In 1994, Ben Affleck found himself without a place to live after breaking up with a girlfriend he had recently moved in with. He reached out to his friend Matt Damon, who was living with a roommate at the time. Damon and his roommate invited Affleck to stay with them, and he ended up sleeping on a Naugahyde couch in their two-bedroom apartment.
During this time, Hollywood began showing interest in the script that Affleck and Damon had written together, “Good Will Hunting.” The script sparked a bidding war, and they eventually sold it for $650,000, splitting the earnings evenly between them. With the money from the sale, Affleck and Damon both bought new Jeep Grand Cherokees, with Affleck joking that they had to flip a coin to decide who would get the black one.
Despite the influx of cash, Affleck continued to sleep on the couch until he purchased his new car. Eventually, he and Damon found a party house near the Hollywood Bowl to rent, where they lived with several friends from home. However, Affleck admitted that between the rent, car payments, and taxes, he was broke within eight months.
Their fortunes changed when “Good Will Hunting” won them the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay at the 70th Academy Awards. Since then, both Affleck and Damon have achieved significant success in their careers. Affleck has earned as much as $55 million in a year, while Damon was able to purchase Brooklyn’s most expensive home.
Their journey from struggling actors to Hollywood stars is a testament to their talent, hard work, and friendship. Despite facing financial challenges early on, Affleck and Damon persevered and went on to achieve great success in the entertainment industry. Their story serves as an inspiration to aspiring actors and filmmakers, showing that with dedication and determination, anything is possible in Hollywood.
