Ben Affleck has expanded his footprint globally by starring in dozens of international gems and monumental projects throughout his career in Hollywood. Affleck has sustained his top-shelf position and star power in the movie business by showcasing his artistic and cinematic talents on-stage and behind the camera. The actor has had a great Hollywood career so far. However, the same cannot conveyed about his private life.
His failed marriages and relationships have been a disaster witnessed in the public eye. And because of his personal experiences and the kind of media scrutiny, he was under early on in his career when he was dating his now-wife Jennifer Lopez, director David Fincher thought Affleck would be a perfect fit for the role of Nick Dunne. He cast him in his 2014 American psychological thriller directorial Gone Girl and once revealed his reason for opting for him for the role in the movie, claiming, “The baggage he comes with is most useful to this movie.”
David Fincher Reveals Why He Cast Ben Affleck As Nick Dunne in Gone Girl
Ben Affleck has had the silver perks of working in some of the most iconic and award-winning movies in the film industry. Despite achieving tremendous fame and fortune in his celebrated career, he often made headlines for his private life and his marriage to legendary singer-actress Jennifer Lopez. In 2014, he starred in David Fincher-directed psychological thriller Gone Girl, for which he received critical acclaim.
However, Fincher once revealed his reason behind offering him the role of Nick Dunne in the movie, claiming that he believed the 51-year-old star would be an excellent match for the part because he has had relatively similar experiences in his life to what his character encounters in the film.
The Last Duel movie star experienced intense media scrutiny when he was married to Jennifer Garner and still often creates headlines for his present marriage with Jennifer Lopez. The director shared that he thought Affleck to be the right choice because he had been in those circumstances as his character (Nick) when he was misunderstood in public and was under constant media scrutiny.
David Fincher Praised Ben Affleck’s Performance
In an interview, director David Fincher opened up about his reason behind teaming up with the actor and casting him for his 2014 directorial Gone Girl, in which he played Nick Dunne. Fincher recalled:
“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. 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.”
He continued,
“Ben knows that, not conceptually, but by experience. When I first met with him, I said this is about a guy who gets his nuts in a vise in reel one and then the movie continues to tighten that vise for the next eight reels. And he was ready to play. Nick is someone who has skated by on charm and has that as a deflection mechanism. And that’s what crucifies him. And Ben got that.”
The psychological thriller movie stars Ben Affleck, Rosamund Pike, Neil Patrick Harris, Tyler Perry, and Carrie Coon. The film received critical acclaim and was a commercial success, grossing $369 million at the global box office.
Source: Film Comment