Ben Affleck reveals how an alcoholic past helped him as an actor: ‘I had more to access’

Ben Affleck has come forward to highlight the impact of his personal life in helping him connect with the protagonist in his upcoming film.

He shed light on it all during his interview with Variety and was quoted saying, “I feel like my own acting, at least by my own standards, has gotten better as I've gotten older, and had more life experiences and had more stuff to access.”

He also admitted that his time on 2010’s The Town and 2012’s Argo were what made him a better actor, “This was a bit atypical for me. I've kind of changed as an actor, my approach, particularly from before and after I started directing, because it was really instructive.”

“I learned more about acting from directing than I did from acting classes. There's something really valuable about being on the other side, and seeing what works and what doesn't. And what you can do editorially, and just getting used to the sound of your own stupid voice.”

The movie in question will feature Jack Cunningham, a former high school basketball superstar who was forced to give up on his dreams, under mysterious circumstances back in the day.

The only reason Affleck understands the plight of that player is because of his own past. He explained to the publication, “With a role like that, I am an alcoholic, so I understood to a certain extent the alcoholism, but I haven't lost a child.”

“This guy’s had a very different life from mine, but what was interesting about the story was I hoped people would find some catharsis in watching him go through something very difficult. I was concerned that I have to find ways to make this as realistic as possible.”