Back in the 90s, Ben Affleck and Gwyneth Paltrow’s romance made it to the headlines occasionally. Having dated on and off from 1997 to 2000, the duo reportedly met at a party hosted by the now-disgraced studio tycoon Harvey Weinstein. And during this period, the audience witnessed Affleck and Paltrow together in the 1998 seven-Oscar-winning period romantic comedy Shakespeare in Love. However, does Ben Affleck think that his best friend’s epic war film was better than Paltrow’s Shakespeare in Love?
In a 2010 interview with Deadline, Ben Affleck was put in a tight spot when the interviewer asked him his thoughts on how many people could not believe that Shakespeare in Love bested Saving Private Ryan at the Oscars.
Ben Affleck skilfully avoided choosing between best friend and ex-girlfriend
During the interview, Affleck revealed that it was wonderful to be a part of the $289 million grossing Shakespeare in Love, and added that the fact it won at the Oscars stunned him. And not just him, the unexpected loss of Matt Damon’s Saving Private Ryan to the Gwyneth Paltrow movie was considered one of the most upsetting events in awards history.
Hence, trying to seek Affleck’s honest remarks on the situation, the interviewer brought up Affleck’s best friend Matt Damon’s unexpected loss at the Oscars. However, skillfully dodging any controversies with his answer, the Justice League actor said,
“Saving Private Ryan is an astounding movie. That opening sequence really changed forever how people shot action sequences. It redefined the genre of intense, powerful filmmaking. That debate is emblematic of what I like about movies. It’s just a matter of what touches you, and that’s what makes movies so wonderful.”
Now that’s how it’s done. Not siding with his ex-girlfriend or best friend, Affleck freed himself from the tight spot with his witty and tasteful response. Furthermore, he also shared his favorite Oscar memory, which included his best friend Matt Damon.
Ben Affleck reminisced about his favorite Oscar memory with Matt Damon
During the conversation, the interviewer pointed out that Affleck has been a part of two Oscar-nominated projects, and asked him to share his favorite Oscar memory. To which the Live by Night actor replied,
“The great memory of Good Will Hunting was going to the Oscars with Matt, and it all being really new. Then we sat down and we were mentioned in Billy Crystal’s opening monologue. That was the biggest deal to us, this iconic guy, in his iconic role as host of the Oscars, mentioning us.”
He further added, “It felt like stepping through the looking glass, where you are sitting at home watching television and all of a sudden the television starts talking to you. And then we won and that was a great highlight, something that was hard for us to even absorb at that age. I was 25.”
Throughout the years, Ben Affleck has had many tales of being nominated for the Oscars. Having received his first Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay for co-writing Good Will Hunting with Damon, Affleck has received nominations as an actor for Hollywoodland and The Tender Bar. Moreover, the 2012 movie Argo, which was directed and co-produced by him won the Academy Award for Best Picture.
Source: Deadline
