Matt Damon and Ben Affleck are once again doing what they do best: showing up together and dropping unguarded insights that feel unrehearsed. As they promote their Netflix crime thriller The Rip, their first major collaboration since Affleck’s 2023 sports drama Air, the longtime friends have been revisiting the moments that shaped their careers. Across interviews, the duo has leaned into reflection, offering fans an array of candid gems.

That promotional trail recently led Damon and Affleck to a stop that proved revealing, opening the door to stories that connect their past choices with the films audiences continue to champion today.

Speaking on Letterboxd, Matt Damon opened up about his first experience reading the script for Interstellar, his first collaboration with Christopher Nolan, and why it struck such a nerve. Rather than focusing on its scale, Damon framed the moment through the lens of fatherhood. He explained that at the time, he had young children, and the story’s core idea immediately unsettled him. 

“I read the script and I had a very emotional reaction to it because I was the father of young kids at the time. And this idea of a father leaving and missing the lives of their kids was just so terrifying,” Damon said, recalling how the personal stakes of the story outweighed the spectacle.

Damon and Affleck joined a growing list of celebrities who share their four favorite movies to reveal deeper personal influences on Letterboxd. Entries in these conversations often include classics like The Godfather and Fight Club, with audiences on the platform also ranking Everything Everywhere All at Once, Whiplash, and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind among the most common selections.

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If Interstellar represents a defining yes, Damon has also been candid about the projects that slipped away.

In a separate conversation with USA Today, Matt Damon reflected on another moment in his career that continues to linger. A role he passed on decades ago that he still thinks about. He revealed that he was originally set to work on Gus Van Sant’s Milk, but scheduling conflicts ultimately kept him from participating. Looking back, Damon said he had connected deeply to the material and prepared for the role, but circumstances shifted and the part was recast to Josh Brolin, who earned an Academy Award nomination for the performance.

While Damon looked back, The Rip represents the present for both him and Affleck. Directed and written by Joe Carnahan, the crime thriller premiered exclusively on Netflix on January 16, 2026, and is available on the streaming service worldwide. The film reunites Damon and Affleck as hard-nosed Miami police officers whose loyalty is tested after uncovering hidden drug money, forcing them to question what they truly stand for as partners and as men.

As Damon revisits both the roles that shaped him and the ones that did not, the conversation feels less about regret and more about perspective.

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How do you see Matt Damon’s place in Interstellar today? Does knowing the personal story behind his reaction change the way the film lands for you? Share your thoughts.