Matt Damon spoke to Ben Affleck about his role in The Odyssey before he told his wife.

The 55-year-old actor stars alongside Tom Holland, Anne Hathaway, Robert Pattinson, Lupita Nyong'o, Samantha Morton, Zendaya, and Charlize Theron in the new epic fantasy film directed by Sir Christopher Nolan, and Matt has revealed that he first shared the news with Ben, his former co-star and childhood friend.

During an appearance on 100 Questions With Tom Simons, Matt shared: "I immediately called my wife who was on a Zoom, and so she couldn't pick up and I called Ben Affleck."

Asked how Ben reacted to his casting, Matt replied: "He freaked out.

"I was on the phone with him for about a half an hour and they were at the office in Los Angeles and then I hung up with him and a minute later my wife texted, like, 'Why didn't you tell me first?'"

Matt - who has starred alongside Ben in various movies over the years, including 1997's Good Will Hunting - then clarified: "Ben had run into her office to tell her."

Matt previously explained that he once "negotiated" an acting hiatus with his wife - but Nolan changed his plans.

The actor agreed to take a break from the movie business after discussing the issue with his wife Luciana, until Christopher offered him a role in Oppenheimer, the 2023 thriller film.

Matt - who has been married to Luciana since 2005 - told Entertainment Weekly: "This is going to sound made up, but it's actually true.

"I had - not to get too personal - negotiated extensively with my wife that I was taking time off. I had been in 'Interstellar,' and then Chris put me on ice for a couple of movies, so I wasn't in the rotation, but I actually negotiated in couples therapy ­- this is a true story - the one caveat to my taking time off was if Chris Nolan called. This is without knowing whether or not he was working on anything, because he never tells you. He just calls you out of the blue. And so, it was a moment in my household."