Actors Matt Damon, Casey Affleck return to their hometown in "The Instigators"
Boston-born actors Matt Damon and Casey Affleck return to their hometown in "The Instigators," a buddy comedy-style heist film. The movie follows two unlikely crooks who find themselves stealing from a corrupt politician.
Casey Affleck, who wrote the script, said, "It was just great. I sent it to Matt and his wife, and they read it and thought it was fantastic. So we just started trying to put it together."
The film not only marks a homecoming for the famous Bostonians but also reunites Damon with director Doug Liman.
"Doug Liman has made 'The Bourne Identity,' 'Mr. and Mrs. Smith,' 'Swingers.' He's done action, he's done comedy. So he was the perfect person to make this," Affleck said.
Everyone thinks of Damon and Ben Affleck as best pals, but Matt and Casey's friendship goes back decades as well.
"Casey was right there the whole time," Damon said. "We were roommates when he graduated high school. He came out and lived with us, and we were all struggling actors in L.A. 30 years ago."
Reflecting on their early days, Affleck joked, "I don't know if most of those stories are TV friendly. But you know, he never did his dishes. He had cereal three times a day. He was known by everyone for being a slob."
He added more seriously, "But he was also a great guy, really a kind of leader in the friend group, and has always been a very good friend. From an early age, people thought he was going places."
Damon also reminisced about his time in South Florida, where he met his wife.
"We lived here for five or six years. Had great years here. Love Miami," he said. "Now apparently everyone in America is trying to move to Miami. I had a friend call me and say you couldn't afford the house that you used to live in."
"The Instigators" is out in limited theaters and will be available for full release on Apple TV+ on Aug. 9.