Posted by We’ve seen too many bromances in Hollywood, some believable, others less so. We all know how close Matt Damon and Ben Affleck are, but did you know that Damon has an even bigger bromance with one of the most handsome Hollywood actors – George Clooney? The two are close on and off screen, with Damon serving as Clooney’s right-hand man when the former bachelor finally decided to tie the knot.
The two have appeared in numerous Hollywood hits together. They made the political thriller Syriana, starred in the Ocean’s 11 blockbusters, and produced each other’s movies too. Everyone in Hollywood knows that Clooney is close to Brad Pitt, but as his wedding showed, he’s even closer to Matt Damon, who ended up on best man duties during his incredible wedding at Lake Como in Italy.
Let’s take a look at the friends’ best appearances on the big screen.
Ocean’s 11 Trilogy
The Ocean’s 11 trilogy was probably the biggest movie the two major Hollywood stars have worked together on. The trilogy also featured another one of Clooney’s best friends – Brad Pitt. All three films were a huge commercial hit, telling the story of how a group of people fake it in the biggest Las Vegas casinos for some huge scores.
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Damon was one of the first stars Clooney called about the movie, and the trilogy turned a big hit. All the actors took a chunk off their usual salaries following Clooney’s example. The first movie was stellar – it grossed around half a billion which was three times its budget, so the pay cuts obviously paid off in the end.
And, while Damon has seen some success in casinos, Clooney was a complete novice on the set of the first movie. Damon once said in an interview that “the mathematical probability of this is mind-boggling, I can’t believe you haven’t won” after Clooney lost 25 blackjack hands in a row during the filming of the movie.
The Monuments Men
Matt Damon once said that him and Clooney worked on some hits and some bombs. The Monuments Men was supposed to be a witty historical drama directed by Clooney with his best bud in the lead role. While it was a decent outing, it eventually turned out a box office bomb. Not that it mattered to Clooney, because it was a passion project for him, and he finally saw it realised.
While not speaking about this movie in particular, Damon admitted they’ve been in some bad movies together. “I have worked with George on some of his biggest hits and some of his biggest bombs. We have received rave reviews together, we have been slaughtered by the critics together. And I have loved every minute of it.”
Syriana
Of all the movies they worked together on, Syriana kind of stays in the background. It’s a politically charged epic about the state of the oil industry led by stellar performances by both Clooney and Damon.
In the end, Clooney won an Academy Award and Golden Globe for his performance. It was his first one, and almost a decade would pass before he received his second.
George Clooney’s Rewards
During his illustrious career, George Clooney has received a ton of nominations and awards. He was nominated 8 times for the Academy Award, winning 2 times. He also received a total of 13 Golden Globe nominations and got 4, while also winning 1 out of 9 British Academy Film Awards.
His most recent honours include one from the Kennedy Centre. This happened in December 2022, and the ceremony also saw Damon take the stage to praise Clooney’s work and their friendship. The Kennedy Centre ceremony pays tribute to lifetime artistic achievements, with many major stars such as Amy Grant, Gladys Knight, and the rock band U2 having won it so far.
During the ceremony, Damon made remarks about their friendship on and off the screen. He poked fun at Clooney’s movie-star looks, saying it “takes a village to style the star”. He also called him one of the “most talented people I have met across multiple disciplines”, so it’s obvious that he’s impressed with his friend in every possible way. At the end of the emotional speech, Damon said it’s a privilege to call Clooney his friend.
In a recent interview where Damon played a host to George Clooney, they were asked the question if there should be another Ocean’s movie. Steam has been picking up for a while on that one, and they admitted there is a possibility it gets filmed. “So, here’s a question. Should we do another Ocean’s film? It’s all I get asked. I think we should. We’d have to do it in style, right?” Clooney said, and Damon replied: “Yeah, exactly. We’re all wetting ourselves, holding canes and things.” Here’s hoping we see the movie before that happens.
