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Ben Affleck: Jennifer Lopez Killed My Career

Ben Affleck: Jennifer Lopez Killed My Career

Boston boy Ben Affleck is the November 2007 cover boy for Details Magazine. He pimps the crime thriller Gone Baby Gone adapted and directed by himself. Here are some highlights from the interview:

On dating Jennifer Lopez: “It was probably bad for my career. What happens is this sort of bleed-over from the tabloids across your movie work. You go to a movie, you only go once. But the tabloids and Internet are everywhere. You can really subsume the public image of somebody. I ended up in an unfortunate crosshair position where I was in a relationship and [the media] mostly lied and inflated a bunch of salacious stuff for the sake of selling magazines. And I paid a certain price for that. Then, in concert with some movies that didn’t work…”

On Gone Baby Gone: “I feel like (Gone Baby Gone) is the linchpin for my life. My career. I have a lot riding on it. I want [the film] to work. Badly. I mean, a shitty movie comes out on 2,800 screens? I’ve been there and it’s embarrassing.”

On why he likes directing: “That’s why there’s something really great about directing-about having authorship over something. If you don’t like this movie, I’m the guy to see. I’m the guy to criticize. I take some measure of comfort in that. It’s fair, at least.”

On his directorial debut: “Listen, I’ve gone out and directed a movie and made it really f—king good. If the movie’s good, people will like it and go see it. All the rest of it is bullshit.”

On what’s at stake with his new film: “It’s pretty simple. If people don’t go see it – I’m f—ked.”

On his decision to direct: “I guess I just thought, I’ve seen it done enough. I’ve been on the sets enough. I’m a writer. An amateur photographer. An actor. I guess I just thought the sum of these parts would come together and I’d be able to do it.”

On living in L.A.: “I’d be surprised if I’m still living here in a couple of years. Professionally it would be difficult. But that’s not as important as that other thing.”

Gone Baby Gone is out in theaters nationwide on October 26. Read Ben’s full interview with Details Magazine here.

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Photo: RHS/WENN

133 Comments

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just a thought @ 10/02/2007 at 9:49 am

wow talk about a career crasher.
Talking badly about another actor will only make your only make you seem like the jerk you truly are. and of course will make your career sink to an even lower level. Its a good thing his wife can get work.. seems to me she is the one pulling in the dough.

Jared, tear down this headline! It’s not only misleading, it’s inaccurate. Ben’s career took a nosedive while they were together but where does he say it was JLo’s fault? He does NOT blame it on her. Jared, you’re reading things in that just aren’t there.

Ben’s career is not ruined. Last year he got nominated for a Golden Globe for his role as George Reeve. Early reviews are excellent for “Gone Baby Gone,” which could mean a whole new career in directing for him.

#102 Jane: he implied that Jlo ruined his career so Jared is correct!!!

I hope his movie crashes and he is gone baby gone!

BECKY SMITH @ 10/02/2007 at 12:03 pm

I THINK IT IS INTERESTING THAT DETAILS MAGAZINE WOULD REPEAT AN ARTICLE. FROM A PREVIOUS INTERVIEW JUST LIKE ALL THE OTHERS.. REPEATING THE SAME CRAP .. IF HE DID DO THIS ARTICLE HE WOULD OF TALKED ABOUT HIS WIFE ..AND OTHER THINGS ..

In the article Ben Affleck NEVER BLAMED Jennifer Lopez for killing his career. He merely talked about the negative attention it got.

Just another example of the media (including Jared) twisting things and people believing the headlines and not the actual article. I’ll never understand why people spend so much time hating people they don’t even know.

irrelevant @ 10/02/2007 at 5:08 pm

Ugh. Misleading headline, yet again. Then people respond to the headline, not to what he actually said. Nothing in the post has him saying “Jennifer Lopez Killed my Career” nor can you infer from it that he said that. He said dating her hurt his career because it came with a bunch of other things, and he also blamed movies that didn’t work. But that’s not the same as saying she killed his career. I’d say that had a lot more to do with it, but whatever.

I don’t really like his acting much, his movies all that much. But I’ve seen him on Bill Maher and he’s pretty smart and well-informed. Maybe he should just go down that route more.

His career should be gone baby gone, first stupid title!!!!!!!He’s such a pompous ass. He deserves his bland wife, she got knocked up and he had to marry her…now he cannot leave because with the paparazzi being out of control, and the tabloids there is no way in hell he can handle that. He is a mouse of a man. He married bland to save his career but I don’t think anyone wants to see his movies nor hers…lol!!!!

You killed your own career. you ******* loser. with your ugly ******* wife that looks like a **** man. you **** *****. you can’t act anyway dumb ****.

63 rachel : 10/01/2007 at 9:41 pm
Anytime someone keeps blaming other circumstances or people for their own problems, or make excuses, they’re just deepening themselves into a grave. I know actors like Ben Affleck here in Los Angeles. They have a complex. They blame other things, events, people, circumstances in their life for certain downfalls. They want people to feel sorry for them or these actors feel sorry for themselves. Once you start feeling guilty or taking the blame or just stop blaming other things or making excuses, then you’ll do better. Have you noticed how Ben comes off cocky about how “good” his work is? GET OVER YOURSELF, BEN! I understand you’re trying to show how much hard work was put into certain films of yours, but you need to learn the meaning of being HUMBLE and then maybe one day a miracle will happen and you’ll have a comeback. But for now, you don’t know how to come back. I know people who blame drugs or alcohol or their parents or poverty or what have you for their problems or downfalls or for the mistakes they made. I never do that anymore. If I had been Ben discussing my former relationship with Jen Lopez, I would have nothing but compliments for the hardworking smart woman from the Bronx, whether or not dating her had anything to do with a career downfall. I think it is the most ridiculous excuse I have ever heard any actor make about how bad their career is. Forget the past, Ben1 I always tell people, STOP going to the PAST. Won’t do any good. FORGET the past as if it never happened and MOVE FORWARD. Trust me, miracles happen when you completely forget the past. I use to let my past hang over me, without realizing it and without realizing how doing that inhibited my future. The past makes you weaker. Live in the moment. And don’t WAIT for the future. The present time now is the key to success in your life and personal happiness.

_____________________________________________________________________
Well said rachel! Real advice for him, and I am practicing this advice myself, thank you.

He blames Jen Lopez cause she dumped his cheating ***** ass and he misses the real deal. His loss, he needs to kick himself in the ass and get on track with his family and career!

STOP going to the PAST. Won’t do any good. FORGET the past as if it never happened and MOVE FORWARD. Trust me, miracles happen when you completely forget the past. I use to let my past hang over me, without realizing it and without realizing how doing that inhibited my future. The past makes you weaker. Live in the moment. And don’t WAIT for the future. The present time now is the key to success in your life and personal happiness.
______________________________________________________________________This part was/is really good and true. Thank you again Rachel.

Jen left his cheating ass and he needs to focus on his career and family and move on as he is a great actor and I’m a fan. People make mistakes, clean it.

88 GRRRRRRRRRRRRRR : 10/02/2007 at 4:59 am
Dam Rachel!!Forget the past, Ben1 I always tell people, STOP going to the PAST. Won’t do any good. FORGET the past as if it never happened and MOVE FORWARD. Trust me, miracles happen when you completely forget the past. I use to let my past hang over me, without realizing it and without realizing how doing that inhibited my future. The past makes you weaker. Live in the moment. And don’t WAIT for the future. The present time now is the key to success in your life and personal happiness.
———————————————————————-
Thanks for this one Girl!!! I take this one lesson for myself!! Thanks again Girl!!
______________________________________________________________________
ITAWU!!!

You are all fools and Jared is one of the media idiots that twists words around –no wonder actors hate the media. He was obviously talking about how the tabloids made everyone sick of him and JLo and that hurt his career=–not JLo, but the MEDIA LIKE JARED IS TRYING TO RUIN IT AGAIN! THat’s right–twist their words around. Brad Pitt and Angelina are the next to be ruined because of overexposure and tabloids all over them all the time. They are the new Bennifer they better watch out!

ben's a crap actor @ 10/03/2007 at 12:24 am

The media hounding Affleck didn’t kill his career, Ben Affleck did.

I read the article and he does imply that the relationship with J.Lo hurt him. He didn’t have to even take that walk down memory lane.

Oddly enough, there was really no mention of the wife. Some really brief references, but other than that, nada. Most of those references weren’t even direct quotes, but based on what the writer thought was pertinent to add about his new life with Garner.

It’s obvious after reading the article the only thing really important to him is building his career. He obviously married Garner to regain fans. Pathetic.

Oh marsha, you bitter Garfleck fan! He used JLo for his career, he is using Garner and Violet for his image, his career. # 116, you are so right, his career is the most important thing to him.
I´m sure Garner is “”VERY happy” when her husband talks about JLo in all those interviews, but not about her, his wife.

One, don’t diss Jennifer Garner. She is a witty, funny and gorgeous women who should NEVER have been introduced to this guy.

I’m very disappointed in the interview though, he sounds quite ignorant…

just a thought @ 10/03/2007 at 1:46 pm

.
He has been dissing Jlo for some time now. Even though Jen Lo never says a negative word about him nor his family and is happily married and has clealry regained her privacy and her career. Being with Ben was a definite mistake for her but it allowed her to marry the man that was meant for her and a man that holds her up and supports her as well. Not like Ben who was clearly jealous of her career and of course her publicity.

Most people didn’t even know who he was before hooking up with Jenlo ..so he should be thanking her not dissing her.

What ben needs to do is focus on his own family and stop blaming others for a situation that was just a blip on most radars and is clearly history.

JenLo is focused happy, successful and is really outdone Ben at every turn. She has shows she produces .. Movies she produces.. a restaruant, a clothing line.. a perfume frangrance line …a recoring contract.. Ben is dissing her cause he has nothing and basically sees how much more successful she is than him.

He has to rely on Jen G. to get roles to bring some money in.. cause he is certainly not getting paid much. He is relying on Matt to get some of the good luck and some roles to roll his way. I dont know but all I see from Ben is clearly envy..

Now that Jlo looks really happy and maybe a baby on the way Ben wants to talk crap. I will never forget when Jlo’s movie was coming out Monster in-law, Jen Garner decided to step out with her pregnant self..the timing is so questionable… for a very long time JG has been parading her baby in public parks so that the Paparazzi’s could take pictures of her, almost like she was trying to throw that in Jlo’s face, the thing about that is that Jlo was so over Ben. Ben said that he wanted to keep Jlo bare foot and pregnant, but JG got knocked up and he had to marry her. He is a phoney, playing the family man.

I can proudly say I’m a Ben Affleck fan.

Now you all think he’s a loser but I’d like to see if you asswipes can write an Oscar winning screenplay, act and direct and on top of that, have the whole damn world watching your every move and critizing you constantly because you made mistakes - because you’re only human? What the hell is wrong with you jerks? If you don’t like someone, who gives a ****? Why promote this sort of hatred by saying things like “he’s a loser” or that “he sucks”? And why would someone ask for Zac Efron when he has nothing to do with this entirely?…

As for the death of his career, I don’t think J.Lo killed it. I think it was their relationship that killed it. No one wants to see a white guy with a successful latina. Everyone kept focusing on that and that wasn’t even the main point. And the media - do Ben and J.Lo actually say, “print our faces on US Weekly?” The media - magazines and tv shows and papparazzi killed their careers and audiences thought it was the actors themselves. That’s such bull.

And for those who say that everytime he opens his mouth, you despise him more and more, why don’t you just ignore him? Why don’t you just cover your damn ears and listen to some music instead of making a fuss over how much of a jerk Ben Affleck is.

I am looking forward to Ben’s directorial debut. He’s a good guy and he deserves a break. We’re not perfect and we all make mistakes. I think he should be given an equal opportunity to break back into film. I’m hoping Oscar buzzes around for him despite what you haters think.

asswipes,,
the only idoit is you.

Oscar winning screenplay..? you forgot Matt wrote it along with him. that brain child was not Bens alone.. and why if he is so gifted hasn’t he written another oscar worthy screenplay?
Seems to me you are the *******.. wiping Bens ass ..

Ben is a loser…

JLo did not kill a career that was already dead…

Good will hunting.. came out when?

please…He hooked up with Ben to try and get himself in to the limelight.. then when Gwen cut him loose he went after Jen(she was already married..so buddy he did the chasing)
are you getting this dipwad?

Then he went after Jen Garner when her star started to rise and she was the most popular tv actress at that time (who BTW was dating Micahel Vartan at the time)

Are you following the weasel MO yet?

Ben is a nobody.. get it as soon as he dropped JLo … he was history…He can’t act..

Jlo continued to do very very well and is very happily married with a baby on the way..and she did all that without whispering so much as a damaging word against that hasBENloser.

Jennifer still continues to get headlines and generates alot of income.. Ben doesn’t even make a blip on the radar.. no one cares…

hows that for an *******.

Hey Toodles,

Learn to spell when you want to insult me (”idoit”??). And frankly, you seem more of a poodle than a toodle and it looks like you’ve got one less noodle in your brain. You obviously hate Ben so I don’t see why I should even argue with a jerk like you. And off topic, but the insults? Dipwad? Weasel? Please. This looks like a job for Preparation H. Either you have a serious pile or you’re stuck in an era you can’t get out of. C’mon, what are you like, twelve? What age am I dealing with here?

And this has nothing to do with Matt Damon or Jennifer Lopez so why drag them into this. I admire Jennifer Lopez and the way her career is going. That chapter of Ben and J.Lo is over and I’m glad that they both have a clear path to walk on. And, Matt Damon? I love the guy. I have no problem with him and sure, everyone knows Ben wrote Good Will Hunting with him. But if it wasn’t for Ben helping out Matt with the screenplay, the movie would be totally different. Matt started it in college and it ended up looking like Will Hunting helping out with the CIA and FBI because of his mathematical skills and Chuckie died. So what scenario would have looked better? Ben and Matt re-invented the screenplay after six years of working on it. Good quality screenplays take a while buddy so where do you get off saying that Ben hasn’t written another oscar worthy screenplay. If Gone Baby Gone works in his favor, there’s another Oscar worthy screenplay since Ben co-wrote the adapted screenplay. And it’s getting critical acclaim as we speak.

Good screenplays don’t pop out of the sky like in your head. This is the real world - not some made up fantasy where you can snap your fingers and good writing comes to you immediately.

As for Good Will Hunting, it would have been an action drama - if you’re so interested in arguing with me, go read the facts and you’ll see for yourself.

You’re either a J.Lo lover who hates Ben or you’re just a sad reason for a seat in the theatre and envy an actor’s lifestyle. I don’t know you and I hope to God I never come across you because you seem like an arrogant and conceited dummy.

Thank God Ben doesn’t make a blip on the radar. If you had success like J.Lo, you’d actually like to be tracked down like an animal roaming Los Angeles or New York? Can’t live your life to your content? That’s bull. I’m sure most actors enjoy their fame to a certain extent but don’t enjoy the constant following of paparazzi and stalkers.

Ben may not be the greatest actor who ever lived and he may already know that from all the criticism he’s received in his career but sometimes you’ve got to get back on that bike because nothing is worth more than one’s self-worth. I couldn’t give a crap about reputation. Sadly in this culture, reputation is everything. Fame. Bank balances. Personality. Apperances. But no one looks at the other side of this Hollywood culture - the good father, the good husband, the good brother, the good son, the good friend, etc.

Look, I get it. You hate the guy. He’s making a comeback but it doesn’t mean people like you need to necessarily be there and degrade him just because of what he’s done in the past. It’s people like you who can’t let go and therefore, we all digress. Why can’t any of us let go of the past and start anew?

Save your breath for something more worthwhile like actual things that matter in the world or to you. There are more important things in this world than criticising people.

How do like them apples…”dipwad”?

Toodles caboodles.

just a thought @ 10/11/2007 at 4:17 pm

apples….
mmmmm.
dont be fooled by the rocks that shes got …Jenny owns that block..and she is laughing all the way to the bank..
Money talks..career talks.. jen wins..

Ben is a LOSER who definitley can’t act. Most likely is very jealous of what she has achieved. Whats his claim to fame again?

Oh yeah he dated the popluar actress of the moment to gain fame..
Gwennie..Jennie.. and Jennie part deux. other than that he doesn’t make a blip on anyones radar.
He stop being an a-lister long ago.
Noce try Kevin…
hows that for a summary pal.

I dont have to spell it for U 2 a get it ..

Okay, for all of you who happen to hate Ben, we get it. You guys are awful at keeping it a secret. BUT IF YOU HATERS HATE BEN SO DAMN MUCH, WHY DO YOU RETURN FOR MORE BASHING? It’s childish. It’s unecessary. Why do you guys even bother returning like you, “just a thought”? If you hate Ben, why return to a topic if you have no interest in at all. Ever heard of bullying? ‘Cause majority of you are doing it and it’s actually pretty pathetic.

I think I know why you all do it. You’re all sitting there in front of your computer screen and you have no other outlet to vent all that frustration - all that anger of how much your life blows. You wish you had done this instead of that. You wish you perhaps made a move instead of watching in the bleachers. You secretly envy him despite what you think deep down because those thoughts of how much you hate Ben aren’t sitting in your brain for a reason.Buck up. I’m not a huge fan of Ben but I do admire his intellect and I think if you can make a step forward for yourself then screw everyone else.

I agree with the girl who wrote a lot and think this is utterly ridiculous. By the way, to the girl who writes a lot, you make a pretty good point.

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