Ben Affleck and Matt Damon opened up about a long-remembered incident from early in their careers during a recent appearance on The Tonight Show. The longtime friends and co-stars reflected on what they called their “biggest fight,” a moment on set that unexpectedly sent one of them to the hospital.
Ben Affleck and Matt Damon talk about biggest fight
Ben Affleck and Matt Damon recalled their “biggest fight” during a January 13, 2026, appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. The incident occurred on the set of their 1992 film School Ties, when they were around 19 or 20 years old. Damon said, “We were 19, 20 years old, and there were a bunch of us… Brendan Fraser was in the movie, Cole Hauser was in the movie, Chris O’Donnell.” While bored between takes, they began throwing acorns at each other.
Affleck explained, “Because when you’re 19, that seems like a good idea.” Damon added, “He [Affleck] threw one at Cole, and Cole moved, and I turned, and it literally hit me in the eye.” Damon said he didn’t even have time to blink and had to go to the hospital. He wore an eyepatch while recovering from the injury. “It was our biggest fight,” Affleck said.
Although Damon was concerned about his eye, Affleck said he feared for his job. “Mind you, I had like three lines in the movie,” he said. “And while I cared about Matt having vision, my first thought was, ‘I gotta be fired for this.’” Damon confirmed the eye injury was serious enough to require the patch for several days.
Affleck noted that Damon wasn’t the only one wearing an eyepatch on set. The film’s first assistant director, Newt Arnold, also wore one. “He was a great first A.D., old first A.D.,” Damon said. The two took photos together wearing their patches.
School Ties, directed by Robert Mandel, starred Brendan Fraser as David, a Jewish football player navigating life at a conservative prep school. The cast also included Cole Hauser, Chris O’Donnell, and Matt Damon.
