Matt Damon and Ben Affleck have a notable Hollywood bromance that’s the stuff of legends. Their careers skyrocketed after writing Good Will Hunting, and the pals continue to reunite for upcoming 2026 movie releases, such as new Netflix thriller The Rip and the epic adaptation The Odyssey. Their budding camaraderie was shown through when Affleck joked about being the one with “superior” facial hair after Damon talked about the beard-related note he got for Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey.
Before we see Ben Affleck and Matt Damon join the cast of Christopher Nolan’s upcoming Odyssey movie, they’ll be ready to face off in the Netflix crime thriller The Rip. While the two play Miami cops facing tension after discovering millions in cash, their off-screen playful banter centers around the facial scruff they grew for the upcoming Netflix movie.
In their interview with GQ, The Bourne Identity actor got real about how his Rip beard ended up being beneficial for playing Odysseus in The Odyssey, and you can’t blame Christopher Nolan for this:
[My Rip beard] as a stage along the way to get to The Odyssey. Once [Christopher Nolan] gave me the part and I met with him, he said, ‘Just keep growing your beard.’ I said, ‘Really, you don't want to try to hand-lay a beard, like the Italian style?’ and he’s like ‘No, no, no, it's all got to be real for me, so just keep growing it.’
Considering Homer’s epic poem takes place between 1600 and 1200 B.C, it makes sense to let Matt Damon’s beard continue to grow. After all, the ancient world didn’t have barbershops or five-blade razors. So, Nolan’s vision for Odysseus to have an unkempt, rugged look would add historical truth to the role.
Matt Damon wasn’t the only one donning a beard in The Rip. His budding co-star was also sporting some deep facial hair to portray the Miami narcotics officer. So naturally, Affleck had to “rip” into his buddy’s Rip beard, and why am I not surprised? As he put it:
Matt has probably been ahead of me in many regards throughout our career. However, I think I am unquestionably the superior beard. So to speak.
When did the Netflix crime thriller turn into the battle of the beards? I find it hilarious that these two men are letting their scruff do the talking as an excuse for some friendly competition.
But, it’s not the first time the Gone Girl actor has roasted his pal on his hilariously long Odyssey beard, joking to him that he thought Damon was going to cut it before this year’s Netflix Tudum. But Affleck still had no shame being seen with his Air co-star and his wife all dining at a steakhouse together. Hey, it’s clear the Oppenheimer actor is digging the beard and isn’t afraid to show it off.
I love that no matter how serious Ben Affleck and Matt Damon’s upcoming projects are, they still prefer to focus on the humor of who has the most “superior” beard. If they’re going to play tough guys on-screen, it’s just not complete without the ultimate facial hair face-off. You can see the duo in The Rip, hitting your Netflix subscription on January 16th, and The Odyssey in theaters on July 17th.
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