By the time Ben Affleck granted Press This videoconference interview, he had just been selected at the Golden Globes among the five finalists in the category of best supporting actor, thanks to his performance in The Tender Bar, a feature film directed by George Clooney. Even if he is relatively well used to the honors, the one who became a superstar with his pal Matt Damon by obtaining the Oscar for best screenplay in 1998 (thanks to Good will hunting, by Gus Van Sant) now knows how to sort things out.
PHOTO JORDAN STRAUSS, ARCHIVES ASSOCIATED PRESS
Ben Affleck at the premiere of The Tender Bar, held on December 12 at the TCL Chinese Theater in Los Angeles
“Obtaining this kind of recognition is obviously pleasurable and comforting,” he says, “but it’s not really part of my goals anymore. I would even say that there is a risk: that of doing things solely on the basis of price. However, you must first of all think of the public. Create a work of art that you can recognize yourself in, while reaching people. If your only yardstick for measuring your success is box office performance or the number of prizes you win, that can corrupt your artistic intentions. Over the years, I’ve come to realize that you also have to be artistically fulfilled to feel full satisfaction. ”
Nothing more to prove
Ben Affleck received awards – Argo, a feature film he directed, even won the Oscar for best film of the year in 2013 – but, according to him, he also “got his ass kicked” more often than he did. tower.
PHOTO PROVIDED BY AMAZON STUDIOS
Daniel Ranieri plays the character that Tye Sheridan also plays as an adult. He is seen here facing Ben Affleck.
“Sometimes I felt like nothing I did could satisfy anyone. It looked like we were just waiting for me to disappear from the background. The rewards first had a redemptive effect on me, as if they proved that I had my place in this business, until one day I thought it was all stupid, that I had nothing to prove. , if not to myself. I have my own criteria for judging what I think is success. And from the moment I sincerely believed it, everything else took on a little less importance. I am much happier to read less what people write about me, to expose myself less to the media, to not enter the infinite cycle of social networks! ”
A wish from George Clooney
In The Tender Bar, an adaptation of an autobiographical book that the journalist J. R. Moehringer published in 2005, Ben Affleck plays Charlie, the uncle to whom a young boy becomes attached while the father has disappeared from the life of the latter and his mother. Camped in the 1970s, The Tender Bar thus constitutes the initiatory story of a future writer, who also sharpens his sense of observation of human nature by frequenting the bar where Charlie works.
PHOTO PROVIDED BY AMAZON STUDIOS
George Clooney on the set of The Tender Bar, a film he directed
“When I was told that a feature film would be taken from this book that I read several years ago, that George was going to direct it and that he wanted to see me play the part, it was a bit like fallen like a gift from heaven, explains Ben Affleck. I was very moved when I read the script. It is becoming more and more important for me to seek excellence in projects, according to my own criteria. “
In this case, I really wanted to honor the trust placed in me, because I knew that this role was very coveted and that you could get a very rich performance, with texture and nuance.
Ben affleck
Himself a director (he has signed four feature films, the last one being Live by Night), Ben Affleck found himself for a rare time to play under the direction of a colleague. And not just any. The Tender Bar is 8e feature film directed by George Clooney. He didn’t give himself any role in it.
“Playing under the direction of an accomplished actor like George really makes a difference,” says Ben Affleck. He’s talented, he’s got experience, a lot of knowledge, and he really knows how to communicate what he wants. It has been extremely helpful to me. I have no doubt filmed under the direction of other actors in my career, but this time it felt really unique and special to me. ”
An extraordinary year
Also co-writer of The Last Duel, the medieval film by Ridley Scott which Matt Damon and Adam Driver are the headliners, also delivering a remarkable performance in a supporting role, Ben Affleck believes that, despite everything, 2021 constitutes for him an extraordinary year.
“I say this not without feeling a sense of guilt, because I am well aware of how difficult this year has been for many people, including my own children,” he hastens to point out. I saw the effect the pandemic had on them, who will be part of the COVID-19 generation. But, in all honesty, I can’t deny the good things that have happened to me personally.
“More broadly,” he continues, “I have found a very healthy sense of comfort in asking myself who I really am, what I want, the kind of work I want to do, and most importantly, what kind of father I wish to be. That’s what matters to me now. And that really simplifies things. ”
The Tender Bar is available on Amazon Prime Video.