Ben Affleck is among the most bankable actors in the Hollywood industry. The megastar has been reigning in the hearts of his fans since the release of the Oscar-winner Good Will Hunting. The actor gained worldwide fame with his role as Batman in DC extended universe projects. His notable works include Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, Air, The Accountant, Argo, etc. One of the finest roles of the actor was in the film Gone Girl, however, the actor was cast for a specific reason.
Ben Affleck played co-lead with Rosamund Pike in the thriller film Gone Girl. Affleck was cast because of a specific feature, which was evident in his Google photos.
Why did director David Fincher cast Ben Affleck in Gone Girl?
Triple Frontier actor Ben Affleck played the role of a guy named Nick Dunne in David Fincher‘s Gone Girl. He had to play the character of a man who tries to look normal and not suspicious after his wife goes missing.
The director was intrigued by the public-facing smile of Affleck. He shared in detail about the look in a conversation with Vanity Fair in 2014,
“You cast movies based on critical scenes. In Gone Girl, there’s a smile the guy has to give when the local press asks him to stand next to a poster of his missing wife.”
Talking about how he landed on Ben Affleck for the role of Nick Dunne, Fincher shared,
“I flipped through Google Images and found about 50 shots of Affleck giving that kind of smile in public situations. You look at them and know he’s trying to make people comfortable in the moment, but by doing that he’s making himself vulnerable to people having other perceptions about him.”
Gone Girl was released in 2014 and grossed $369 million worldwide against a $61 million budget.
David Fincher wanted an actor with public scrutiny experience
In an interview with Film Comment, the director opened up on his experience working with the Pearl Harbour star. Fincher was thoroughly impressed by the acting of Ben Affleck, as a man who passes through a murder trial after his wife goes missing. Gone Girl director shared,
“He’s probably a lot craftier than you give him credit for. He’s wise as an individual, extremely bright, and he’s very attuned to the story and where one is in the narrative. I enjoyed working with him immensely.”
According to David Fincher, he was looking for someone who understood public scrutiny and the emotions of a person living his life in the public eye. Fincher shared,
“The baggage he comes with is most useful to this movie. I was interested in him primarily because I needed someone who understood the stakes of the kind of public scrutiny that Nick is subjected to and the absurdity of trying to resist public opinion. Ben knows that, not conceptually, but by experience.”
Ben Affleck’s personal and professional life has always been public. From his relationship with Jennifer Lopez to their marriage in 2022, he has always been open about his life.
Gone Girl is available for streaming on Max.
Source-Film Comment and Vanity Fair
