Ben Affleck and Matt Damon Went 'Broke' 6 Months After Selling 'Good Will Hunting': 'I Thought We Were Now Rich For Life' Affleck sat down with Drew Barrymore and talked about the struggles of the early days of his and Damon's careers.
By Emily Rella
Would you share a bank account with your roommate? It worked for Ben Affleck and Matt Damon.
Last week, Affleck dialed into "The Drew Barrymore Show" to share what he and his screenwriting buddy did to survive and how they really blew their first big paycheck.
"We did share a bank account and always thought it was perfectly normal," Affleck said, explaining that the two were both living in Boston at the time and needed to be able to take the train into New York City to audition.
"We would work a little bit, do extra work, or a line here or there, the occasional Burger King commercial, and then take that money and put it in the account. We were friends and we wanted each other to succeed," he added.
#AirMovie's @BenAffleck and Matt Damon went broke just six months after selling the script for "Good Will Hunting." pic.twitter.com/nYL4woytAs
— The Drew Barrymore Show (@DrewBarrymoreTV) April 21, 2023
Affleck then shared how he and Damon eventually sold the script for their breakthrough hit "Good Will Hunting" for $600,000 and thought they were now "rich."
Their $600,000 payday in 1997 would equal roughly $1.128 million today, according to inflation calculators.
However, the script earnings weren't exactly tucked away, neatly, in the joint account.
"I thought we were now rich for life," Affleck said. "My needs are over, I'll never have to work again, I'm rich forever! We sold it for $600,000. We split that, $300,000 each, and then the agents got $30,000, so we had $270,000. We paid about $160,000 in taxes so we had $110,000. We each bought $55,000 Jeep Cherokees and then had $55,000 left."
The pair of best friends also decided to rent a $5,000 party house near Hollywood.
Affleck admitted that he and Damon both went broke in six months.
It all worked out, though. The two went on to win the Oscar for Best Screenplay for "Good Will Hunting," which was released in 1997. The movie also earned Robin Williams an Oscar for Best Actor in a Supporting Role.
Affleck and Damon have gone on to be two of Hollywood's biggest stars.
Affleck's net worth is estimated to be around $150 million and Damon's is an estimated $170 million.
