{"id":20133,"date":"2020-03-07T18:20:27","date_gmt":"2020-03-08T03:20:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/theculturednerd.org\/?p=20133"},"modified":"2020-03-13T11:15:45","modified_gmt":"2020-03-13T18:15:45","slug":"ben-affleck-the-rise-the-fall-the-way-back","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/theculturednerd.org\/?p=20133","title":{"rendered":"Ben Affleck: The Rise, The Fall, The Way Back"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"980\" height=\"652\" src=\"https:\/\/theculturednerd.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/C59F9457-9479-4737-A8B2-F02B8FC16D24.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-20134\" srcset=\"https:\/\/theculturednerd.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/C59F9457-9479-4737-A8B2-F02B8FC16D24.jpeg 980w, https:\/\/theculturednerd.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/C59F9457-9479-4737-A8B2-F02B8FC16D24-300x200.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/theculturednerd.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/C59F9457-9479-4737-A8B2-F02B8FC16D24-768x511.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/theculturednerd.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/C59F9457-9479-4737-A8B2-F02B8FC16D24-165x109.jpeg 165w, https:\/\/theculturednerd.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/C59F9457-9479-4737-A8B2-F02B8FC16D24-90x60.jpeg 90w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 980px) 100vw, 980px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In an interview with <strong>GQ<\/strong>, <strong>Ben Affleck<\/strong> breaks down some of his most iconic characters, like oil drilling A.J. Frost to Bruce Wayne and his alter ego Batman. From small roles to big budget blockbusters to showing wide emotional range to directing himself. Affleck has turned himself into a <em>Hollywood Swiss Army knife<\/em>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"has-text-align-center wp-block-heading\">The Early Years<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Affleck\u2019 s first role, albeit a small one, was in the movie <strong>School Ties<\/strong> (1992) where he plays an \u201cantisemitic bully\u201d <em>Chesty Smith<\/em>. He then landed the least likable character in a movie full of likable characters as <em>Fred Bannion, <\/em>high school senior with a paddle, in <strong>Dazed and Confused<\/strong> (1993). He continued his work with director <em>Kevin Smith<\/em> as <em>Holden McNeil<\/em> in <strong>Chasing Amy<\/strong> (1997) where he finally lands a starring role that required him to show emotional range.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow aligncenter\" data-effect=\"slide\"><div class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_container swiper-container\"><ul class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_swiper-wrapper swiper-wrapper\"><li class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_slide swiper-slide\"><figure><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"496\" height=\"296\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_image wp-image-20135\" data-id=\"20135\" src=\"https:\/\/theculturednerd.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/1444A985-2E2A-41A1-9504-74B3CF9C89F7.jpeg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/theculturednerd.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/1444A985-2E2A-41A1-9504-74B3CF9C89F7.jpeg 496w, https:\/\/theculturednerd.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/1444A985-2E2A-41A1-9504-74B3CF9C89F7-300x179.jpeg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 496px) 100vw, 496px\" \/><\/figure><\/li><li class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_slide swiper-slide\"><figure><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1440\" height=\"1080\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_image wp-image-20136\" data-id=\"20136\" src=\"https:\/\/theculturednerd.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/151EBE4D-508A-4117-B626-1DCD1E4C2CEE.jpeg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/theculturednerd.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/151EBE4D-508A-4117-B626-1DCD1E4C2CEE.jpeg 1440w, https:\/\/theculturednerd.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/151EBE4D-508A-4117-B626-1DCD1E4C2CEE-300x225.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/theculturednerd.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/151EBE4D-508A-4117-B626-1DCD1E4C2CEE-1024x768.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/theculturednerd.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/151EBE4D-508A-4117-B626-1DCD1E4C2CEE-768x576.jpeg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1440px) 100vw, 1440px\" \/><\/figure><\/li><li class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_slide swiper-slide\"><figure><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2220\" height=\"1248\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_image wp-image-20137\" data-id=\"20137\" src=\"https:\/\/theculturednerd.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/7A95565D-758A-4922-BE54-F317D912CBCE.jpeg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/theculturednerd.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/7A95565D-758A-4922-BE54-F317D912CBCE.jpeg 2220w, https:\/\/theculturednerd.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/7A95565D-758A-4922-BE54-F317D912CBCE-300x169.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/theculturednerd.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/7A95565D-758A-4922-BE54-F317D912CBCE-1024x576.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/theculturednerd.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/7A95565D-758A-4922-BE54-F317D912CBCE-768x432.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/theculturednerd.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/7A95565D-758A-4922-BE54-F317D912CBCE-1536x863.jpeg 1536w, https:\/\/theculturednerd.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/7A95565D-758A-4922-BE54-F317D912CBCE-2048x1151.jpeg 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2220px) 100vw, 2220px\" \/><\/figure><\/li><\/ul><a class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_button-prev swiper-button-prev swiper-button-white\" role=\"button\"><\/a><a class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_button-next swiper-button-next swiper-button-white\" role=\"button\"><\/a><a aria-label=\"Pause Slideshow\" class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_button-pause\" role=\"button\"><\/a><div class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_pagination swiper-pagination swiper-pagination-white\"><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"has-text-align-center wp-block-heading\">The Big Break and Big Budgets<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Enter <strong>Good Will Hunting<\/strong> (1997). Written by Affleck and good friend <em>Matt Damon<\/em>, Good Will Hunting launched them both into household names. A project inspired by indie-style flicks like <em>Reservoir Dogs and Clerks<\/em>, the two worked on the script during their free time and it landed them the film of a lifetime. Working along side of Robin Williams was a dream come true and it didn&#8217;t stop there. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Michael Bay\u2019s <strong>Armageddon<\/strong> (1998) then rocketed Affleck into Hollywood superstardom. <em>\u201cWe could\u2019ve made 400 Chasing Amy\u2019s\u201d<\/em> Affleck said in relation to being in a true big budget film. Being on that set was his first time working with a production on such a large scale with a very professional crew. Not to mention those pearly whites of his really caught everyone\u2019s eyes. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Affleck recalls <strong>Pearl Harbor<\/strong> (2001) had one of the most intense prep work he has ever done on a movie, from flying lessons to actual pre-Ranger bootcamp. The media crushed this movie and called it a bomb, even though the film made a half a billion. A bit of foreshadowing one might say.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow aligncenter\" data-effect=\"slide\"><div class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_container swiper-container\"><ul class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_swiper-wrapper swiper-wrapper\"><li class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_slide swiper-slide\"><figure><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"719\" height=\"480\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_image wp-image-20138\" data-id=\"20138\" src=\"https:\/\/theculturednerd.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/A66E98F6-120F-4446-9E07-D1817289BC3E.jpeg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/theculturednerd.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/A66E98F6-120F-4446-9E07-D1817289BC3E.jpeg 719w, https:\/\/theculturednerd.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/A66E98F6-120F-4446-9E07-D1817289BC3E-300x200.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/theculturednerd.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/A66E98F6-120F-4446-9E07-D1817289BC3E-165x109.jpeg 165w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 719px) 100vw, 719px\" \/><\/figure><\/li><li class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_slide swiper-slide\"><figure><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"822\" height=\"564\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_image wp-image-20139\" data-id=\"20139\" src=\"https:\/\/theculturednerd.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/7138EE70-D138-45D0-BAD5-26BDBE563686.jpeg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/theculturednerd.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/7138EE70-D138-45D0-BAD5-26BDBE563686.jpeg 822w, https:\/\/theculturednerd.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/7138EE70-D138-45D0-BAD5-26BDBE563686-300x206.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/theculturednerd.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/7138EE70-D138-45D0-BAD5-26BDBE563686-768x527.jpeg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 822px) 100vw, 822px\" \/><\/figure><\/li><li class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_slide swiper-slide\"><figure><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1200\" height=\"1200\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_image wp-image-20140\" data-id=\"20140\" src=\"https:\/\/theculturednerd.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/B2B3C945-0349-4C91-B9B3-EF34049F67B2.jpeg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/theculturednerd.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/B2B3C945-0349-4C91-B9B3-EF34049F67B2.jpeg 1200w, https:\/\/theculturednerd.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/B2B3C945-0349-4C91-B9B3-EF34049F67B2-300x300.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/theculturednerd.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/B2B3C945-0349-4C91-B9B3-EF34049F67B2-1024x1024.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/theculturednerd.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/B2B3C945-0349-4C91-B9B3-EF34049F67B2-150x150.jpeg 150w, https:\/\/theculturednerd.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/B2B3C945-0349-4C91-B9B3-EF34049F67B2-768x768.jpeg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><\/figure><\/li><\/ul><a class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_button-prev swiper-button-prev swiper-button-white\" role=\"button\"><\/a><a class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_button-next swiper-button-next swiper-button-white\" role=\"button\"><\/a><a aria-label=\"Pause Slideshow\" class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_button-pause\" role=\"button\"><\/a><div class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_pagination swiper-pagination swiper-pagination-white\"><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"has-text-align-center wp-block-heading\">Taking the Reigns<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">We\u2019re gonna bypass the years of the <em>Ben Bashing<\/em> \u201cBennifer\u201d, Gigli, Daredevil (which I enjoyed), etc. Instead skip forward to Affleck behind the camera. His directorial debut, <strong>Gone Baby Gone<\/strong> (2007), was a smash hit and left his critics of the early 2000s in the dust. Rolling Stone said it was a \u201cmesmerizing thriller\u201d. Not too shabby for his first film as director. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">His next, <strong>The Town<\/strong> (2010), where he not only directed the film but also was the star and co-wrote the screenplay. Affleck felt a lot of stress on this movie by not having directed a lot of action scenes like shootouts or car chases. He credits the success as the \u201c..<em>movie was made in the research<\/em>\u201d. He gathered real life info from actual cops and robbers to make what we saw as authentic as possible. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">With those two movies in his back pocket, Affleck then took on <strong>Argo<\/strong> (2012). In his interview, Affleck noted that when he got the script he was excited to work on it and just thought he couldn\u2019t mess it up as long as he took it one day at a time, one scene at a time, and it culminated in winning the <em>Oscar for Best Picture.<\/em> Many believed he was robbed of \u201cBest Director\u201d in 2013. This film also connected him to writer <em>Chris Terrio<\/em>, whom he\u2019d get to work with on a special project in the next few years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow aligncenter\" data-effect=\"slide\"><div class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_container swiper-container\"><ul class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_swiper-wrapper swiper-wrapper\"><li class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_slide swiper-slide\"><figure><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"319\" height=\"445\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_image wp-image-20163\" data-id=\"20163\" src=\"https:\/\/theculturednerd.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/DF9CB884-9C2A-454C-AB72-FD7309E16689.jpeg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/theculturednerd.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/DF9CB884-9C2A-454C-AB72-FD7309E16689.jpeg 319w, https:\/\/theculturednerd.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/DF9CB884-9C2A-454C-AB72-FD7309E16689-215x300.jpeg 215w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 319px) 100vw, 319px\" \/><\/figure><\/li><li class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_slide swiper-slide\"><figure><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"1024\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_image wp-image-20164\" data-id=\"20164\" src=\"https:\/\/theculturednerd.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/98219891-6363-49AD-9A33-D270E47029B7-768x1024.jpeg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/theculturednerd.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/98219891-6363-49AD-9A33-D270E47029B7-768x1024.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/theculturednerd.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/98219891-6363-49AD-9A33-D270E47029B7-225x300.jpeg 225w, https:\/\/theculturednerd.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/98219891-6363-49AD-9A33-D270E47029B7-1152x1536.jpeg 1152w, https:\/\/theculturednerd.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/98219891-6363-49AD-9A33-D270E47029B7-1536x2048.jpeg 1536w, https:\/\/theculturednerd.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/98219891-6363-49AD-9A33-D270E47029B7.jpeg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/><\/figure><\/li><\/ul><a class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_button-prev swiper-button-prev swiper-button-white\" role=\"button\"><\/a><a class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_button-next swiper-button-next swiper-button-white\" role=\"button\"><\/a><a aria-label=\"Pause Slideshow\" class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_button-pause\" role=\"button\"><\/a><div class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_pagination swiper-pagination swiper-pagination-white\"><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"has-text-align-center wp-block-heading\">BATFLECK<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Affleck didn\u2019t realize how iconic the role he was stepping into really was. He mentions how the \u201cage of the internet\u201d really expanded into the movies, fans got to meet the actors, comic writers meeting with movie studios, how those things were becoming the \u201cnorm\u201d. Of course there were mixed reviews when he was cast by <em>Zack Snyder<\/em> for the role of Batman\/Bruce Wayne (as there always is), but he may be the very best onscreen depiction we have seen so far. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">According to Affleck, Snyder pitched him the idea that this Batman, in <strong>Batman V Superman<\/strong> (2016), would be an older, more broken down, and more vulnerable Batman that we have seen. Taking the cues of <em>Frank Miller\u2019s The Dark Knight Returns <\/em>graphic novel, playing the character with more \u201cpsychological torment\u201d and aches and pain was the spirit of the type of Batman Affleck was really drawn to. In his interview you can really see how joyful and happy he was when talking about his time filming Batman V Superman.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote has-text-align-center is-style-large is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\"><p>\u201cI had a better time on <em>Batman V Superman<\/em>, that I really enjoyed doing and <em>Justice League<\/em>&nbsp;was unfortunately touched by some personal tragedy \u2014 a death in Zack\u2019s [Synder] family. And like I say, sometimes things sort of work and gel and sometimes you seem to be having one problem after another\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">You can tell in his tone of voice and facial expression that the whole <em>Justice League production<\/em> was a huge let down for him. From having so much fun filming Batman Vs Superman, to a death in the family of a friend, changing directors, and on and on. Affleck didn\u2019t want to dwell on the disappointment that was <strong>Justice League<\/strong> (2017), instead he went back to talking about how much he enjoyed Batman V Superman.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote has-text-align-center is-style-large is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\"><p>\u201cI really loved Batman V Superman. Chris (Terrio) wrote on it and I really Love Zack. And I loved putting on the costume and the idea of doing the digital alterations of the voice was really interesting to me. I had a good time.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">He talked about how he enjoyed the city of Detroit, how his kids got to visit him while he was filming, he was able to borrow the Batsuit for his son\u2019s birthday. You can tell that Affleck really loved playing Batman.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For us as fans, we really wanted him to stay on as Bats\u2019. We wanted to see his script he wrote for his \u2018Batman\u2019 come to life. Rumored to be Batman taking on the Asylum, against his rogues of villains. But because of all the media and critics bashing and criticizing Batman V Superman, the landscape of the DCEU changed. <em>David Ayer\u2019s Suicide Squad<\/em> was heavily <a href=\"https:\/\/cinemacure.wordpress.com\/2018\/04\/06\/david-ayers-original-plan-for-suicide-squad\/\">rewrote\/reshot<\/a>, hindered <em>Zack\u2019s Justice League vision<\/em>, and no doubtably took its toll on Affleck professionally as well as personally.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote has-text-align-center is-style-large is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\"><p><em>\u201cI had my fill of that.&nbsp;They said, \u2018Would you like to direct and star in a solo Batman movie?\u2019 And I found that, at some point, I had lost my enthusiasm or passion for it. And I thought this should really be made by someone who for whom it\u2019s their wildest dream come true. It was clear to me it was time to move on.\u201d<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed-instagram wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-instagram\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\nhttps:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/BzTflEMgMLC\/?igshid=zqtmvdh2o8am\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"has-text-align-center wp-block-heading\">The Way Back<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>The Way Back<\/strong> is a film that follows a widowed, former basketball all-star, trying to make a comeback by becoming the coach of his Alma mater while struggling to defeat his alcohol addiction. What better movie for Ben Affleck to make his return? After the disappointment of Justice League, Affleck admitted himself into rehab for alcohol abuse as the film was about to start prep work. Director Gavin O\u2019Connor wasn\u2019t sure if the movie would still have the green light, the studio didn&#8217;t think so. But Affleck\u2019s ex-wife, Jennifer Garner, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.independent.co.uk\/arts-entertainment\/films\/news\/ben-affleck-jennifer-garner-way-back-rehab-alcoholism-a9376836.html\">reached out to O\u2019Connor<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote has-text-align-center is-style-large is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\"><p>She said, \u2018Gavin, he\u2019s asking you, please don\u2019t pull the plug on the movie, he really wants to do this.&#8217;\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Affleck was out of rehab in time to start shooting the film. What they\u2019re getting is a raw and vulnerable Affleck who is sure to give a performance that will bring his fans to tears. His battle against alcohol is well known and playing this character may very well be helpful to him personally. Knowing what he\u2019s gone through over the past few years, this will definitely feel like his redemption movie. <em>The Way Back<\/em>, is now in theaters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"691\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/theculturednerd.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/19BD6057-AF42-4949-A5BE-727157A05A7E-691x1024.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-20166\" srcset=\"https:\/\/theculturednerd.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/19BD6057-AF42-4949-A5BE-727157A05A7E-691x1024.jpeg 691w, https:\/\/theculturednerd.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/19BD6057-AF42-4949-A5BE-727157A05A7E-202x300.jpeg 202w, https:\/\/theculturednerd.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/19BD6057-AF42-4949-A5BE-727157A05A7E-768x1138.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/theculturednerd.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/19BD6057-AF42-4949-A5BE-727157A05A7E-1037x1536.jpeg 1037w, https:\/\/theculturednerd.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/19BD6057-AF42-4949-A5BE-727157A05A7E-1382x2048.jpeg 1382w, https:\/\/theculturednerd.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/19BD6057-AF42-4949-A5BE-727157A05A7E-scaled.jpeg 1728w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 691px) 100vw, 691px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Below is the interview with Ben Affleck and GQ. The Batman V Superman portion takes place at 18:19 mark for you Batman fanatics. I highly recommend watching the entire breakdown of the characters he\u2019s portrayed to get a feel of how much he has evolved as a talented actor, writer and director.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"> I\u2019ve been a fan of Affleck since my brother and I saw the movie <em>Mallrats<\/em> back in 1995. It\u2019s been really fun to watch him on the big screen, to see where he started from and where he is now is really inspiring. Welcome back Ben!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed-youtube wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Ben Affleck Breaks Down His Most Iconic Characters | GQ\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/ej99nhfsfXo?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Ben Affleck On His Iconic Characters, Sheds Light On Batman V Superman\/Justice League<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":38,"featured_media":20134,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[813,6],"tags":[1944,1946,97,98,1731,1948,1950,1949,1945,402,1952,1947,1951,1943,1862],"class_list":["post-20133","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-entertainment","category-film-tv","tag-argo","tag-armageddon","tag-batman","tag-batman-v-superman","tag-ben-affleck","tag-chasing-amy","tag-dazed-and-confused","tag-gone-baby-gone","tag-good-will-hunting","tag-justice-league","tag-mallrats","tag-pearl-harbor","tag-school-ties","tag-the-town","tag-the-way-back"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v28.8 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Ben Affleck: The Rise, The Fall, The Way Back - The Cultured Nerd<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/theculturednerd.org\/?p=20133\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Ben Affleck: The Rise, The Fall, The Way Back - The Cultured Nerd\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Ben Affleck On His Iconic Characters, Sheds Light On Batman V Superman\/Justice League\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/theculturednerd.org\/?p=20133\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"The Cultured Nerd\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/theculturednerd\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2020-03-08T02:20:27+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2020-03-13T18:15:45+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/theculturednerd.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/C59F9457-9479-4737-A8B2-F02B8FC16D24.jpeg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"980\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"652\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"TJ Bravo\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@tjbravo_tcn\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@theculturednerd\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"TJ Bravo\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"7 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/theculturednerd.org\\\/?p=20133#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/theculturednerd.org\\\/?p=20133\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"TJ Bravo\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/theculturednerd.org\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/60e0822a019aeec985d986242e52849a\"},\"headline\":\"Ben Affleck: The Rise, The Fall, The Way Back\",\"datePublished\":\"2020-03-08T02:20:27+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2020-03-13T18:15:45+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/theculturednerd.org\\\/?p=20133\"},\"wordCount\":1437,\"commentCount\":1,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/theculturednerd.org\\\/?p=20133#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/theculturednerd.org\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2020\\\/03\\\/C59F9457-9479-4737-A8B2-F02B8FC16D24.jpeg\",\"keywords\":[\"Argo\",\"Armageddon\",\"Batman\",\"Batman V Superman\",\"Ben Affleck\",\"Chasing Amy\",\"Dazed and Confused\",\"Gone Baby Gone\",\"Good Will Hunting\",\"Justice League\",\"Mallrats\",\"Pearl Harbor\",\"School Ties\",\"The Town\",\"The Way Back\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Entertainment\",\"Film &amp; TV\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/theculturednerd.org\\\/?p=20133#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/theculturednerd.org\\\/?p=20133\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/theculturednerd.org\\\/?p=20133\",\"name\":\"Ben Affleck: The Rise, The Fall, The Way Back - The Cultured Nerd\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/theculturednerd.org\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/theculturednerd.org\\\/?p=20133#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/theculturednerd.org\\\/?p=20133#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/theculturednerd.org\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2020\\\/03\\\/C59F9457-9479-4737-A8B2-F02B8FC16D24.jpeg\",\"datePublished\":\"2020-03-08T02:20:27+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2020-03-13T18:15:45+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/theculturednerd.org\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/60e0822a019aeec985d986242e52849a\"},\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/theculturednerd.org\\\/?p=20133#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/theculturednerd.org\\\/?p=20133\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/theculturednerd.org\\\/?p=20133#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/theculturednerd.org\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2020\\\/03\\\/C59F9457-9479-4737-A8B2-F02B8FC16D24.jpeg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/theculturednerd.org\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2020\\\/03\\\/C59F9457-9479-4737-A8B2-F02B8FC16D24.jpeg\",\"width\":980,\"height\":652},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/theculturednerd.org\\\/?p=20133#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/theculturednerd.org\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Ben Affleck: The Rise, The Fall, The Way Back\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/theculturednerd.org\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/theculturednerd.org\\\/\",\"name\":\"The Cultured Nerd\",\"description\":\"\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/theculturednerd.org\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/theculturednerd.org\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/60e0822a019aeec985d986242e52849a\",\"name\":\"TJ Bravo\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/7accc7a75b3ca3876189e175950e6c38d60e03ea3cce894b492f3594277bb29d?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/7accc7a75b3ca3876189e175950e6c38d60e03ea3cce894b492f3594277bb29d?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/7accc7a75b3ca3876189e175950e6c38d60e03ea3cce894b492f3594277bb29d?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"TJ Bravo\"},\"description\":\"From the 808 state. Movies, TV, Video Games, Comics...it\u2019s all in the bag\",\"sameAs\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/x.com\\\/tjbravo_tcn\"],\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/theculturednerd.org\\\/?author=38\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Ben Affleck: The Rise, The Fall, The Way Back - The Cultured Nerd","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/theculturednerd.org\/?p=20133","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Ben Affleck: The Rise, The Fall, The Way Back - The Cultured Nerd","og_description":"Ben Affleck On His Iconic Characters, Sheds Light On Batman V Superman\/Justice League","og_url":"https:\/\/theculturednerd.org\/?p=20133","og_site_name":"The Cultured Nerd","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/theculturednerd\/","article_published_time":"2020-03-08T02:20:27+00:00","article_modified_time":"2020-03-13T18:15:45+00:00","og_image":[{"width":980,"height":652,"url":"https:\/\/theculturednerd.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/C59F9457-9479-4737-A8B2-F02B8FC16D24.jpeg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"TJ Bravo","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@tjbravo_tcn","twitter_site":"@theculturednerd","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"TJ Bravo","Est. reading time":"7 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/theculturednerd.org\/?p=20133#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/theculturednerd.org\/?p=20133"},"author":{"name":"TJ Bravo","@id":"https:\/\/theculturednerd.org\/#\/schema\/person\/60e0822a019aeec985d986242e52849a"},"headline":"Ben Affleck: The Rise, The Fall, The Way Back","datePublished":"2020-03-08T02:20:27+00:00","dateModified":"2020-03-13T18:15:45+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/theculturednerd.org\/?p=20133"},"wordCount":1437,"commentCount":1,"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/theculturednerd.org\/?p=20133#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/theculturednerd.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/C59F9457-9479-4737-A8B2-F02B8FC16D24.jpeg","keywords":["Argo","Armageddon","Batman","Batman V Superman","Ben Affleck","Chasing Amy","Dazed and Confused","Gone Baby Gone","Good Will Hunting","Justice League","Mallrats","Pearl Harbor","School Ties","The Town","The Way Back"],"articleSection":["Entertainment","Film &amp; TV"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/theculturednerd.org\/?p=20133#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/theculturednerd.org\/?p=20133","url":"https:\/\/theculturednerd.org\/?p=20133","name":"Ben Affleck: The Rise, The Fall, The Way Back - The Cultured Nerd","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/theculturednerd.org\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/theculturednerd.org\/?p=20133#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/theculturednerd.org\/?p=20133#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/theculturednerd.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/C59F9457-9479-4737-A8B2-F02B8FC16D24.jpeg","datePublished":"2020-03-08T02:20:27+00:00","dateModified":"2020-03-13T18:15:45+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/theculturednerd.org\/#\/schema\/person\/60e0822a019aeec985d986242e52849a"},"breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/theculturednerd.org\/?p=20133#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/theculturednerd.org\/?p=20133"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/theculturednerd.org\/?p=20133#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/theculturednerd.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/C59F9457-9479-4737-A8B2-F02B8FC16D24.jpeg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/theculturednerd.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/C59F9457-9479-4737-A8B2-F02B8FC16D24.jpeg","width":980,"height":652},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/theculturednerd.org\/?p=20133#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/theculturednerd.org\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Ben Affleck: The Rise, The Fall, The Way Back"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/theculturednerd.org\/#website","url":"https:\/\/theculturednerd.org\/","name":"The Cultured Nerd","description":"","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/theculturednerd.org\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/theculturednerd.org\/#\/schema\/person\/60e0822a019aeec985d986242e52849a","name":"TJ Bravo","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/7accc7a75b3ca3876189e175950e6c38d60e03ea3cce894b492f3594277bb29d?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/7accc7a75b3ca3876189e175950e6c38d60e03ea3cce894b492f3594277bb29d?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/7accc7a75b3ca3876189e175950e6c38d60e03ea3cce894b492f3594277bb29d?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"TJ Bravo"},"description":"From the 808 state. Movies, TV, Video Games, Comics...it\u2019s all in the bag","sameAs":["https:\/\/x.com\/tjbravo_tcn"],"url":"https:\/\/theculturednerd.org\/?author=38"}]}},"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/theculturednerd.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/C59F9457-9479-4737-A8B2-F02B8FC16D24.jpeg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/theculturednerd.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20133","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/theculturednerd.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/theculturednerd.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theculturednerd.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/38"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theculturednerd.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=20133"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/theculturednerd.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20133\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":20191,"href":"https:\/\/theculturednerd.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20133\/revisions\/20191"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theculturednerd.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/20134"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/theculturednerd.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=20133"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theculturednerd.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=20133"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theculturednerd.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=20133"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}