Matt Damon reveals rare emotional conversations with Ben Affleck as their kids prepare to leave home

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Actor Matt Damon opened up about entering a new chapter of life alongside his longtime friend and Ben Affleck in an exclusive interview with PEOPLE, published on Friday, July 17.

'The Odyssey' star shared that the two have found themselves becoming increasingly emotional as their children grow older and prepare to leave home. Damon also reflected on family traditions, parenting, and how this stage of life has influenced both their personal and professional journeys.

Matt Damon opens up about emotional parenting talks with Ben Affleck

Damon who shares daughters Alexia, Isabella, Gia, and Stella with his wife Luciana, said he and Affleck often discuss the similarities in their lives as parents. Affleck shares Violet, Seraphina, and Samuel with ex-wife Jennifer Garner.

“We’re at very similar stages with the kids, and it’s definitely a new phase of life,” he said, adding, “It doesn’t take much to get us emotional at this point.” Damon also said he and his family are embracing the reality that all four of his daughters will soon be out of the house.

“I feel like we are facing it and embracing the fact that it’s happening,” he shared, adding, “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 admitted that staying present has been a challenge because phones often distract the family. He revealed that one tradition has remained a constant throughout the years.

“We have family dinner every night, and that’s non-negotiable, and it’s always been that way,” he said.

However, he acknowledged that even family dinner has not always gone as planned. Damon recalled how one of his daughters recently pointed out that everyone had been distracted during a meal.

“One of my daughters said, ‘Well, family dinner, last night we didn’t talk.’ And we realized, ‘Oh my gosh, you’re right.’ We sat down for dinner, and you can get lost in that routine a little bit and not appreciate why you established the routine in the first place,” he explained, concluding, “So again, that’s the kind of family mindfulness we’re all working on.”

Matt Damon reflects on decades-long friendship with Ben Affleck

While discussing 'The Odyssey,' Damon drew a connection between his character, Odysseus, and the determination he shared with Affleck when they were starting out as young actors.

“I think starting out as an actor, you have to feel that way a little bit. You have to because the odds are so long against you,” Damon said, adding, “I think Ben and I bolstered each other when we were young. We were in our teens and we were coming down here to New York on the train or on the bus to audition for things, for 'The Mickey Mouse Club.'"

He continued, "We were the only people who believed in each other. We had families, but they weren’t in the entertainment business.”

“We were the only people who felt like we had a little foot in this door who said, ‘Yeah, you’re going to make it.’ And I think you need to have that kind of defy-the-odds mentality to go into this life because it’s a bit of the circus life and it’s not a normal way to go," he added.

More than 45 years after first meeting, Damon and Affleck continue to work together as friends, collaborators, and business partners through Artists Equity. They most recently produced and starred in Netflix's 'The Rip.'