Ben Affleck isn’t holding back when it comes to baring it all in his latest film, The Rip, where he teams up with his longtime friend, Matt Damon.

At 53, Affleck is embracing his shirtless scene with a lighthearted attitude. During a chat on The Fox 101.9’s “Fifi, Fev & Nick” on Thursday, January 15, he humorously defended his decision to show off his physique “without any particular reason.”

Former Australian Rules football player and radio personality Brendan Fevola playfully teased Affleck about his bare-chested moment, quipping, “Who would win in a fight? Because Ben, when you took your top off at the start for no reason… wow, you’re looking fit.”

The comment sent Damon, 55, into a bout of laughter, while Affleck responded with cheerful banter.

Affleck shared that while his children were excited to visit Matt Damon on the set of Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey, they weren’t as eager to check out his own film projects. Affleck, 53, along with Damon, 55, appeared on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on Tuesday, January 13, to discuss The Rip. During the show, Affleck recounted how he had taken the opportunity to…

“There was a reason! I want people to see it. I don’t go to the gym for nothing,” he joked. “I’m middle-aged. I’ll take all the … you know. It’s going away. I want it memorialized before it’s gone.”

Damon had another theory as to why his Good Will Hunting collaborator stripped off his shirt on screen, joking, “It’s called actor vanity.”

The pair also touched on the shirtless scene in an interview with Entertainment Tonight the same day, with Damon roasting his friend yet again.

“He changed his shirt for a scene in this movie and, boy, did they tweak the lighting for a long time on that bathroom — just shadows, just getting everything just perfect for him,” Damon said.

Seeing the funny side of the scene, Affleck joked it was a crucial plot point that added to his character’s development.

“I think it was important to see the character change,” he teased. “I think that’s what made the part dramatically interesting there, was that he had a shirt that was dirty and then he had to put a clean one on.”

Damon sarcastically added, “Makes total sense in the middle of the day.”

Affleck went on to explain that he didn’t take cues from Damon, who also showcased his ripped body for his upcoming film The Odyssey when it came to dieting.

Damon previously revealed he followed a gluten-free diet to get in shape for the movie, but Affleck revealed in the ET interview that he opted to go in a different direction to achieve his chiseled physique.

“To be honest, I can’t do the gluten-free thing. I feel like the one thing I can’t live without is bread — like, rolls, you know? Maybe it just makes me a caveman, but that’s really hard,” he told the outlet.

Gary Miller/WireImage Matt Damon says he’s been “really lucky” that his personal life has stayed out of the public eye throughout his career — unlike his best friend Ben Affleck. “Especially when I look at my friends, his brother, I can’t imagine living under that kind of scrutiny,” Damon, 53, said during a “Radio Times” […]

Although they enjoy taking jabs at one another in good fun, Affleck and Damon have a solid bond thanks to their four-plus decades of friendship, which began when they grew up together.

Speaking to Us Weekly at the premiere of The Rip on Tuesday, January 13, in New York, the best friends said they’re still continually learning things about each other.

“I keep relearning things about Matt that I already knew and I forget them,” Affleck joked to Us exclusively before speaking seriously about their friendship. “Honestly, I am continually reminded of what a good father he is and what a fabulous actor he is.”

Affleck added that it’s “fun” he and Damon get to navigate their careers together. “You’re really lucky if you can do this for a living,” he said, “and you’re exceptionally lucky if you can do it with people you love and care about.”