: Damon said that the two will probably write together more in the future.

Matt Damon expects to work with Ben Affleck in the future. Nicholas Hunt/Getty Images

October 2018: The friends, plus Kimmel, were photographed at the World Series.

Ben Affleck and Matt Damon cheered for the Red Sox at the 2018 World Series. Jerritt Clark/Getty Images

November 2018: Damon said he "wouldn't be here" without Affleck.

Matt Damon and Ben Affleck have been through a lot together. Kevin Winter/Getty Images

July 2019: Damon and Affleck announced their on-screen reunion in "The Last Duel."

Matt Damon and Ben Affleck are set to star in "The Last Duel." Mario Anzuoni/Reuters

March 2020: Affleck joked that it was his own childhood stardom that inspired Damon to become an actor.

Ben Affleck said his childhood roles made Matt Damon jealous. Emma McIntyre/Getty Images

August 2020: Affleck and Damon were spotted on a double date.

Ben Affleck and Matt Damon seem to be spending time together during the pandemic. Angela Weiss/ Getty Images

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