Jimmy Kimmel vs. Matt Damon: A video history

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Late night’s new paradigm, experts say, is tech-savvy, younger-skewing and much cheaper. That fits a time in which many viewers are forgoing watching an entire program at its scheduled time, opting instead to watch a few minutes on their phones or tablets the next day. With his frequent YouTube videos, ragged skits featuring family members and interactive stunts such as tongue-in-cheek National Facebook Unfriend Day, Jimmy Kimmel’s move to 11:35 p.m. shows that his program is tailored for this new era. (Ricardo DeAratanha / Los Angeles Times)

By Nardine Saad

Jan. 24, 2013 5 PM PT

Hey, Jimmy Kimmel, Matt Damon wants the last laugh — and Thursday night he’s doing the kidnapping to prove it.

First, a little background. OK, a lot of background.

The actor has been made fun of repeatedly on “Jimmy Kimmel Live” over the years, a gag that started in the show’s early days when guests weren’t that great and Kimmel was trying to liven up the show by pretending they didn’t have enough time for the movie star. (Kimmel later admitted that he did the gag simply to amuse a producer, because the show was so bad they would never have bumped any A-lister.)

Damon did eventually make an appearance on the show, albeit a short one, during a 2006 prime-time special. Kimmel spent so much time recapping all the times Damon had been bumped from the lineup that by the time the actor made it to his chair, they had run out of time. Damon went faux-ballistic.

The taunt then instigated Kimmel’s then-girlfriend, comedian Sarah Silverman, to surprise the talk-show host with a 2008 birthday video called “F*@#ing Matt Damon,” which went viral.

Kimmel retaliated shortly after with another jab at Damon, featuring Damon’s buddy Ben Affleck in a video called “F*@#ing Ben Affleck,” chock-full of celebrity cameos, including Brad Pitt, Robin Williams, Cameron Diaz and more.

But the feud (and Kimmel’s lack of handsomeness) got him evicted from his Handsome Men’s Club, which aired as a post-Oscars special in 2010. Matthew McConaughey declared that Kimmel wasn’t handsome, and despite a rebuttal helped by Lenny Kravitz, Jimmy was out the door. And there was his good ol’ frenemy, Matt Damon, to slam it behind him. Fortunately for Kimmel, it was only a nightmare, and Affleck returned to calm his nerves.

Kimmel then spoofed Damon’s “The Bourne Ultimatum” by bumping the actor from his own film and having it star the host’s late-night sidekick Guillermo instead.

Next, Kimmel cast several A-listers in his 2012 post-Oscars special segment “Movie: The Movie.” Damon was included -- as a grape. And Kimmel proceeded to cut him out of the fake film.

And the battle rages on.

Now that Kimmel has made his debut in the 11:35 p.m. time slot and is doing battle with late-night heavyweights Jay Leno and David Letterman, it seems that Kimmel’s team is angling for a ratings boost, hence the kidnapping.

On Thursday morning, ABC’s “Good Morning America” teased to the showdown, which takes place Thursday night. When Damon was booked on the show earlier this month, Kimmel issued this statement: “God help Damon if he dare show his stupid face.”

Damon’s response: “Words hurt, Jimmy. But not as much as a tire iron. I’m coming for you.”

Which brings us to this video, showing Kimmel tied up in a chair and gagged with a tie, with an all-too-smug Damon announcing his takeover.