Ben Affleck Admits He and Matt Damon Blew Through ‘Good Will Hunting’ Money on ‘The Drew Barrymore Show’: “Broke in Six Months”

By Samantha Nungesser @samjnungesser
Published April 21, 2023, 10:57 a.m. ET

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Ben Affleck opened up about just how quickly he and BFF Matt Damon blasted through their Good Will Hunting paychecks during this morning’s episode of The Drew Barrymore Show.

The Air director told host Drew Barrymore that he and Damon shared a bank account when they were just starting out in the industry, which lasted well into their 20s.

“We were friends and we wanted each other to succeed. So it seemed clear, like, let’s do this together,” he said. “In retrospect, [it was] really valuable because I think kind of starting out in a field like that can be very lonely.”

Affleck added that the duo was still sharing the account (and a house in “expensive” Eagle Rock, Los Angeles) when they co-wrote Good Will Hunting — the 1997 drama which went on to win the Academy Award for Best Screenplay.

“When we sold Good Will Hunting, I was like, ‘We are now rich for life. My needs are over. I will never have to work again. I’m rich, forever,'” he recalled.

However, the $600,000 check only went so far after the pair had split it down the middle — each taking home $300,000.

“The agents got $30,000. So we had $270,000. And we paid about $160,000 in taxes,” Affleck explained. “We had $110,000. We each bought $55,000 Jeep Cherokees.”

He continued, “And then had $55,000 left which, naturally, we decided to rent a $5,000 a month party house on Glencoe Way by the Hollywood Bowl and we were broke in six months.”

This isn’t the first time in recent memory that we’ve heard Affleck open up about the good ol’ days with Damon, with whom he has starred in nine movies to date. Earlier this month, the actor dished on longtime friend’s filthy living habits.

“I think that’s why he’s such a great actor, because he can just focus,” Affleck told James Corden. “One of the things he blocks out is the idea that when you finish with something, it has to be washed or thrown away.”

The Drew Barrymore Show airs on weekdays on CBS. You can check the website for local airtimes.