Ben Affleck Says Matt Damon Was 'Principal Influence' on Helping His Career After 'Justice League'

Ben Affleck is crediting his longtime pal and frequent collaborator Matt Damon for helping him out of a career funk following his work on 2017's Justice League.

In a recent chat with Damon for Entertainment Weekly, Affleck, 49, told his friend that he was a "principal influence" on Affleck's "decision" to make sure he only works on things he loves going forward.

"I want to do the things that would bring me joy," said The Tender Bar actor, who on Wednesday received a SAG Award nomination for his performance in the George Clooney-directed film.

One such project? Ridley Scott's 2021 historical drama The Last Duel, which both Affleck and Damon, 51, co-wrote (along with Nicole Holofcener) and starred in together.

"I had fun every day on this movie," Affleck said. "I wasn't the star, I wasn't likable. I was a villain. I wasn't all the things I thought I was supposed to be when I started out and yet it was a wonderful experience. And it was all just stuff that came along that I wasn't chasing."

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Affleck — who previously told the Los Angeles Times that making Justice League was "awful" and the "worst experience" — said in his EW conversation with Damon that he "had a really nadir experience" on the superhero film, though he didn't feel anyone specific was to blame.

"Really what it was is that I wasn't happy. I didn't like being there. I didn't think it was interesting," said the two-time Academy Award winner. "And then some really s---- things, awful things happened. But, that's when I was like, I'm not going to do that anymore."

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The duo's friendship was cemented the moment they broke into Hollywood together with Good Will Hunting, which made them the youngest people to win the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay.

In a GQ profile of Damon published this past September, Affleck praised his friend, saying, "My own kind of sanity and mental health really benefited from having someone who I grew up with and knew as a child who was also going through something similar — this 20-year-plus journey of being in the public eye — who I could reflect on it with honestly, talk things over with, be myself with, who I knew why we were friends, why he was interested and loved me, why I loved him."

"I often think of people who just become successful and then get thrust into this, and I think, 'How do they do it without having somebody that they can talk to? Who they can trust? Who knew them before?' " he added. "It's just been such an asset to me — and, I think, I hope, to Matt — this relationship that we've had."

It seems Damon shares the sentiment, as he's careful to keep their bond as it was back in the day.

"Like, I don't want to be his friend in public, you know what I mean?" Damon said. "It's way too important a friendship for that, and it goes so beyond this career or anything. You know, it's a significant part of my life and not for public consumption in that way."

The Tender Bar is available to stream on Prime Video.