Matt Damon has opened up about the heartfelt talks he and Ben Affleck have been having as they look ahead to life after their children move out.
For most parents, the idea of their kids eventually leaving home is something they know is coming, even if it still feels difficult when they stop to think about it.
Damon and Affleck have both found themselves reflecting on that next chapter, as their families get older and move closer to adulthood.
The The Odyssey actor is dad to Alexia, 27, Isabella, 20, Gia, 17, and Stella, 15. Affleck, meanwhile, shares Violet, 20, Seraphina, 17, and Samuel, 13, with former partner Jennifer Garner.
Although neither actor has fully reached the empty-nester stage, Damon recently told PEOPLE that the thought of it already stirs strong emotions.
“We’re at very similar stages with the kids, and it’s definitely a new phase of life,” Damon said of Affleck.
Both actors have spent years balancing demanding film careers with family life, and Damon has said that milestone moments now tend to feel especially significant as his daughters grow older.
“It doesn’t take much to get us emotional at this point.”
Discussing his own feelings about the day his daughters leave home, Damon said:
“I feel like we are facing it and embracing the fact that it’s happening.
“We’ve been talking a lot about presence and about really trying to be in the moment, and because you can’t slow time down, the only way to really do it is to really be there and be in it.”
Damon’s latest comments come as he prepares for the release of The Odyssey, Christopher Nolan’s new epic adventure film, which is set to open in theaters on July 17, 2026.
Earlier this week, Damon attended the London premiere of The Odyssey with his wife, Luciana Damon, and their children.
He told PEOPLE it was ‘great’ to mark the film’s release with his family by his side, adding that he was ‘really excited’ for his daughters to watch the movie.
“It’s great because they had to sacrifice a lot too for this,” Damon said. “I went away for a while, they came and visited, but it was a lot. It was a very long movie, very grueling shoot, and I’m really excited for my girls to see it tonight.”
In another conversation, this time with Entertainment Tonight, Damon said he was ‘so happy’ to have his children joining him at the premiere of The Odyssey.
“They’re all having fun while I’m working, but I’m so happy they’re here,” he said.
“Everybody’s so grown up. Like, I got a real dad teary moment seeing them today.”
As in his interview with PEOPLE, Damon was also asked about his daughters getting older, and he admitted the experience can feel overwhelming.
Even so, he said he is choosing to appreciate the moment, adding: “Yeah, it’s a lot. It’s wonderful, but it’s a lot.”