Ben Affleck Says He Was ‘Too Sick to Work’ on This Sci-Fi Film—Vomiting Between Takes

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Ben Affleck recently revealed a surprising story about the emotional goodbye scene he shared with Bruce Willis in the movie Armageddon. He explained that a genuine physical difficulty he was experiencing at the time actually impacted how the scene played out on screen, potentially changing how fans interpret it.

In a recent interview with Fox 32 Chicago, Ben Affleck revealed the truth behind a memorable scene from the 1998 film. Viewers thought his emotional tears were part of his performance, but Affleck was actually battling a bad case of food poisoning during filming, making the experience physically challenging.

Honestly, that scene between my character, A.J. Frost, and Bruce Willis’s Harry Stamper, right as everything was on the line, always gets to me. It’s always been the most powerful part of the movie, and Ben Affleck has said it was one of the toughest days of filming for him, and you can really feel that emotion when you watch it.

“When we shot that scene, I had food poisoning,” Affleck admitted during the interview.

Affleck was early in his Hollywood career and didn’t yet feel comfortable asserting himself. He said he pushed through being very ill without asking for help or a moment to rest.

He admitted he was still learning as an actor and didn’t realize he could simply call in sick. Instead, he felt obligated to come to work, and ended up vomiting between scenes – something he says has only happened to him once in his entire career.

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The illness unexpectedly enhanced the scene. The characters were meant to appear exhausted, sweaty, and stressed, and Affleck genuinely felt that way. He later joked that being sick might have even improved his performance, saying with a laugh, “It probably made the scene better.”

Affleck recently remembered a story from the set of Armageddon after bumping into his old co-star, Steve Buscemi. They reconnected at the premiere of Affleck’s new Netflix movie, The Rip, which sparked the memory.

Affleck remembered running into Steve Buscemi at the premiere of ‘The Rip’ the night before. They talked about the film and agreed it was a uniquely bizarre, yet somehow amazing, experience.

Released in 1998, Armageddon is a film directed by Michael Bay and produced by Jerry Bruckheimer. It tells the story of a team of oil drillers who are sent into space on a mission to prevent a massive asteroid from colliding with and destroying Earth. The movie stars Bruce Willis, Liv Tyler, Billy Bob Thornton, Owen Wilson, Michael Clarke Duncan, and a number of other popular actors.

Despite mixed reviews from critics, the film was a huge commercial success. It grossed over $553 million globally and became the year’s highest-earning movie, according to the studio.

Looking back, Ben Affleck has really come into his own beyond those early, huge action movies. He’s proven himself as a serious talent, winning Oscars for the screenplay of Good Will Hunting and for producing (and directing!) Argo. Now, he’s doing things differently with Artists Equity, a production company he started with Matt Damon, and it’s all about making sure everyone on set – not just the stars – gets treated fairly and paid well. It’s a great sign to see him using his influence to champion better working conditions in the industry.

I still see Ben Affleck popping up in new films, both in front of and behind the camera – he’s got ‘The Rip’ and even a sequel to ‘The Accountant’ in the works. But honestly, for a lot of us, ‘Armageddon’ is the movie we remember him from. And learning the story behind that incredibly emotional scene? It just adds a whole new level of power to a moment that’s stuck with me – and so many others – for years.

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2026-01-19 11:21