Ben Affleck recently had fans laughing during an interview for his new Netflix movie, The Rip. Usually known for being serious when discussing his work, Affleck surprised everyone with his funny side. He did a remarkably accurate impression of his former co-star, Billy Bob Thornton, and the clip quickly became popular online. This happened while he was on Barstool’s Project Big Screen.
The story goes back to the 1998 premiere of Armageddon at the Kennedy Space Center. Ben Affleck remembered Billy Bob Thornton jokingly questioning his recent Oscar win. Thornton reportedly said, “Hey, I saw you got that—you won that Oscar, didn’t you?” Affleck confirmed he had. Then, imitating Thornton’s Southern accent, Affleck recalled Thornton adding, “So what? Did they give you like half an Oscar? Feels like you only wrote half the picture, right?”
The audience burst into laughter as Affleck kept imitating Billy Bob Thornton’s deadpan style. He followed up with, “I give you two, half an Oscar for that. That’s nice, that’s good. That’s like a kid’s Oscar, right? A participation Oscar, is that what you got?” The joke was particularly funny because Affleck had just won his own Oscar, along with Matt Damon, for Good Will Hunting.
Who knew Ben Affleck had a perfect Billy Bob Thornton impression in his back pocket?
— Project Big Screen (@ProjBigScreen) January 19, 2026
It wasn’t that Thornton was trying to be unkind. He’d actually won an Oscar the previous year for his screenplay for Sling Blade, and that success likely gave him the confidence to playfully tease the younger Affleck. They were both at the premiere promoting Armageddon, where Affleck starred as oil rig worker A.J. Frost and Thornton played Dan Truman, the NASA director.
Ben Affleck has been actively working in Hollywood. In addition to his film, The Rip, he’s also focused on Artists Equity, a production company he started with Matt Damon. The company aims to ensure everyone working on a film—actors and crew alike—shares in the profits fairly.
Ben Affleck’s latest film, Air, has been well-received, particularly for its compelling story about how the Air Jordan brand came to be. He’s also well-known for playing Batman in the DC movies and for directing the acclaimed film Argo.
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2026-01-22 23:14