What started as a casual remark, went on to become one of the longest running “fake” feuds in Hollywood.
Jimmy Kimmel and Matt Damon have a long-standing playful love-hate dynamic. Given their roles as a late-night talk show host and an Academy Award-winning actor, it’s expected that Jimmy Kimmel and Matt Damon would intersect professionally. However, since Kimmel made an offhand comment directed at Damon in 2005, the two have engaged in a playful “feud” that has endured for almost two decades.
Their playful rivalry stems from Jimmy’s refusal to have Matt on his show and his habit of teasing Damon’s movie “We Bought a Zoo” whenever possible. But to truly grasp the extent of their comedic “drama,” we need to rewind to the era dominated by skinny jeans: 2005.
1. 2005: The Beginning
During “Jimmy Kimmel Live!”, Jimmy Kimmel had this ongoing joke where he’d end every show by apologising to Matt Damon, claiming they ran out of time for him to be a guest. Jimmy revealed that it began as a spur-of-the-moment joke one night when he wasn’t feeling good about the show’s quality. He thought it would be funny to pretend they couldn’t fit in a big star like Matt Damon. Surprisingly, the joke caught on and became a regular feature.
Despite never meeting in person, Matt Damon found himself bombarded with questions about his supposed connection to Jimmy. He shared on SiriusXM’s The Jess Cagle Show in 2021 that Jimmy just randomly chose his name one night, and they’ve never had any personal interaction.
2. 2006: Matt finally appears on Jimmy Kimmel Live!
A year after Kimmel started the joke, Damon finally appeared as a guest on Jimmy Kimmel Live! in 2006. True to form, they kept the gag alive. After a segment explaining the ongoing joke and a lengthy introduction from Kimmel, Damon sat down, only for Kimmel to abruptly end the show. As rehearsed, Damon unleashed a barrage of expletives directed at Kimmel before storming off the set. His reaction seemed so genuine that many viewers thought he was genuinely angry.
3. 2008 and 2009: Involving Sarah Silverman and Ben Affleck
Damon was invited on the show for Kimmel’s 40th birthday celebration. True to his character, Damon opted to maintain the joke and continue the fun. Through Jimmy’s ex-girlfriend, Sarah Silverman, he sent Kimmel a video in February 2008. This raunchy video, featuring Silverman and Damon, showcased a humorous original song revealing Silverman’s (pretend) romantic involvement with the Good Will Hunting actor. What made this funnier was Silverman winning a Grammy for the song.
Months later, Jimmy revealed through a video that he was in a sensual relationship with actor Ben Affleck, Damon’s best friend.
4. 2013: Matt takes over his show
Matt Damon eventually turned the tables on Jimmy Kimmel. The actor “abducted” Kimmel, seizing control of his late-night show on a Thursday evening. He kicked off the show by altering the credits, renaming the ABC program to “Jimmy Kimmel Sucks” and defacing the host’s image. Damon proceeded to lead the monologue, conduct guest interviews, and wrap up the show, all under his mischievous control.
5. 2015: Couples Counselling
In a humorous skit, the longtime frenemies decided to seek resolution by attending couples counselling together. Surprisingly, Damon did technically make an appearance on the show as a guest! The duo embarked on a therapy session with Dr. Phil, a move that suggests they’re finally taking steps to mend their relationship with professional guidance.
6. 2016: Ben Affleck sneaks Damon onto Jimmy Kimmel Live! / Matt mocks Jimmy at the Emmys
Damon made another attempt to appear on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, this time enlisting the help of his friend Ben Affleck. In a hilarious stunt, Affleck stumbled onto the stage wearing a large overcoat, concealing Damon who was strapped to him with a special harness. Once Damon’s disguise was revealed, Kimmel wasted no time in having him pushed off stage in his chair, exclaiming, “You’re ruining my Oscars show!”
Matt crashed during Jimmy’s moment at the 2016 Emmys. Upon hearing that Kimmel had lost against John Oliver, Damon mocked him over and over again, pretending to console him.
7. 2017: Matt claimed to be the father of Jimmy’s “child”
In a comedic skit involving Jimmy’s then pregnant wife, Molly, Matt amusingly asserted that he was the father of Molly’s unborn child. Jimmy, taken aback by this unexpected revelation, found himself in disbelief. Damon then proposed a whimsical solution: allowing the baby to choose which of them it wanted as its “daddy” – an Oscar winner or an Emmy loser.
