Casey Affleck Jokes Tom Brady ‘Didn’t Show Up’ for ‘The Instigators’ (Exclusive)

Casey Affleck hit the NYC premiere of his new heist comedy “The Instigators" on Wednesday.

“Extra’s” Mona Kosar Abdi spoke with Casey, who raved about working with longtime pal Matt Damon.

Casey praised Matt, saying, “He’s a great actor, whether he’s my friend or not. He really makes every movie he’s in better, and he made this movie better and I love him, so it’s just nice to hang out with him.”

They are close pals in real life, but their characters in “The Instigators” have a love-hate relationship!

Casey, who also wrote the movie, noted that being friends with Matt makes collaborating easier. "I talk to him straight," he said. "There isn’t a lot of tiptoeing in our little circle.”

He also praised director Doug Liman for fostering an amazing atmosphere on the set.

"I didn't know Doug before this," Casey commented. "I just knew his track record — 'Bourne Identity,' 'Mr. & Mrs. Smith,' 'Edge of Tomorrow,' all these great movies... I knew he would make a fun, fast, awesome movie. I didn't know what his style was as a person, and he definitely set the tone. It didn't matter that Matt and I have known each other for a long time, like, Doug was there to have a good time and be very inclusive. You've got like all kinds of pranks happening and ping-pong tournaments and everyone's having a laugh. I felt really lucky to be there. I kept waiting for them to replace me, but I made it to the end."

Former Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski was at the premiere since he has a cameo in the movie. But was Tom Brady asked?

Casey answered, “Tom might have been called, but he didn’t show up." He smiled, "He’s busy and he’s probably got a lot of incoming calls.”