Matt Damon, Ben Affleck reveal they shared a bank account in their teens

Entertainment

The Cambridge natives lived together, paid bills together, and even shared a checking account at the now-defunct BayBank.

With the launch of their new production company Artists Equity, Ben Affleck and Matt Damon have ensured that their financial fortunes will remain closely tied for years to come. As it turns out, that’s nothing new for the Cambridge natives, who revealed in a joint interview this week that they shared a bank account going all the way back to their days together in high school at Cambridge Rindge and Latin.

On a recent episode of The Bill Simmons Podcast, Affleck and Damon discussed how they opened a bank account together at the now-defunct BayBank, which they then used as a shared fund while living together in their 20s.

“As long as one of us had money, we knew the power wasn’t going to get shut off,” Damon said. “I remember after doing [1993 movie] ‘Geronimo,’ I was like, ‘f***, I probably have like 35 grand in the bank.’ I was like, ‘We’re good! We’re good for a year!’”

Damon said that the “unusual” arrangement mostly funded trips to New York for auditions. But there were some exceptions befitting two best friends living together.

“We were allowed to take out 10 bucks and get quarters and go to [the arcade] and play video games,” Damon said. “That was another use of the money we were allowed.”

Affleck said that the arrangement, which carried on into the years following “Good Will Hunting,” strengthened the bond between the two.

“We’re going to help each other and be there for each other,” Affleck said. “[Hollywood] is hard enough, let’s try to do this together.”

“I mean, can you imagine how happy I was when that ‘Bourne’ movie worked?” Affleck added playfully.

Artist Equity’s first film, “Air,” stars Damon as Nike marketing executive Sonny Vaccaro, the man who signed Michael Jordan to the apparel deal that changed sports endorsements forever. Affleck, who directed the film, plays Nike founder Phil Knight.

Affleck and Damon aren’t resting on their laurels, either. Damon and Casey Affleck are currently in Boston filming scenes for another Artists Equity movie, “The Instigators.”

The duo filmed scenes around Boston this week, and are expected to continue shooting in the downtown area throughout the weekend.

Though Damon and Affleck have always been tied together in the public consciousness after “Good Will Hunting,” it took them decades to write another movie and take on leading roles together.

Damon attributed his push to work with his childhood best friend again to a “perspective shift” he experienced after his father passed away in 2017.

“This isn’t promised to any of us, and it doesn’t go on forever,” Damon said. “If we don’t start getting proactive about working together, we’re not going to work together.

“What an insane opportunity to even have,” Damon continued. “To be able to work together at this stage of our lives and careers? It’s f****** amazing.”