Matt Damon has hailed Ben Affleck as "one of the great loves" of his life.

The Odyssey actor - who has four daughters with wife Luciana - met the Argo filmmaker when they were growing up in Boston and they have gone through Hollywood together, from their breakthrough writing and starring in Good Will Hunting to shooting numerous projects together, including Dogma, Air and The Rip, and now Matt has reflected on his "45-year friendship" with his Artists Equity co-founder.

Holding a photo of Ben, he told MTV UK during a joint interview with The Odyssey co-star Zendaya: "Look at that dashing picture of him. He's really giving Blue Steel in that one...

"We've been through a whole hell of a lot together, and he's one of the great loves of my life, I will say about Ben."

The 55-year-old star was delighted when Ben called him to give his reaction to Sir Christopher Nolan's epic The Odyssey, in which he has the lead role of Odysseus.

He said: "I got a phone call from him that I think I've been waiting 45 years to get.

"He didn't stop talking for an hour. It was like he'd seen the movie 20 times. He got absolutely everything. Every detail. He somehow soaked it all in in one viewing."

Matt noted Ben's praise was one of the three most meaningful responses he'd received about the film, along with the reactions of his wife and 20-year-old daughter Isabella, because she is usually hard to please.

He recalled of his daughter: "She said, 'Dad, I'm proud of you.' I made a movie called The Great Wall once, and she calls it The Wall. And we had friends over for dinner, and she keeps talking about this movie The Wall. And I'm like, 'Isabella, it's called The Great Wall.' And she's like, 'Dad, there's nothing great about that movie.'

"So she is a very tough critic, and so those reactions -- I feel like the movie's already come out."

Ben previously admitted he was so excited about The Odyssey that he went to the cinema just to see the trailer.

He told Esquire magazine earlier this year: "It was the first time in my life that I went to the movie theater just to see the trailer."