Ben Affleck is an exceptional actor but also an exceptional human being. He is alleged to have an IQ of above 150 which makes him rank among geniuses. Furthermore, his exceptional genius can often be seen on-screen and off-screen in interviews, press tours, and when he is the man behind the camera.
So it is no mistake when the director David Fincher claimed that the Batman star downplays himself in public. He even claimed that he knew the reason for his downplaying himself and it was because of that reason that made him cast Affleck in his $369 million movie.
David Fincher On Casting Ben Affleck
David Fincher‘s 2014 psychological thriller Gone Girl garnered huge praise and acclaim for the way it adapted the storyline of the book it was based upon. And Ben Affleck stood out for effectively conveying his character Nick Dunne’s emotions as he deals with being the prime suspect for his wife’s appearance and the emotional turmoil he goes through navigating everything.
Even the director Fincher reckons that Affleck was perfect for the role. But he knew it before he had even cast him. In an interview with Playboy, via Vanity Fair, the director revealed his reasoning.
“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. 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.”
He added that the reason why Ben Affleck smiles the way he does is because he downplays his smartness, allowing the public to have their own perceptions of him rather than trying to create a certain narrative.
David Fincher Claims Ben Affleck Is Smarter Than He Acts
What most people don’t realize is that despite some of his role choices, Ben Affleck is an incredibly smart human being. And just as Fincher claims, he often downplays to appeal to the public. While talking to Playboy, via Vanity Fair, the director stated,
“In Ben’s case, what many people don’t know is that he’s crazy smart, but since he doesn’t want that to get awkward, he downplays it. If you have a lot of success when you’re young and good-looking, you realize it’s O.K. to let people write you off. It’s the path of least resistance. You don’t want to be snowbound with them anyway. I think he learned how to skate on charm. I needed somebody who not only knew how to do that but also understood the riptide of perceived reality as opposed to actual reality.”
While Affleck didn’t comment on it, fans absolutely agreed especially after seeing him in the movie Gone Girl.
Gone Girl can be streamed on Prime Video.
Source: Vanity Fair
