Ben Affleck and Matt Damon Started Sharing a Bank Account in the 80s
It paid off!
They opened an account in the 80s in high school so they’d have money for auditions. They were allowed to take out $10 to get quarters for the arcade, though.
Affleck said the two had been friends since high school, and their shared account was a way to support each other as they made their way up in the industry.
While the two could draw from the account to fund their work expenses, they also deposited back into it once they finally booked a role.
Starting in the early 1990s, they started getting roles that were substantial enough to give them a comfortable cushion.
Still, to make the system work, they had to limit themselves to only withdrawing money for their auditions, though they gave themselves an allowance for a small amount of entertainment money, which increased as they found more success.
‘You were allowed to go to [auditions in] New York with the money. You were allowed to take out $10 and get quarters and go to [the arcade] and play video games,’ Damon said. ‘Eventually, we were allowed to try to buy beer, which never f***ing worked.’
They have since closed this account!
Affleck and Damon’s most famous collaboration was in 1997’s Good Will Hunting, which they co-wrote and starred in together. The critically acclaimed film earned two Oscars, one for Robin Williams for Best Supporting Actor, and another for Best Original Screenplay for their work writing the film…
