Casey Affleck on Damon, Ben and Nolan in Zurich
Casey Affleck says Matt Damon has something he and his older brother Ben never had: old-fashioned movie-star glow.
Affleck praised his long-time friend during a masterclass in Zurich on Monday, held ahead of the Swiss festival premiere of his third film as a director, Company, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The conversation was led by the event's chief executive, Christian Jungen.
The three grew up together on the East Coast. Damon was the childhood best friend of Ben Affleck, and Affleck said the trio shared the same theatre teacher at a big public school. Damon stood out early. He was outgoing, a bit of a showoff, and would do talent shows.
That early confidence turned into screen presence, in Affleck's telling. He said he has already seen Damon's performance in Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey. He called Damon a very talented actor with a movie star persona and matinee idol appeal. He and Ben, he added, do not really have that.
Ben leaned into the leading-man thing from early on, Affleck said. Damon did not need to lean. Affleck singled out Damon's turn in The Talented Mr. Ripley as incredible.
Affleck won an Oscar for his turn in Manchester by the Sea (2016), in which Damon served as a producer. That shared history came up in Zurich, where Affleck discussed his career, his brother, Damon and Company, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
He also talked about being called a Hollywood outsider in a Variety profile. He was mad at first. Then he embraced it. He said he would much rather be an outsider than an insider in Hollywood, adding that he does not love the movies made by Hollywood or the Hollywood system.
Nolan came up more than once. Affleck appeared in the director's Interstellar (2014) and Oppenheimer (2023). He recalled once calling Nolan while driving home from school with his son, after the two disagreed about Tenet, to settle the debate.
His new film, Company, is described by the Zurich Film Festival as a gripping Gothic mystery about human relationships, revenge and forgiveness. The festival runs from Sept. 24 to Oct. 4, 2026, with confirmed guests including Julianne Moore, Naomi Watts and Affleck.
What makes this stand out is the frankness. Affleck did not present himself as part of the inner circle. He sounded happy outside it, still watching friends closely from the front row.
