Ben AffleckandMatt Damonshare not only a long career history - starring together in 1997’s Oscar-winning filmGood Will Hunting- but a long friendship too, meeting in their hometown of Cambridge, Massachusetts at ages 8 and 10 respectively. Now the pair work together not only on screen, but this time with Affleck on the other side of the camera also, in his latest directorial effortAir.
The film tells thestoryof Damon’s characterSonny Vaccoro, a Nike salesman, and his efforts to sign rookieMichael Jordan,with Affleck also starring as Nike founderPhil Knight. In a post-screening Q&A following the film’s debut atSXSW, with the pair joined byViola Davis,Julius Tennon, andMatthew Maher, Damon gave insight into what it was like to be directed by his friend and co-star.
Damon said, “well, it mightseemlike the first time he’s directed me, I mean, we did high school plays where he was like, ‘Dude, I think you should do it like this.’ He’s been directing me for like forty-something years.” Affleck jokingly added, “It’s not the first time I’vecarriedhim!” Damon went on to say that “honestly, it was kind of a natural progression. We’ve written a bunch of movies and produced and acted together for so many years and decades, so it didn’t feel any different, working this way.” Affleck questioned, “shouldit feel different?” insisting that the process “felt exactly the same.” The actor-director went on to express that it was the pair’s close bond that aided in the process running so smoothly, stating “what was really wonderful about it was, I love and trust Matt so much, and it was so lovely to be working together, it was kind of like a feeling of, I want the other actors to feel [this too].”
RELATED:This Is Why Michael Jordan Isn’t in ‘Air’
WhileAiris Affleck’s fifth timedirecting, the star has much knowledge of just what it’s like in front of the camera too, with a filmography stretching overseventy films. Affleck extended this understanding to those he was directing, encouraging his actors, “like, ‘Come on, it’s all good, I love actors, I love you, you’re going to be OK, everyone, take as much time as you want, do what you need to do and be respected, and to kind of project that energy.”
Following the film’s highly praised debut at SXSW,Airwill be released in theaters on April 5.
