Matt Damon says he feels "really lucky" to have been mostly left out of the relentless paparazzi fuckeries that have long plagued his friend and frequent collaborator Ben Affleck.
In a recent interview on the Radio Times Podcast alongside his The Instigators co-star, and Ben’s younger brother, Casey Affleck, the Golden Globe-winning actor and Oscar-winning screenwriter reflected on his initial exposure to the pressure-cooker experience of being suddenly and inescapably famous after breaking through with Good Will Hunting in 1997.
As Damon explained, he made a conscious effort to stay busy during that period in his career, which he believes helped him successfully navigate newfound fame. He also credited his relationship with (and eventual marriage to) Luciana Bozán Barroso with not only keeping him grounded but also making him less appealing to the tabloid machinery that’s always unfortunately in motion.
"That helped me," Damon said. "Because all of that magazine culture that was so huge—Us Weekly and all that stuff 25 years ago—kind of ignored me because it wasn’t that exciting a story. A guy who’s married? It’s so boring."
Elaborating on his status of being "really lucky," Damon said he "especially" feels this when he compares his situation to that of Ben. In recent weeks, notably, Ben has been the source of often intense (and occasionally full-fledged creepy) chatter about his and Jennifer Lopez’s marriage.
"I can’t imagine living under that kind of scrutiny and it’s been like that for 25 years," Damon added. "And we’ve had parallel careers in a lot of ways. I’m fortunate to have been kind of excused from that part."
Matt and Ben will soon add another film to their shared filmography with Joe Carnahan’s RIP for Netflix. Like the Affleck-directed Air, which saw the proven duo bringing an Air Jordan origin story to the big screen, the crime thriller will be produced under their own Artists Equity banner. While no release date has been confirmed, Netflix said in July that fans should stay tuned as the film "gears up for production."