Affleck and Damon Support Police Officers
Ben Affleck and Matt Damon feel that police officers are “undervalued” and “underfunded.” They shared these thoughts during a recent visit to the “Howard Stern Show,” where they talked about their new film, *The Rip*. In this movie, they portray Miami police officers involved in a significant scandal while seizing millions of dollars.
While discussing their preparation for the roles, they emphasized the challenge of embodying “honest cops.” Stern noted the tension their characters experience, stating that it can feel like being an honest officer while others view them with suspicion.
“It’s about going out and doing your day’s work with integrity, and the integrity and meaning of that… something that is undervalued and often subject to suspicion…”
– Ben Affleck
Affleck reflected on their conversation about the police profession, mentioning that many officers do not earn a substantial income. “Going out and doing your day’s work with integrity… is really undervalued,” he added.
Damon countered, “We don’t have enough money,” pointing out a lack of funding for law enforcement. Affleck acknowledged this perspective, saying it encapsulated the essence of what they were trying to convey.
During their appearance, they also discussed spending time with police officers in Miami, which offered insights into the realities of their work. Damon shared how the terminology and interactions captured in their script were influenced by their experiences with real officers.
Affleck appreciated the generosity of the officers who shared their time and experiences with them. “A lot of them appear in supporting roles in the film, which was pretty cool,” he noted.
Damon and Affleck’s friendship, which started in childhood in Cambridge, Massachusetts, has remained strong over the years. They famously co-wrote *Good Will Hunting*, winning an Academy Award together, which helped establish their influential partnership.
In a light-hearted moment on “The Today Show,” Damon joked about how they have grown accustomed to each other over the decades—tired of each other “in small ways,” yet not “in a big way.” Their film, *The Rip*, is set to hit theaters on January 16th.
