Entertainment
Ben Affleck liked being a child actor because it made Matt Damon ‘so incredibly jealous’ – EW.com
It seems we can thank a jealous child for Jason Bourne and Good Will Hunting. In an interview on an upcoming episode of SiriusXM’s The Jess Cagle Show, Ben Affleck discussed his beginnings in the entertainment industry, explaining that his career as a child actor “did two things.” “One, it instilled in me a deep love and affection…
It seems we can thank a jealous child for Jason Bourne and Good Will Hunting.
In an interview on an upcoming episode of SiriusXM’s The Jess Cagle Show, Ben Affleck discussed his beginnings in the entertainment industry, explaining that his career as a child actor “did two things.” “One, it instilled in me a deep love and affection for this art and craft and line of work,” Affleck says, “and it made Matt Damon so incredibly jealous, and drove him into a career in cinema. So I really take credit for that.”
Affleck and Damon famously grew up together in Boston and were close friends throughout their youth, going on to co-write (and win Oscars for) the Good Will Hunting screenplay together. The pair also shared a drama teacher in high school; Damon later said Affleck got the “biggest roles and longest speeches.”
Last year, it was reported that Affleck and Damon are co-writing a new film, The Last Duel, with filmmaker Nicole Holofcener, with Ridley Scott slated to direct.
In the Sirius interview, Affleck also shares stories from his early days of acting, recalling that his mom’s best friend, a casting director, helped him get his start. “She was casting a kids’ science and math adventure, sort of pre-Dora the Explorer show for PBS,” Affleck says. “I was seven or eight, and ended up getting the part… Periodically, I would leave town, and go do this series, The Voyage of the Mimi. And it was cheesy, and I was embarrassed about it. It wasn’t like I was coming back home and being like, ‘You guys gotta see this! I’m so cool!'”
Affleck’s interview will air on The Jess Cagle Show Wednesday, March 4 at 6:00 p.m. ET/3:00 p.m. PT. You can watch a clip above.
Related content:
- Ben Affleck says friend warned against doing The Batman: ‘You’ll drink yourself to death’
- Ben Affleck makes gritty, dramatic transformation in moving The Way Back trailer
- Christian Bale and Matt Damon explain how the passion in Ford v Ferrari is like filmmaking
Real Life. Real News. Real Voices
Help us tell more of the stories that matter
Become a founding member
Subscribe to the newsletter news
We hate SPAM and promise to keep your email address safe
