Casey Affleck Gets Matt Damon on Board for ‘The Instigators’ with a Little Help from His Wife

In a delightful twist of Hollywood collaboration, Matt Damon joined the cast of “The Instigators,” a heist dramedy now streaming on Apple TV+, thanks in part to a nudge from his wife, Luciana. The film, co-written by Casey Affleck, features a unique premise where a therapist gets entangled in a criminal scheme to keep their sessions going.
Affleck, who also stars in the film alongside Hong Chau, revealed in a joint interview that Luciana played a significant role in convincing Damon to take part in the project. “Wow, word travels,” Affleck said with a laugh. “But, no, that is not an exaggeration. She did help.”
Damon, who has been married to Luciana for nearly two decades, agreed with a grin. “My wife is a lot smarter than me.”
Affleck, who co-stars with Damon and Chau in the film, admitted that he’s always looking for opportunities to collaborate with his Boston buddy. “We’re always looking for things to do together,” he said. “OK, so maybe it’s 70/30 me looking for something to do with Matt.”
Damon, reflecting on their partnership, emphasized the value of having trusted friends like Affleck involved in projects. “It is such an advantage to have someone you really admire and trust thinking of you,” he said. “It’s just beautiful when you can align.”
The film also saw some familial involvement, with Damon’s stepdaughter, Alexia Barroso, contributing to cinematography and Luciana receiving her first official producer credit. “Luciana’s helped behind the scenes on every movie I’ve done since we’ve met,” Damon shared. “The other producers said they’d withhold their names if she didn’t take a credit this time, which was really nice.”
While the film’s soundstage work was done in New York, the exterior shots were filmed in Boston, where locals had the chance to see their hometown stars in action. “No,” Affleck joked, “no one was coming over to visit. Maybe they’re just used to us.”