Ben Affleck Says This Movie Was the Hardest Thing He Ever Had To Do

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Ben Affleck has always been honest about the beginning of his acting career. Before he became a celebrated director, he often played the villain or difficult character, like in the movie School Ties.

But after achieving success with Good Will Hunting, he found himself starring in huge, action-packed summer movies that were physically and professionally demanding. One of his first experiences with this kind of big-budget filmmaking was the 1998 film Armageddon, which he approached with a practical and realistic perspective.

Although the actor has often joked about the movie’s flaws, he now sees making it as a really important learning opportunity. He told GQ he understood from the start they weren’t aiming for a serious, artistic film—they were simply trying to make something fun. He appreciated his colleagues and the crew, who taught him about working professionally, and he remembers the whole experience being enjoyable, even though he didn’t expect it to be an awards contender.

The success of that film quickly landed Affleck in Michael Bay’s next big project, Pearl Harbor. Preparing for the role meant going through extremely difficult ranger training that tested his limits. He described the experience as intensely painful, and confessed he would have quit on the first day if he hadn’t been afraid of letting everyone down. Even now, he considers that training to be the most challenging thing he’s ever done.

Besides the demanding physical training, Ben Affleck had to learn to fly for his role, taking actual flying lessons. While the initial training was difficult, he felt a sense of accomplishment upon completing it and earning respect from the instructors.

This experience ultimately helped him appreciate being on set and filming the movie. Although the film received criticism for not being historically accurate, Affleck maintains a realistic view of its impact.

He believes the film wasn’t as poorly received as some claimed, highlighting its significant financial success – it earned over a billion dollars. He points out that success in the film industry isn’t always reflected in critical reception; sometimes a film can be successful even if it’s not praised by critics.

Ben Affleck is currently prioritizing his work as a director and his collaboration with Matt Damon through their production company, Artists Equity. Their new action-thriller, The Rip, which premiered on January 16th, quickly gained attention on streaming platforms. Directed by Joe Carnahan, the film features Affleck and Damon alongside Steven Yeun and Kyle Chandler, and centers around a group of Miami police officers who discover a large sum of money. The project is also notable for a groundbreaking agreement with Netflix, which included performance-based bonuses for the entire crew.

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2026-02-06 22:16