Throughout their Hollywood journeys, Ben Affleck and Casey Affleck have been unwavering sources of support for one another. Ben has achieved remarkable success as a triple-threat filmmaker, while Casey has earned acclaim as the Best Actor Oscar winner, thanks to his incredibly nuanced performance in Manchester by the Sea.
Their unwavering support for each other is truly evident, especially during the challenging times when everything seemed to fall apart, metaphorically and literally, similar to the infamous Gigli episode of their lives.
Casey Affleck Didn’t Want To Hamper Ben Affleck’s Directorial
When Casey Affleck was cast in the lead role of Gone Baby Gone, it was a significant gamble for both brothers. At that time, it represented his most high-profile role yet, coinciding with Ben’s feature directorial debut. This opportunity emerged as Ben Affleck was in the process of rebuilding his career after a series of less-than-remarkable movies.
Casey Affleck shared his cautious approach to accepting the role in Gone Baby Gone during an interview with The Scotsman. He expressed his desire to ensure he was the right fit for the character and didn’t want to jeopardize his brother’s directorial debut.
“I said I would read the script and I would love to work with him, but I wanted to make sure that I was right for it. I didn’t want to screw it up,” Casey Affleck explained to The Scotsman. “I know that casting is so important in directing a first movie, and a lot is at stake. If you don’t pull it off the first time, then you rarely get a second shot. So I wanted to be very careful about the decision. We talked a lot, we disagreed about everything, and then I said: ‘I’m in.'”
They had extensive discussions and disagreements, but after careful consideration, Casey eventually committed to the project.
Ben Affleck Had A Tough Time Working With Casey Affleck
During the interview, Ben Affleck acknowledged the challenge of working with his brother Casey Affleck on the movie. He stressed the importance of treating Casey Affleck as any other actor on set, controlling the urge to be curt or controlling. Instead, he embraced active listening and open dialogue, acknowledging his brother’s input. Despite the difficulty, Ben Affleck found it rewarding, recognizing Casey Affleck’s exceptional acting abilities.
“You have to treat Casey as you would treat any actor in the movie, which meant trying to swallow the urge to strangle him, or to be really curt with him and just say: ‘Because I say do it that way, that’s why!’ Instead, I had to listen more and say: ‘Well, OK, that’s interesting. I hear you. Let’s process what you’re talking about.’ So it was an exercise in self-discipline for me. But the thing that’s really rewarding is that my brother is a really, really good actor.”
Casey Affleck recalled a few weeks into filming when Ben Affleck would give him instructions, and he would candidly respond, “That’s terrible.” He humorously pointed out that Ben “rarely resisted the urge” to strangle him during those moments of disagreement.
Gone Baby Gone is available for streaming on HBO Max.
Source: E Online
