Ben Affleck Recalls Hollywood Fair-Weather Friends After Film Flops

Actor Ben Affleck has spoken about a period in his career where friends distanced themselves and calls went unanswered following a string of box office failures. Affleck, 54, described this time as his "Hollywood moment" on the "New Heights" podcast with Travis and Jason Kelce.

During 2003 and 2004, Affleck starred in several films that underperformed, most notably "Gigli," which grossed approximately $7 million worldwide against a $75 million budget. This downturn led to a period where he struggled to find work.

"When I got successful I just did one movie after another, as fast as I could, I was scared that it was going to go away," Affleck explained. "And ironically, it kind of became a self-fulfilling prophecy. I did a couple of movies in a row that just bombed and all of a sudden, I wasn't cool. Nobody wanted to see my movies and I couldn't get a job."

He continued, "And what I experienced was all of these people... who I thought were my friends, didn't want to talk to me, they wouldn't return my calls, they like avoided me! And I realized that, oh ok, that was the Hollywood moment where I was like, these people really aren't your friends."

Affleck reflected that he came to understand that some professional relationships were based on his status rather than genuine friendship. "It doesn't mean it's bad or wrong it just means that I need to understand what a lot of this is based on, if being next to you makes you cool or makes you look good or can get you something then people want to do that. And if it doesn't? F**k you! It's the truth."

His career saw a significant resurgence with films like "Hollywoodland" in 2006 and his directorial debut "Gone Baby Gone" in 2007, followed by the successful crime thriller "The Town" in 2010. "The Town" grossed $154 million worldwide and earned Jeremy Renner an Oscar nomination.

Affleck noted that as his career rebounded, calls from those who had previously ignored him began to come in. "After the second movie that I directed, that I was in, when it came out I remember speaking to my agent... And I knew, on that Saturday, I got like 10 phone calls from people I hadn't heard from in three or four years," he recalled. He chose not to hold grudges, but to maintain perspective.

"The world is one day treating you one way and one day treating you another. You can't be attached to that or it'll make you crazy," Affleck stated.

Looking back, Affleck has also referred to "Gigli" as a "gift" in a 2022 interview with Entertainment Weekly, conducted by Matt Damon. He said the film's failure steered him toward directing, which he considers his true professional passion, and also led to his relationship with Jennifer Lopez. "But if the reaction to Gigli hadn't happened, I probably wouldn't have ultimately decided, 'I don't really have any other avenue but to direct movies', which has turned out to be the real love of my professional life," he said. "And I did get to meet Jennifer, the relationship with whom has been really meaningful to me in my life."