Ben Affleck has taken every small and big shot in his career to establish himself as the biggest star in the movie business. The actor has shone like a diamond on the silver screen and behind the camera as a top-notch director. Affleck became a household name with his Oscar-winning screenplay for Good Will Hunting in 1997, which earned multiple accolades and received widespread critical acclaim.
His unique acting, filmmaking approach, and craft skills have helped him direct applaud-worthy projects. The actor is close friends with his on-screen partner Matt Damon with whom he has worked on several creative endeavors in showbiz. The duo graced the silver screen again in the 2021 historical action drama film The Last Duel. Nevertheless, the BFF almost butted heads at the time of star casting of the flick until the Star Wars actor Adam Driver intervened.
Ben Affleck and Matt Damon Nearly Played Enemies in The Last Duel
Ben Affleck is not an ordinary actor! He is perhaps the most recognizable personality in America. His legacy in the entertainment industry has secured him a top-shelf position. Affleck has worked with many individuals and talents in the industry, including his best friend Matt Damon, with whom he began his career in Hollywood. After cementing his career with his on-screen partner by co-writing the finest screenplay of their shared 1997 film Good Will Hunting, their career has skyrocketed and has touched a new level of stardom and fame.
The duo reunited on the silver screen for their 2021 flick, The Last Duel. Nevertheless, there is an intriguing back story about the casting of the flick, when the actors involved in the project were discussing the roles they would play in the movie.
According to reports, Affleck initially considered playing the part of Matt Damon’s character’s (Jean de Carrouges) enemy Jacques Le Gris, which eventually went to Adam Drivers. The Air movie star then ended up playing the character of Count Pierre d’Alençon. It would have been a face-off between the actors if the Star Wars actor hadn’t stepped in to play Damon’s enemy in the movie.
Ben Affleck Reveals He Tortured His Co-star Matt Damon on The Film Set
In an interview with THR, Matt Damon and Ben Affleck, two Hollywood stalwarts, opened up about working together in The Last Duel and how the Armageddon movie star enjoyed torturing his long-time pal on the sets of their shared project. The 50-year-old star claimed that playing opposing characters was fun, and they had a blast while filming the movie. Affleck said,
“I think we thought people would be concerned that that baggage would be distracting if it was this Matt vs. Ben movie because we didn’t want people to be mindful of that,” he added, “It’s a very heavy intense movie, so you want to have time to breathe, and so it was nice to get the opportunity to torture Matt in those intermittent moments.”
Damon added,
“Also, our characters despise each other, so that was always fun [to shoot].”
The Ridley Scott-directed The Last Duel, a historical action drama, was critically acclaimed and had positive reviews from the audience. The film stars Matt Damon, Adam Driver, Jodie Comer, Ben Affleck, Harriet Walter, and Alex Lawther.
Source: THR
