Success in Hollywood depends on a lot of elements, and while stardom may be easier for some, actor Ben Affleck has seen a lot of ups and downs in the industry. From winning the prestigious Oscar award for Good Will Hunting to playing some of the most iconic characters on screen, he was truly making a name for himself in the business.
But soon, things started changing, and the media, as well as the industry, started turning against him. Some of his movies didn’t do well at the box office, and his reputation suffered massively because of it. So, he had to make some changes in order to bring a change in his career path.
The same was revealed by his longtime friend Matt Damon, who detailed the reasons Affleck had to change his way to survive in the cutthroat world of Hollywood.
Matt Damon on what forced Ben Affleck to make a shift to directing
Friendships, especially in Hollywood, are not easy, where every actor is eyeing the next big movie. However, some celebrities surprise viewers with just how effortlessly they bond on screen as well as off-screen. The same is true for Ben Affleck and Matt Damon‘s friendship. The actors started their careers together when they collaborated on 1997’s Good Will Hunting.
The movie won an Oscar for Best Original Screenplay. But while they started together, the choice of movies they did after that deeply impacted their acting paths. For instance, Damon focused heavily on working with great directors and selected good roles in projects such as Saving Private Ryan, The Talented Mr. Ripley, and The Rainmaker.
However, on the other hand, Affleck focused on working in big-budget movies such as Pearl Harbor and Gigli, to name a few. But to his dismay, many of these movies failed to grab the attention of viewers and were criticized for their poor storyline and lack of depth. After this downfall, Affleck ventured into the world of directing.
While he had always wanted to do so, his struggling acting career made it a necessity rather than a choice. He debuted with Gone Baby Gone in 2007, and his direction was well-received by viewers. However, it was Argo, released in 2012, that established his place as a well-respected director and brought him back to the good side of the business.
On his new path, his friend Matt Damon also added some words via The Playlist. He said:
He was forced into it, really, because he was in actor jail and couldn’t get a job that he wanted. Once he had done that movie and it was received really well, he still wasn’t getting acting jobs. So he rewrote The Town and was like, ‘Well, I’ll direct it and be in it’. With Argo, it was another great role, so it was another great two-punch for him.
Currently, Affleck is making headlines because of his personal life, but there’s no denying that despite his struggles, he continues to be one of the most appreciated actors in the industry.
Ben Affleck replaces Matt Damon in a Netflix thriller
Throughout the years, Matt Damon and Ben Affleck have worked together on a number of projects. While fans loved them in Good Will Hunting, the latest movie announcement won’t see them sharing the screen together. Affleck is all set to headline Netflix’s upcoming crime thriller Animals via Variety.
Interestingly, Damon was supposed to play this role, but due to his commitments to the Christopher Nolan-directed The Odyssey, he had to back out of the project. While he is still very much involved as an executive producer, Affleck will be taking the lead in acting.
Much to the surprise of many, he will be working alongside actress Gillian Anderson. Some sources also suggest that, beyond their professional collaboration, something might develop between the duo romantically as well.
While these are just rumors at the moment, given that both of them are currently single, this might become a possibility in the future.
This post belongs to FandomWire and first appeared on FandomWire
