A Timeline of Matt Damon and Jimmy Kimmel's 'Feud'

Jimmy Kimmel and Matt Damon's long-running "feud" originated on Jimmy Kimmel Live! and has been going on for nearly two decades

Jimmy Kimmel and Matt Damon's playful love-hate relationship goes way back.

As a late-night talk show host and an Academy Award-winning actor, it's no surprise that the two Hollywood talents have crossed paths throughout their careers — but ever since Kimmel unleashed a random dig at Damon in 2005, the two have hilariously "feuded" for nearly two decades.

During his show, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, the host made a tradition of closing out episodes with, "Apologies to Matt Damon, but we ran out of time," even though the actor was never scheduled to come on the show.

The joke continued in September 2006 when Damon finally appeared as a guest. After a segment that explained the gag – and a lengthy introduction by Kimmel – Damon sat down, only to have the host cut him off and end the show.

Related: Ben Affleck Acts as Peacemaker in Matt Damon's Ongoing 'Feud' with Jimmy Kimmel

From stints on the talk show to quips during interviews to even call-outs at the Oscars, both Kimmel and Damon have impressively kept the long-running joke up over the years — a gag that has evolved into what is now a famed "feud" between the host and the actor.

Several stars have even found themselves in the middle, like Kimmel's ex-girlfriend Sarah Silverman and Damon's pal Ben Affleck while promoting their film Air.

All jokes aside, the late-night host and actor are truly good friends, but for the sake of this story, here's a timeline of Kimmel and Damon's "feud" that spans nearly two decades.

2005: Jimmy Kimmel and Matt Damon's 'feud' begins

The famed "feud" began during season 3 of Jimmy Kimmel Live! when host Kimmel randomly decided to conclude an episode with the line: "Apologies to Matt Damon, but we ran out of time."

Meanwhile, Damon wasn't even scheduled as a guest on that night's show! The actor revealed years later that he wasn't even close with Kimmel at the time — nor had they even met.

"People started to call me and ask like, 'Hey, what's your connection to this guy?' And I'd never met Jimmy,'" Damon revealed on SiriusXM's The Jess Cagle Show in 2021. "He literally pulled my name out of thin air one night."

"'I had a ventriloquist and a guy in a gorilla suit as my guests," Damon recalled of how Kimmel explained his reasoning to use his name. Kimmel said he used Damon's name "kind of as a throw away."

"He could've said, you know, George [Clooney] ― he could have said somebody else. But he just, for some reason, maybe I had a movie out that week or something, but he just said my name," the Air actor added. "And it changed the course of both of our lives. We've kept this feud going for, you know, it's gotta be 15 years now. I've had a lot of fun doing it."

2006: Matt Damon appears on Jimmy Kimmel Live! for the first time

A year after Kimmel made the joke, Damon made his official debut as a guest on Jimmy Kimmel Live! in 2006. And of course, they kept the joke running.

After a segment that explained the gag – and a lengthy introduction by Kimmel – Damon sat down, only to have the host cut him off and end the show. As planned, the actor unleashed a flurry of curse words on Kimmel and proceeded to storm off the set. His performance was so believable, many fans thought he was truly upset!

February 2, 2008: Matt Damon gets Sarah Silverman in on the joke

Producers at Jimmy Kimmel Live! approached Damon in November 2007 and asked if he'd make an appearance in celebration of Kimmel's 40th birthday, but like the true actor Damon is, he decided to stay in character and keep the joke running.

Through Silverman, he gave Kimmel a video — a raunchy one at that — in February 2008. The video, starring Silverman and Damon, featured a silly original song that exposed Silverman's (fake) affair with the Good Will Hunting actor.

"I don't even think he thought twice about it," Damon's rep told PEOPLE at the time. "He just said, 'I'll do it.'" The rep added, "He had so much fun... "It was his turn to get Jimmy."

Related: Behind Matt Damon's Raunchy Payback to Jimmy Kimmel

January 25, 2013: Matt Damon takes over Jimmy Kimmel Live!

In 2013, Silverman was at it again when she appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live!. The zinger? Damon was the host and had Kimmel held captive, tied up with duct tape at the back of the stage. Meanwhile, the Mystic Pizza actor took over the late-night desk and interviewed Silverman.

September 29, 2015: Jimmy Kimmel and Matt Damon try to work out their 'feud' in couples counseling

The Kimmel vs. Damon feud continued throughout 2015, but a September episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live! looked a little bit different than years past — particularly because Damon didn't hear Kimmel say those dreaded words, "Apologies to Matt Damon, we ran out of time."

During a comedic sketch, the frenemies went to couples counseling in an attempt to work out their beef. (So yes, Damon technically did make it on the show as a guest!)

February 29, 2016: Ben Affleck smuggles Matt Damon onto Jimmy Kimmel Live!

In 2016, Damon tried to get on Jimmy Kimmel Live! yet again, only this time, he enlisted help from his pal Ben Affleck.

The hilarious bit saw Affleck stumble on stage wearing a huge overcoat hiding Damon who was strapped to his friend with a special harness. "I hate to say it but you've ballooned," Kimmel quipped, with Affleck, responding: "Wow, I didn't know tonight was about body shaming."

Once Damon's cover was blown, Kimmel wasted no time in him getting pushed off stage in his chair. "You are ruining my Oscars show!"

Related: Matt Damon Makes It on Jimmy Kimmel at Last After Ben Affleck Smuggles Him on – Only to Be Pushed off Stage

February 7, 2017: Matt Damon crashes Jimmy Kimmel Live! dressed as Tom Brady

Damon devised another tactic to get on Jimmy Kimmel Live! during a 2017 episode following the Super Bowl — and yes, his strategy involved another disguise. This time, Damon decided to dress up as Tom Brady, the former New England Patriots player who had just won the NFL championship game.

"We have a surprise guest with us," Kimmel told the audience. "Probably the most beloved Patriot of all of them … Tom Brady, everyone!" But instead of the Super Bowl champ, in walked Damon dressed in a Patriots uniform — helmet, eye black and all.

When Kimmel asked why he was still wearing his uniform, Damon did his best to cover his tracks. However, the jig was up when Kimmel removed the helmet and exposed the Air actor's true identity.

February 22, 2017: Jimmy Kimmel says he wants Matt Damon to 'go home with nothing' at the Oscars

Ahead of Kimmel's hosting duties at the 89th Academy Awards in 2017, the late-night host admitted during an interview on Good Morning America that there's one person he doesn't want to see win — you guessed it, Damon.

"Unfortunately, we'll see Matt Damon," Kimmel cracked about his longtime arch-rival during his morning talk show interview. "Of course, I'm rooting against him."

The Damon-produced film, Manchester by the Sea, was up for Best Picture, among other categories at the award show. "I don't want the film to lose, I want him to lose," Kimmel said. "I would like him to go home with nothing."

Related: Jimmy Kimmel Ribs Matt Damon on His Oscar Nomination: 'I Want Him to Lose!'

October 11, 2017: Matt Damon 'hacks' his way onto Jimmy Kimmel Live!

Atypical of his usual attempts at crashing Jimmy Kimmel Live! — historically involving disguises or smuggling tactics — Damon took a technical approach to get on the show, crashing Chris Hemsworth's interview in October 2017.

Held just before the premiere of Marvel's Thor: Ragnorak (in which Damon has a cameo as "Actor Loki"), Hemsworth was being interviewed as a guest on the show, while actor Mark Ruffalo and the film's director Taika Waititi were waiting in the backstage area of the show.

At one point during the interview, Kimmel cut to Ruffalo and Waititi in the green room. As the cameras turned their way, Damon slowly popped his head into the frame.

As the crowd began to scream and applaud, Kimmel joked, saying, "It's the mighty Thor not the muddy bore, so maybe take a walk!"

Later in the show, Damon took his antics up a notch, "hacking" into the big screen behind Kimmel and Hemsworth and stealing the spotlight. "I'm on the show," Damon said. "I hacked into the system."

April 20, 2018: Ben Affleck says he's 'Team Jimmy Kimmel' over Matt Damon

Remember when Affleck tried to smuggle Damon on Jimmy Kimmel Live! in 2016? Well, the Argo actor's feelings towards his longtime pal have seemingly evolved in the two years that followed, according to a tweet he penned in favor of the late-night host.

Responding to a report that claimed Damon wanted to distance himself from his best bud and replace him with Hemsworth, Affleck let his fans know that the gossip didn't bother him because he sides with Kimmel anyways.

"Hey @chrishemsworth, you can have him! I'm Team @JimmyKimmel anyways" Affleck jokingly wrote on Twitter.

Related: Ben Affleck Jokes He's 'Team Jimmy Kimmel' After Claims Matt Damon Dumped Him for Chris Hemsworth

May 2, 2019: Jimmy Kimmel has Tom Brady break one of Matt Damon's windows

In addition to Affleck and Silverman, football player Brady has repeatedly gotten in on the "feud" between Damon and Kimmel.

In May 2019, Brady was recruited by Kimmel to strike against his frenemy. (And by strike, we mean smash one of Damon's windows.)

On Jimmy Kimmel Live!, the host arrived at a suburban home with Brady and Kimmel's sidekick Guillermo. Kimmel then asked if Brady could throw the football he was holding through a window of the house, and Brady replied that he of course can.

"Very well done, that was impressive," Kimmel said after Brady shattered the window. But as they're congratulating Brady, a very angry Damon walked out and demanded to know what was going on.

"Oh no, do you live here?" Kimmel replied, with Damon angrily answering, "You know I live here!"

Related: Jimmy Kimmel Has Tom Brady Break One of Matt Damon's Windows in Hilarious Ongoing Feud

June 14, 2019: Matt Damon jokes Jimmy Kimmel is banned from his comedy club

When Kimmel's Comedy Club opened up in Las Vegas in 2019, he joked that Damon would never set foot in the establishment.

"I'd love to see him do standup. I think it would be a nightmare for him and everyone involved, but he's not going to be doing it at my club because we have a restraining order against him," Kimmel joked to PEOPLE at the June 14 opening. "Las Vegas Metro Police are on alert to make sure he never gets in here."

Related: Jimmy Kimmel Jokes Matt Damon Is Banned from His Comedy Club: 'Police Are on Alert'

March 3, 2023: Jimmy Kimmel jokes he's 'thrilled' Matt Damon might not attend the Oscars

Ahead of Kimmel's return to host the Oscars for a third time in March 2023, the late-night host was giddy at rumors that Damon wouldn't be in the audience at the awards telecast.

"I'm thrilled that he won't show," Kimmel playfully told PEOPLE. "I hope he never gets nominated again."

Kimmel maintained that Damon, a five-time nominee who took home the Best Original Screenplay Oscar for Good Will Hunting in 1997, somehow holds the blame for the backstage envelope snafu in 2017 which led to the announcement of the wrong Best Picture winner.

"I believe that his presence in some way caused the envelope mixup," deadpanned Kimmel.

March 27, 2023: Matt Damon calls Jimmy Kimmel a 'terrible human being' on Air red carpet

At the premiere of Damon's film Air, the frenemies had an exchange on the red carpet, with Damon joking to Entertainment Weekly that Kimmel is a "terrible human being."

When the outlet asked Damon if he was ready to bury the hatchet with Kimmel, he responded: "No, no, he's an a--hole. Why would I ever do that? He's a terrible human being. He's a demonstrably bad man."

As Kimmel rolled up on the carpet behind him, Damon turned and yelled, "Hey! I'd love to take a picture with you but we ran out of time!" The joke was in reference to Kimmel's repetitive gag on Jimmy Kimmel Live! where he ends every episode apologizing to Damon for running out of time and not being able to get to his segment.

"You know, I don't know who that was, but yeah, I heard him. He was loud," Kimmel told EW.

Related: Matt Damon Jokes Jimmy Kimmel Is a 'Terrible Human Being' on 'AIR' Red Carpet: A 'Bad Man'

March 28, 2023: Ben Affleck plays peacemaker amid Jimmy Kimmel and Matt Damon 'feud'

Affleck found himself back in the middle of Kimmel and Damon's feud as he appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live! in March 2023. While promoting his film Air, which he directed and stars in alongside Damon, he attempted to play peacemaker between his "feuding" pals.

"I understand you have your feuds," Affleck said to Kimmel, addressing his fake, ongoing feud with Damon. "Matt is a friend of mine," he continued, before requesting Kimmel ask Damon one question for the sake of promoting the film.

To Kimmel's agreement, Affleck called up Damon on FaceTime and Kimmel asked the actor "one question." When Damon started to answer, the screen and sound went jumbled.

"Oh wow, seems like we're having a connection problem with the WiFi," Kimmel reacted to Damon's frozen face, which kept freezing at his most unflattering expressions.

March 10, 2024: The 'feud' is reignited when Jimmy Kimmel closes the Oscars with a dog pee joke

Kimmel made it through the entire 2024 Oscars without a jab at Damon — or so it seemed. But in the final moments of the broadcast, a clip aired that showed Messi, the dog from Anatomy of a Fall, appearing to pee on Matt Damon's star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

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