Matt Damon has been trying with little to no luck to fix the broken friendship between Joaquin Phoenix and Casey Affleck, according to a source, who exclusively tells In Touch Matt’s moves are motivated by money as much as a desire for peace.
“Matt is thinking about the future and he’s focused on the amazing opportunities that could arise if Joaquin and Casey finally put their beef aside and make up,” says the insider, who is a colleague of Matt’s.
Joaquin, 49, used to be besties with Matt’s best friend’s brother, Casey, 49. The two met in 1995 on the set of To Die For and became fast friends. They lived in the same building in New York City at one point and even have matching tattoos they got together while on vacation in Italy. The Signs actor’s sister, Summer Phoenix, was even married to Casey for nine years, from 2006 to 2017.
However, in a November 2019 interview with Vanity Fair, the Joker star said he hadn’t spoken to his old friend “in many years.”
“My sister and him divorced,” the Napoleon actor told the outlet. “And I haven’t spoken directly to him or indirectly in a long time. Three or four years.”
The last movie they worked on together was I’m Still Here, a mockumentary film directed by Casey and starring a fictionalized portrayal of Joaquin. Two women accused Casey of sexual harassment on set, filing lawsuits against the actor while he was still married to Joaquin’s sister. Casey denied the allegations and quietly settled the suits without admitting guilt.
Joaquin denied seeing any harassment while filming the movie, but things weren’t the same between the two afterwards and haven’t improved between in the intervening years.
“Matt wants to fix this, and he wants to do it soon,” the insider continues. “But Matt’s fatal flaw is his optimism and even though he had known Joaquin and Casey for 35 years, this isn’t an easy fix.”
“Why now? Matt’s personality has kind of changed since he and Ben started their new studio, Artists Equity. He’s thinking about legacy and he’s all about building bridges and forging new alliances among his peers and colleagues.”
The Good Will Hunting star, 54, is anxious to have his pal Casey bury the hatchet with Joaquin. Both actors have had a sharp uptick in their careers over the past few years, with both men having won an Academy Award for Best Actor: Joaquin for Joker and Casey for Manchester by the Sea.
Combining both their talents would be a sure thing regarding a box office hit, something Matt is keen on now that he’s a bigwig producer, too.
“Matt and George Clooney are about to make another Ocean’s movie with Casey. They would love for Joaquin to be involved,” the source confirms.
“And naturally, Matt has wanted to work with Joaquin for many years. That became almost impossible for Matt to make happen after Joaquin and Casey’s initial falling out several years ago.”
