Matt Damon feels "really lucky" to still be making films with the Affleck brothers.

The 53-year-old actor features alongside Casey Affleck in the heist comedy 'The Instigators' – which has been produced by Ben Affleck – and is grateful that their childhood friendship has been preserved in Hollywood.

Matt told The Hollywood Reporter at the picture's New York premiere on Wednesday (31.07.24): "I think just 43 years into this friendship, it's just the joy of doing what we love, but being able to do it together. It just doesn't get any better than that.

"I feel really lucky to be able to still be making movies at this level with the kind of people that I get to work with. But when some of them are the people that have been my closest and dearest friends for over four decades, it's a really special thing."

Damon explained that he took comfort from filming the Apple TV+ project in the "familiar" surroundings of Boston, the city in which he and the Affleck siblings grew up.

The 'Oppenheimer' actor said: "It feels really familiar to go home. The sensibility there, the sense of humour is something that just comes naturally to us. And it's just a really comfortable place, it feels like going home every time."

Doug Liman directs 'The Instigators' – over two decades after first working with Damon on 'The Bourne Identity' – and reflected on how the star has changed over the years.

He said: "Even though 20 years had elapsed, it felt like it was yesterday that Matt and I were just starting to work together.

"So it's amazing in a way how little has changed, especially because Matt and I are still committed to doing something that's original and that fits our sensibilities and not conforms to studio sensibilities – what's amazing about Apple was how supportive they were of us."

Liman continued: "There are other moments on the making of 'The Instigators' where I'd look at Matt and go, 'Oh my God, he has matured so much' – in terms of helping me as a director do my best work and understanding how he as an actor could help me."