Transcript of "RE-RELEASE: Ben Affleck"

Boy, you know, I just can't get enough of that opening song. I just think it's just great.

It's under our voices right now. Can you hear it right under us?

Yeah, and it just kind of gets me going.

Oh, I'm being real buoyed by it.

I know, it's super—

well, you always call me a robot. It's kind of like my little theme song, right?

Yeah, yeah, it is like a little thing for a little robot thing, but it's playing underneath us right now. It's gonna kick in in a second. Kick it in.

Kick it in.

Kick it in.

3, 2, 1.

1.

Smart.

Less.

Smart. Less. Smart. Less.

Now, uh, so we had a little record earlier today, and now we're having our second record. There was a gap in between where lunch usually sits, and I always, whenever this happens, I'd love to know what Sean had.

Oh, good. I had chicken curry with rice and cauliflower and sweet potatoes, and then I had a huge bowl of ice cream after.

Wait, you had chicken curry with rice?

Yeah.

I did not know that Chef Boyardee made that. That's funny.

Or Chin Chin.

That's new.

But you see, I didn't change. I'm still in my Smartless merch shirt.

No, you got that. Smartless merch. There's some good stuff in there. I guess I shouldn't be surprised because we looked at it all before it went in there.

But let me tell you something. I slept in this. Shopsmartless.com. It's the best stuff.

Oh, it's sleepable stuff.

Is that what it is? Wait, is it shopsmartlist.com for real?

shopsmartlist.com.

Yeah. What's it again? Sorry, Sean.

What'd you say? shopsmartlist.com. I'm telling you, you sleep in the sweats, you put the hat on when you roll out of bed. It's great.

Who— did you design the blanket? Those big heavy blankets? You did, right? You wanted the heavy blanket.

I didn't design them, but I— what's that?

You wanted the heavy blanket.

I wanted the heavy blanket because I have an issue with a throw blanket. A throw blanket covers one leg.

Right.

So I never understood the function of a throw blanket.

No, I'm saying I like it because it's weighty.

Yeah, it's weighty and it's big. It covers your whole body.

And it's like, what do you call it?

Warm?

Fleece? Like fleece, I guess? Is it fleece?

Hey, by the way, you know what I did?

Oh, definitely whisper.

Yeah, that's gonna be—

For Scotty, I got him a surprise. I got John Williams, the composer, to sign A page of the ET score for Scotty.

How'd you do that?

A friend of mine is friends with his daughter, and then we just kind of made it happen.

Are you guys good at that? Are you good? It sounds like you are, Sean, where you sort of like, you remember what your friend or partner or kid or whatever really loves, and you work on it for a few months and you get the perfect gift. Like, do you do that?

I love doing that.

Yeah.

Really?

Yeah.

Hey, Will, you don't need to go up high like everybody in the world does it except you, Jason.

I don't do it, so that's why.

Yeah, exactly. It's true. Will's very good at throwing money at a gift.

Sean and I am good at that.

You're very good at that. Whereas Sean, you'll do sort of a sentimental thing. Or I remember you said in July that what you wanted for Christmas was—

That's right. Like, I clocked last year for Maple's birthday. She just mentioned that she loved skateboarding. So I got her a skateboard or a certificate for a skateboarding thing.

Yes. And we went and spent the hell out of that.

Did you remember? That's how she broke all her teeth, remember? Thanks, Jon.

Yeah.

Remember that time she broke her arm and all her teeth came out? She had to spit her teeth out.

That's why she's got those flippers now.

And we've got this memory of her, and she takes her teeth out every night. She thinks of you when she has to take them out.

By the way, though, back to the ice cream thing. I didn't tell you this, Jay. Last episode we recorded, we talked about you having their— what is it called?

The root canal.

I had a cavity.

You had one?

And I just got— yeah, just last week. And I got a crown put on.

Not possibly your first.

No. Oh, my God. I have so many. But at 52 years old, I have a cavity?

Oh, they're going to start coming fast and furious.

That is strange. Let's take a look at your diet.

But what is strange about things on your body degenerating as you get older?

Well, but I floss and I brush and I do everything.

So it's like, why?

Doesn't matter.

Teeth don't play by that.

No, because they're sitting in sugar all day.

Yeah.

I will say this.

When you're having ice cream, when you're having dessert for lunch—

Yes.

Breakfast, you have a situation.

He had dessert for breakfast the other day. Hey, I did have a thing where one of my favorite sweeteners that I use— I don't want to say which one— with my coffee, because I thought, oh, I'm not having sugar for a few years. I've been using sweetener. And I see that one of its ingredients— this study came out yesterday, huge study saying that it causes, like, strokes and heart attacks and shit.

Yeah. Oh, I saw that.

Yeah. Really?

I know. Yeah.

I'm so fucking bummed.

Well, so you don't want to say this publicly since it's already public?

Well, just because it's in other— so I don't want to call out the one particular brand.

Yeah, it's being reported on or whatever.

Yeah. Oh, so the sweetening component is the problem, not the brand, right?

One of the ingredients in it.

So then what is the ingredient? Do you remember? Forgive me, I'm drunk. Does anyone know if I'm—

Agave.

Is it agave?

It's in a lot of sort of stevia-centric sweeteners. Shit.

Really? Yeah.

Is that what you're using?

Yeah, I mainline stevia.

Damn it. Yeah. So I don't know if pure— I don't know, but I know that some of them have it in it anyways.

Guys.

I know. Real uplifting, huh?

All right, let's get to our guest.

Are we ready for our guest?

Oh, I guess let's get to the guest.

Before I die, let's get it done.

At least we'll know why.

I gotta say, I gotta say, I get some of the best guests. This guy has had not one—

Did you write this intro? Did you write this intro?

This is the intro, yeah.

Did you write it?

Of course I did, yeah. This guy has had not one but two songs written about him by a huge pop star. Most would agree he's Hollywood royalty, being an Academy Award-winning filmmaker, a heavy-hitting movie star who's portrayed a very famous DC comic book character on screen multiple times.

I know who he is.

But most importantly, just an all-around great guy that I'm so happy to call a friend, who I love a whole bunch, and I know you fellas do too. Please welcome to Smartless, Mr. Benjamin Gaza Affleck Bolt.

Benjamin Gaza— Oh, no!

No! There he is! Oh, I love him.

I love him.

Very nice. For a second, how did Sean get you and I don't? Goddamn it!

Because I like him and he's a great— Oh my God.

You are a good actor. I always feel like I'm liked when I'm around you.

Where are you? Are you in the basement?

I'm in my lair.

Okay.

Lower lair.

Because crime might need to be fought.

Oh God. Yeah.

Wait, what songs have been written about you?

Dear Ben and Dear Ben Part 2.

The songs that have been written about me have been written by the greatest performer in the history of the world, Jennifer Lopez. I don't know that they're exactly so much about me as maybe inspired by, because, um, you know, because there's some negative things in there.

So they're aimed at you.

Yeah, I was gonna say, are they flattering?

She's amazing, yes. Can you imagine? And also, there is a 3rd song written about me, but not by anyone gifted. Uh, Jimmy Kimmel wrote a song about me called I'm Fucking Ben Affleck.

Wait, did, uh— Did he really? Did Jennifer write— the songs about you during or when you weren't dating?

Jennifer, you know what, Jason?

I just want to know if they're happy songs or sad songs.

Over and over. And I tell you, if you want to ask Jennifer about her career, if you're interested in her work, go ahead and screw your courage to the sticking place and ask her.

I learned a lot about her with that great documentary.

I love that.

I loved it.

Wasn't that amazing?

Yeah, I loved it.

I thought that was incredible.

Yeah.

And by the way, that's the first time— I know we're gonna interview you in just a second, but Jennifer Lopez, who was on Will Grace twice or 3 times or whatever—

Was she on Will Grace? That's funny. And I was— was I on? 1, 2, no times.

No, you weren't.

This is the story of my life.

Will was, I wasn't.

But she was— but that documentary blew me away because I was like, my God, what the woman has accomplished is astounding.

Yeah.

And she's—

It takes a big man not to feel inadequate in the face of my wife's many, many accomplishments.

But no, but she—

but you too.

You too. You've accomplished—

Oh, I don't feel bad about myself. It's not so much— I'm not low self-esteem. I'm not— well, I am fishing a little bit, but not that much. No, the truth is it's amazing. Sometimes I think I, like, completely forget because here's this incredible actress and this incredible performer, and then we're sitting in the car, you know, and I'm humming along like I will, you know, the radio. And then a professional singer goes ahead and sings along, and you kind of feel like, Well, that's embarrassing. Yeah, maybe I should just zip it.

Do you know all her music? Don't lie.

I do know, uh—

Can you sing all of her songs?

Not to you.

No, but you know them though?

Like, you can't—

I can't get a J.Lo song past you that you haven't heard.

Waiting for the Night.

Oh, I— that's the remix.

There it is.

That's—

I like when Sean does it. It kind of sounds like Cher is doing a remix.

Oh no, what is it, like a Cher remix?

Yeah, I think—

yeah, I think she might be in there.

Now you're making me self-conscious, like, oh gosh, if I were on like Jeopardy, would I miss a question? But I do love her music. It's brilliant. And I know—

Who doesn't?

Uh, all of it. Thank you.

Yeah, Jason, don't put him on the fucking spot like that.

Fuck.

What do you know? We don't even remember your wife's birthday.

Yeah, no, I'm pretty sure it starts with an A.

It is surprising. Now wait a second. Now, Ben, uh, hi. Hi, Ben Affleck.

Like, Ben Affleck's on here.

Hi, Ben.

I don't really—

Great.

We don't know each other.

Thank you, somebody.

Yes, hi.

I, I I don't have the pleasure of knowing you, but everybody who knows you likes you a great deal. And I feel often like, Bateman? He's doing this thing with Bateman, which is really— So, I mean—

It's surprising.

Yeah, it is surprising.

It is surprising.

And as you know, yes. So you— but you and Jason have known each other for a number of years?

Yeah, I've known Jason a long time and had the chance to do, like, now 4 movies with the guy.

I know. And by the way, The trailer for Air looks incredible.

Looks amazing for the new movie you guys did that you've invited Jason to be part of. And any regrets? And you can be honest now if you have regrets about this.

I gotta tell you, I mean, usually— and I hate when people come on shows and they're like, you know, you're great. No, but what you bring. Because it's just so fucking boring to listen to.

Sure.

But I'm gonna do it.

Let's hear it.

And let me tell you why. Because it's actually true, and I've lied so many times. That it's nice to get the chance— Jason is fucking amazing in the movie.

Guys, let him finish.

And has—

Our Jason?

Has the hardest part in the movie, which is the part where you're supposed— you're the guy who's like, but if we don't make it to the train station by 6, you know, the whole time— you know, he's constantly having to tell the audience what the stakes are.

Look out!

What's gonna happen.

Turn right!

And somehow, like— made himself, you know, the most— I think, like, the most compelling, real. You're drunk. It's brilliant. A lot of it's improv and funny, and a lot of it's just humanity. But Jason's brilliant, and it was such a— I was really lucky, 'cause that— You know what Matt did? Very easy. When you're the lead and you're that guy and you have those lines.

Exactly.

You know what this scene is? This is me looking out the window. Yeah, that's right. That's gonna help you. That's the wind at your back.

I was the one working.

Do you know, by the way, you should know, Ben, that we were at— we watched the Super Bowl at Kimmel's, and—

Oh, yeah. This is a problem.

Hang on. So we're watching, and at that moment that the ad for your movie came on, Jason and I were sitting there, and Jimmy happened to kind of drift in right between us. And then I said, hey, quiet, everybody. Here's the commercial for the big movie. And Jason was all excited. And then there was just a silhouette For a second, and then nothing.

Silhouette.

And then Jason's daughter goes, Dad, I thought you were in that movie.

Oh my God.

In front of my kids, Ben.

That can't be true.

Well, it's a true story, right, Jason? Is that true?

It's a true story. But listen, there's many different—

I mean, it's my fault in the sense that I did see it and not notice, but it's not my fault in the sense I didn't make it.

And let me—

can I talk to your daughter? Your daddy's very good.

This is all a joke. But it was actually pretty funny. It was like, hey, thought you were in that movie. And everybody goes back to their chips and watching other things.

I've been there. You know what I mean? When things aren't panning out in your career and you've been in the movie and all of a sudden you're like, I think I show up in this train.

No, the worst is when you're at the premiere and they go past the point where you know your big scene was and it's now gone. And they've moved on and you're like, oh, guess that was cut.

You're like, Mom, no, this is where I have the monologue. Oh, maybe it comes later now. I don't know.

Maybe it's during the credits. They saved it for credits.

Anyway, I'll do it for you at home.

It'll probably need special features.

Yeah. So, Ben, talk to me a little bit about— You know, we had Matt, who came and joined us on tour. He came to Madison, Wisconsin. When you think Madison, Wisconsin, you think Matt Damon.

That's the thing about Matt is he'll always do something nicer than me. It's like, Matt, hey, what you're doing is great. You know, Matt went a whole lot further.

No, no. No, great. No, but we did— But we talked to him about how you guys started and how you guys knew each other back in the day. and what that was like when you guys were kind of both—

Yeah, it was really cool.

Yeah, it was great really hearing from him. And I'd love to hear your perspective of how you guys— and I'm sure you've told it a million times, so forgive me if it's boring. But for us, it's really— I love that story. And I told Matt, I remember we made this really bad— I say bad, but my friend wrote it. But this really pretty chintzy version of a movie called Southie. And you guys came to the wrap party that I was in. And then you guys were about to do Good Will Hunting. And then our movie, they buried it under a couch. and then you guys went on to, like, amazing. But I just love the beginnings of what you and Matt did, and I want to hear it from you because I think it's a great story.

And by the way, I had no idea you guys grew up so close to each other. No idea.

Yeah, we did. First of all, it's like, it's a really lucky thing. It occurs to me now. I saw him the other day, and we're doing this movie together. There's very few people are lucky enough to spend their life in the same line of work with their best friend from when they were kids, manage to stay friends, not end up hating each other, actually be friends and love each other.

And not have one of them soar to the stratosphere and the other one have nothing ever happen.

That was brief.

No, but I'm saying that's what usually happens. The fact that both of you guys are superstars.

Yeah.

So in context, the reason we're asking this hacky question is because In Air, the film that we're talking about, Ben, for the very, very first time, directs Matt.

I love it. It's full circle. I love it. I love it.

Yeah. I mean, it was something that seemed really normal and that I took for granted because there we were. We were kids who— he was a bigger kid for a brief period. I was 8. He was 10. He was a big kid. He played baseball. He was really cool. He had a bowl cut that was a little feathered that we all wanted, of course. And he was nice to me. And we were both interested in the same— I mean, just kids who grew up 2 blocks apart and both wanted to be actors for whatever reason it is that makes you want to do that thing. And hung out, and then were in the same friend group, and then sort of went off and did, like, oh, let's— we're just dumb enough to think it'll pan out for us. We'll just go be actors. We'll just go work.

Yeah.

and kind of sort of believe in it and then live together. But I think the reason why it wasn't a thing, that sort of competition thing that you talk about, is because we did a lot of auditioning very early on for The Mickey Mouse Club, for example.

Amazing, huh?

I think maybe for some of Jason's early work.

Gosling got the Mickey Mouse job.

He did. He was one of them. Yes, we did a Corey Haim film called Soul Man, I remember we both auditioned for. We both auditioned for Christopher Robin in the Clooney movie.

No way.

Uh-huh.

Yeah, we were extras together all the time. Matt did Mystic Pizza. He had a line in that. I didn't get it. And always the thing was, we would get our little act together and practice our scenes and do our workshop. I mean, nerdy doesn't even begin to describe it.

Really?

But it really was a genuine thing where we were like, look, I hope I get the part, but if I don't, I really hope you do.

Right.

And, you know, for a while we had this thing where we were like, we'll just split all our money.

You know what I mean?

You guys had high voices.

We like had—

Did you really say that?

We really did, and we really split the money.

No way.

We put it in a bank account. At the time, I was making the lion's share of the money. Wait, are you serious? Yes.

No way. How old were you?

Yes, I am. We had a joint bank account. I think I was 14, Matt was 16, something like that.

Oh, that's cool. That's really cool.

We put the money in the ATM, and then it's like, okay.

What do you want to get? I saw you made a big withdrawal last weekend.

Joking as much as you are, but it does show that on a certain level, there is a trust there that you guys just trust each other implicitly, that there's just— right. That's on a very basic level.

I took for granted that he liked me and rooted for me and wanted me to succeed. We just didn't— we're lucky enough not to have the friendship of that, the whole, like, it's not enough that I succeed, all my friends have to fail thing. And there are people I've wanted to fail. You know what I mean?

We all have.

I can be just as petty and bitter as any other actor. But I loved him, and he loved me, and it felt like we would work the scenes together. And, you know, it actually— I think what made us sort of good writers and better actors was that we learned very early on to hear, like, I'm not sure that works, that choice. And you go, okay, let's try something else. And get our facts, our sides.

Let's try a lower voice. Did you ever give that note?

I had to hit puberty. And so that happened in those.

So wait, but you— but when you say you grew up, you grew up together in Boston, right? But you were born or raised in California? Like, what's the California thing?

I was born in California. My parents were teaching at a, like, an experimental school outside Berkeley briefly. And then actually my mom— and yes. And then I moved back to Boston around 2 or 3. I moved into a Central Square in Cambridge, and then Matt moved there from Newton when I was 8 and he was 10. And that's when we met at the basketball court.

And you got a Burger King commercial? That was your very first thing?

Listen, I had done a Burger King commercial, okay? I'm sure you remember the slogan was, sometimes you gotta break the rules.

Yeah.

Oh, sure.

Oh, yeah.

I'm a little bit of a rule breaker.

Really quick, I did a— these guys are gonna love this. I did a McDonald's commercial, one of my first things, where I worried about how I was going to impress a girl. And the catchphrase from my guy scene partner was, don't worry. Don't worry about it. I was like, how am I gonna pay for the date? Don't worry about it. That's my story. So wait, go back to the bird.

Holy shit.

You're gonna get tired.

Ben's got a head of steam going.

You're gonna be tired. There's so much more. You're gonna be without a pot of gas.

No fucking punchline?

Out of gas.

Jesus. Boy.

Sorry, go ahead, Ben.

Anyway, let me just— can I regroup?

Do my— Oh yeah, take all the time you need.

Shake it off.

Wait, and then you did like crying.

We—

so we were— I've established that we were very nerdy and a little weird. We used to have business lunches in what was called the media cafeteria.

Amazing.

Which at the time, there was a big ESL portion of our public high school, which was like 2,600 kids, and that was where the ESL kids— I don't know why that was where we— we liked to be surrounded by people who spoke other languages. I'm not sure what it was. But maybe we didn't want anyone to actually hear our business lunches because no business was conducted. But we plotted things. We planned our careers.

But look at you now. Look at the business you guys are in now. Artist Equity, yes? Yeah.

Yeah.

Yeah, it is bizarre, like, to have gone this far. And definitely a lot of— I don't think I would be sane, as sane to the extent that I am, had I not had somebody who was from where I grew up and who was my best friend and who was going through the same thing. So you could— 'cause I'm sure you guys all know there are these moments in this business where you look around and go, like, is this completely insane?

Yeah, every day.

I feel as though, you know, I'm coming unglued. And having that, someone to share that perspective. And then so as we went on and on, so finally got to a place where, like, with Last Duel, it was like, why haven't we just We had so much fun. Every day on that set was so much fun. And we were just like, let's just do this. Let's just do movies together and with people we like.

Mm-hmm.

And we will be right back. And now, back to the show.

Going back, the first thing that kind of launched you, was it Dazed and Confused, or was it something before that? And what's the story about Vince Vaughn?

He's asked a 2-parter there. You can take them one at a time, or you can ask him to repeat it. I get excited.

I get excited.

I know it. I know it.

Have you ever read it?

I don't know where you're going with that.

No, but I heard—

I heard— I do know— yeah?

No, there's something—

I do know that we— that we— I had done a couple of— what, I was the more experienced? I don't want to make Matt feel insecure.

Sure.

I had some early experience with professional acting.

You were selling burgers, you know?

I was— well, not only did I sell burgers, but I don't know if you know your public television history. I was on a show, Voyage of the Mimi.

No. Voyage of the Mimi.

Yeah. Uh, science. It was also shown to 6-year-olds. for their science class because I think— because it was so gripping. And a young boy and his grandpa renting out a boat to scientists for experiments.

Awesome.

Yeah. And so I would periodically go off and do a little Voyage of the Mimi. So Matt was a little threatened by that. And when I got to the high school, he kind of pulled me aside and he said, listen, man, all right? This is the theater. It's not about your looks, okay? It's about the work. And I took that very seriously. I felt that I was hearing something real, like the words of wisdom from a guy who understood it. I didn't know until that time he felt I'd been entirely Bogarting my way through life on wit and charm and looks, of which there were very few.

Well, but no, it sounds like actually you came roaring into high school just killing it.

Yeah, you were crushing it. You were always like this. And Matt— I mean, by the way, again, no insult to Matt, but it sounds like he felt threatened by you. And I wanna just—

I think maybe— I just wanna piss on the guy. The other thing he said to me was like, you know the thing about Hoffman in Salesman? Is you can see the wheels turning, but he wants you to see the wheels turning. Matt Damon, 15 years old.

Matt.

No way. That's hysterical.

That's a true story.

That's fucking amazing. However, I—

That's why he's brilliant. Because that guy has been absolutely convinced that— and has paid attention to, like, you know, very little else in his free time other than acting since he was a little kid doing Wheelock Community College Theater when he was 11 years old. And he's been with absolute conviction that this is what he was gonna do. And he was a lot smarter about it than me. He understood a lot earlier on. He was like, it's just all about the director. I'm just gonna focus on the director. He was, like, passing on parts. when we were broke. I said, what are you passing on? You can't pay the gas bill. How is this not good enough for you?

Because he didn't like the director?

Yeah, he just didn't feel he didn't have anything to offer.

Wow.

And I was like, I'm doing after-school specials about steroid abuse, and you're passing on movies.

That's probably great, but I will say this. You gave him a piece of advice that he has since paid forward and given, and he let us in on it last year when he came to join us. Which was, apparently, you said to him, if somebody asks you to do something down the road, imagine that the same— You know, we get it all the time. Hey, will you come and do this 6 months from now and come and show up at this thing? Imagine that you'd have to do it tomorrow, and then let that be your answer.

Yeah.

If you don't want to do it tomorrow, say no.

If you don't want to do it tomorrow, say no.

Yeah.

I did give him that. I never thought that was particularly wise.

Bandage.

I just thought—

No, it's great.

Because Matt was constantly saying yes, and then be like, hey, man, can you call them and tell them I'm sick?

Right. And that's bullshit.

I've told minimum 50 people that piece of advice as if I came up with it on my own. And people love it and have latched onto it. Right, JB?

We've talked about it all the time. I live it. I did it today. I got asked to do something like 3 months from now that sounds kind of interesting, be kind of fun. But then I thought, well, actually, if it was on the calendar for tomorrow, would I wish that it was canceled? If the answer is yes, pass.

I love that.

You know, the thing about that that I can't completely co-sign, like, my dirty little secret is I might pass on everything.

Did you think about—

I almost never want to get off the couch.

Did you think about this show today, about passing on this show?

Oh, I mean, I was a half hour late, wasn't I?

Yeah, yeah.

They had to talk you out of it. So for the guy who likes to do nothing except sit on his couch every day like I do, I find it interesting that you're actually able to get up and work as hard as I think anybody could possibly work when it comes to directing. Like, that's a really, really all-encompassing job. So are you like me where it's like either all or nothing? I'm either working full or out.

I think you and I have that in common.

Yes.

And I think that part of it is It's a little bit like— it's more sort of social things. Like, I feel actually kind of shy. I don't really want to go say hi to people. It feels a little bit like, oh, I'm gonna— you know, something's gonna happen that's gonna make me feel awkward. But I love directing movies, and that movie in particular was the best experience I've had. And directing is hard and terrifying, and at first I thought, like, okay, even if I don't know anything about this, I know that I can at least work harder than everybody else. And so I thought, well, you put in 20 hours a day and that's what you do. And it made it excruciating and I got migraines. But, like, to the extent that the movies, you know, I was happy with, I thought, well, it must be because I worked 20 hours a day and did nothing else and thought of nothing else.

Mm-hmm.

And eventually realized that you don't quite have to do it that way. And that actually this movie, which is my— the favorite movie I ever made, I love this It benefits entirely from the writing and acting of Jason and Matt and Chris and Viola and Chris Messina and Matt Mayer. But it was so much fucking fun every day.

Yeah. Well, you're— it's your fault. I mean, he'd— well, we don't have to do a whole thing on the kind of set you run and your talent and everything, but it was—

No, no, no, we can actually—

I think we have time.

Actually, no, let's do it.

Do we have—

we have 25 minutes. It was actually incredibly easy. Guys, we shot this down the street. We shot it in a business— in an office building that— we're supposed to be in an office building. So they basically just flipped the lights on. Now, that's to take nothing away from Bob Richardson, who is like the best DP in the history of movies, but it was very fast. I think after— wasn't it after like 7 days, we were already 3 days ahead?

Yeah, we got—

Something like that?

I wanted to go quickly, and then you and Matt showed up.

Oh, yeah.

And having not directed, Matt, I didn't appreciate— when you're a director, right, you have your plans, you're worrying about all these other things. Yes, you're worrying about the performances, but I thought, okay, well, I won't have to worry about the performances, and I'll just worry about all the other sort of bullshit I'm doing that I think is relevant, when really the actors are the only thing the audience is paying attention to. And camera moves and that kind of thing. And Jason and Matt are such pros that— I mean, It was like a dance to watch these 2 guys together. They've done it so much and so well, so that as soon as you start to feel the dolly is late, it's not gonna be— All of a sudden, Jason's looking in his pocket for something that might be behind him. And Matt looks behind, and all of a sudden, he makes maybe a little more mournful choice on that line delivery, 'cause it's gonna give him an extra half step to the turn to where he knows the Steadicam's gonna come. The 2 of the guys—

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

I started feeling like, you're making it for me.

That part is just so fun. Stop doing this too—

I love that.

It really was amazing to see. In fact, it got to the point where, because Bob's crew and everyone was so good, they started anticipating and trying to do it. And then the guys who were really good and women who were doing it were like— it started to just speed up. And finally I was like, Matt, Jason, don't do their job for them. You don't have to do everybody's job. Yes, I know you're great at it, but just worry about the scene. Because I think they kind of started having fun with it. Because I had oners, and you'd have to see this and that, and Jason would know, like, you're probably gonna want that magenta in the background, and I thought you'd like the window. And I was like, you son of a bitch. Yeah, I did want the window. I didn't think I was that transparent.

Did you— can you remember having any sort of significant creative negotiation with Matt, either in the writing process or in the directing process? Like giving him a note that he didn't want to take or writing a scene that he thought was kind of fine already?

Because didn't you have the writing process Like Good Will Hunting and Back in College, where you would—

Well, they won an Oscar.

You would— what, you would talk about it or improv it and we'd record it?

We recorded it, yeah, on what were audio cassettes at the time. Kids, those were small, brown tape cassettes.

No, really?

You put in devices.

Wait, really? You guys talked out the script?

Yeah, because we never thought of ourselves as formal writers. We had a great teacher, drama teacher in high school, who taught us kind of sort of writing, directing, acting, and didn't sort of put them in distinct silos. So he was— we would actually end up making plays, which we later— I later realized we would act, write, direct them, in effect. But we just thought we would improvise them and kind of distill them down and find a story.

Such a great idea.

So that's just how we knew how to do it.

This person did you such a favor by doing that, by sort of putting it all together.

There's no question without Jerry Speck, Matt or I or my brother or Matt Mayer or Max Casella or Nico Larson or all the people that came out of the program who are— who are working and who are terrific would, I think, be working. Because he was— he taught us that, and he taught us to, like, to not take ourselves seriously.

Mm-hmm.

Respect other people, but take the work that we were doing incredibly seriously. And that was like that kind of— and there's that, like, great time of life when you have the older person who's the mentor, who you look up to, who's doing the thing you want to do, who says, this is meaningful. But you really have to work hard at it. And so we did.

Ben, is that— that's it. So that was a teacher that you guys had at your public high school?

High school, yeah. I mean, our public high school just lucked out and got this guy who's a genius.

That's so amazing.

And he was amazing for kids that didn't even end up wanting to be in theater. And he was— I could do a whole thing on him, but the truth is, I, I think that's part of why I learned to be collaborative, is that Matt and I never fought or argued about stuff. It was always that we— and we never got our feelings hurt because most of the ideas are bad. So I'll have a bad idea, he'll have a bad idea. I'll have a bad idea, he'll have a bad idea. I'll have an idea that's a little bit maybe better, and then Matt, that kind of keys something in Matt that's mediocre. You know what I mean? So we know we're building from there, and it's never about— and then it just becomes about, like, finding the best thing until both of us feel like it can't be improved, and we kind of go like, And if there is a kind of difference of opinion, it always ends up coming down to who cares more.

Yeah.

I go, Matt, I don't know. I really think this is about the— and he's like, man, that— and I go, all right.

Yeah. If you don't want to do it more than I want to do it, then we're not going to do it, you know? Or if I want to do it more than you don't want to do it, we're going to do it. Like, that's just common. Amanda and I try to live by that. There she is.

Oh, look, it's Jennifer Lopez.

Special guest star.

There she is.

Hi.

You can't hear us. Hi.

Hi, Jen.

Hi.

Hi, guys.

Hi there.

You were just doing very well. We were talking about you in very favorable terms, and so was your husband.

Oh, thank you.

I was singing some of your songs back to you.

Sing, please sing.

Waiting for the night.

Oh!

Oh, my love, it's waiting for tonight.

Waiting for tonight.

Oh, that's the mic drop right there.

Oh, thank you.

She crushed it.

That's when we're lucky that—

That is brilliant.

Thank you for saying hi.

Yes, of course.

Bye, Jennifer.

I'm looking forward to doing this with you.

Oh, good. I love you.

There's the part that will make the show.

By the way, we just bypassed— Jason, I didn't know this term, creative negotiation.

Yeah.

That's great. Way to take the art out of it, man. You fucking find a way every fucking time.

Just business, my friend.

You don't have to negotiate. Canal Street, how much for the door?

The batteries.

Hey, Picasso, how much paint did you use? How many cubic liters of paint did you use? Just take the fucking art out of it, baby, and fuck you.

You see, Picasso never had to negotiate with anybody because it was just a single thing. What we're doing is like team stuff, right? So you've gotta always negotiate.

There is a lot of negotiation. I mean, the lucky thing is when you don't have to negotiate. When you go like, you know, you do something, you write it, you give it to him, and then Jason sits down and reads it. And he made me cry on this. And then you feel like a jerk because you feel like that guy who just— was it Marty Short or whatever who used to go, and then— you know, you just want to give one of those—

What was the name of that character he played?

Jiminy Glick?

Jiminy Glick.

Jiminy Glick. I just watched him last night.

I have a question, Mr. Affleck.

And he goes, don't.

So to wrap up the Matt stuff, and we'll leave him out of the rest of the interview, but the— because we've had enough of Matt, right? with you with your Wordle, Quordle, and Squirtle every morning.

I want to get in on that. And Matt was like, you're not ready. I was like, what do you mean I'm not ready?

Jason dropped out.

He couldn't take the heat.

No, it's not the heat. It's Will likes to tell you how much better his score could have been had he done X, Y, or Z.

Anyway, that's really—

wait, wait. I wanted to close the Matt part of it. Just tell for the— and I know I would love to do a full podcast with you about Artists' Equity and all the sort of studio economics that you're in.

I would love to do that.

But they told me you didn't even want to do this one. It would put our audience to sleep.

So for those that have narcolepsy, do the quick version of generally what the concept is, what you guys are doing versus what exists, and why that makes sense for you guys doing this since you're buddies and you want to kind of spread that kind of buddy feeling in the process.

It's a tough elevator pitch, and I overtalk and go on too long. So it's a bad combo.

Sean will cut you off. Don't worry.

Basically what it is, is like over the years, as I'm sure you have, we start to kind of know, Like, there's money that gets spent on things that don't end up making the movie any better. And the more money that you spend on what you do, the more obligation you have, the sort of more risk there is, and the less likely people are to do things that, you know, you consider more interesting. They want to be more conventional.

Right.

And then I looked around and it— I just, as a director, started to really understand and value the people on the crew who made such a significant difference. to the quality of what you're doing, both in terms of speed and in terms of the environment and the way in which you're able to perform it. I'm a big believer that the performance really ultimately is what draws people in, and performance and the writing. And so we came up with this idea, never thinking anyone would ever actually fund us, to do a movie studio that was predicated on 2 things, basically allowing the crew and the artists— being the writer, I mean, and I consider the crew the artist, which is the whole group— actors, directors, writers, so on.

Yeah.

As well as cinematographers, sound mixers, everybody who collectively create the value in what we're doing to benefit from the upside of it in a really meaningful, significant way, but also to be responsible for it. In other words, listen, if it goes over, you're going to get less. If it comes in under, you're going to do better, but all of us have to make it good. Otherwise, we're not gonna get anything.

Yeah.

And sort of treat people like grown-ups. Believe they can be accountable and also believe that, you know, when— because incentives have not historically been aligned between the people financing movies traditionally and the people making them always.

Right.

And so without going into too great a detail, the idea was like, and let's separate this out from like, what is the value of a movie? Usually they'll use comps, like, well, what's the budget? And what did you make on your last movie? And especially now because there's no backend and no gross, that's sort of it, right?

Right.

Well, I've always felt that was akin to going into the Apple Store and saying, I'll tell you how much I'll give you for the iPhone when you tell me how much you paid the guy that put it together. But that's, you know, you don't— that's not how it works, right? So why does it have to work in the other way? So by being agnostic, as a financier and producer, this studio, and we had to then hire all the business affairs and legal and physical production and so on so that we could be an entity significant enough to take on the entire creative responsibility of developing, producing, shooting, and delivering the movie. And in exchange, we got to say, look, this is what it's going to cost. It won't cost a dime more than that. If it goes over, we pay for it. But you have to sort We're gonna be the ones who take on the burden, the role of saying, we're gonna deliver something good. If it's terrible, it's our fault. But you're gonna sort of put your trust in us to be able to do this. I'm sure whatever partners that we work with, they're excellent, brilliant people who are distributing and marketing movies.

We don't do that. We don't wanna do very many movies, but we wanna just really make good movies with people we like. I love that. And that's it. And we think people should be paid more for what they do.

So you're basically taking on the financial risk by funding the project production effectively. And then you're saying, we don't need you. You don't get the leverage financier by giving us the money to make it, assuming that we don't have it to make it. We actually do. We're going to spend the money to make it. And we're basically coming to you and saying, we'd like to sell you this product. We're going to take care of the wholesale part. Here's the retail price. Who wants to buy it? Exactly.

Yeah, exactly.

Makes a lot of sense.

That's what he just said. He just said—

I'm trying to see if my brain heard it right.

We'll be right back. And back to the show.

So now, but then once you have finished the completion of a film, you now have to enter into a whole nother thing because you're going out there to distributors. Yes. So are you working with all different distributors, all different shapes and sizes?

Obviously, business is like, there's all sorts. It's changing a lot. You have streamers, you have companies that are theatrical and streaming, and so on. And that's— nobody's Nobody's quite figured that out yet. My feeling is people are watching things and interested in them, and that's going to be ongoing. How they figure out the economics of where they place value on it, you know, if we keep our focus to a few things and try to make them really good. And also, I really felt like interesting, original dramas, comedies sort of ideas were starting to fall away from the theatrical world.

Yes.

It was kind of like, nah, that's not in movie theaters. So with this movie, and this movie's themes are kind of congruent with the ideas and the philosophy of this business, like, what are the people worth and how should they be compensated? And isn't this— the story itself, I think, is interesting and meaningful, and I want people to go see movies like this.

Yeah, watching your trailer, I thought that very thing. The first time I saw it, I thought, nobody gets to make movies like this anymore because we've lived in a world where— and everybody has benefited and participated to a certain degree in these sort of whatever you call them, these tentpoles or these—

Including me.

Yeah, no, that's what I mean. Everybody, all of us have benefited in certain ways. However, what happened was the result of that is that these other kinds of movies that you're talking about—

Without special effects.

Without special effects and that are story-driven and that are character-driven.

Well, your hair, but besides that.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Those things don't really— those kind of movies don't really exist as much anymore.

Not in the theaters. And this one's going to 3,000 screens.

Part of the problem is fucking Ozark. Because it used to be that, you know, to put out a movie, you were competing, you know, like Law Order or whatever, Magnum, you know what I mean? You had an 11-inch black and white, and you could watch Simon Simon, or you could go see Murder at 1600.

Oh, my God.

And now you've got Succession and Ozark and really good fucking stuff where people at home go, you know what? I can pause. I can watch tomorrow. That's made it very difficult.

But it looks like they're approaching a good combo where you're getting a nice window of time in the brick-and-mortar theaters. You can see it on a big screen. screen if you want, or you can wait— what is it? I think it's now basically 6 weeks before it'll be at your home, as opposed to the old method was like 3 months. And it was—

Yeah, I'm really grateful to Amazon. The first time they're really going for the, we're gonna do a theatrical traditional, you know, 3,500 screens out in the theaters, go see it.

Don't—

you can't like wait to see it for free. Like, not sort of upstaging it with a sub— a very soon impending free version at home.

This is Amazon, right?

Amazon, yeah. And they really are taking a flyer on this, and I really— I mean, I hope it works, honestly, obviously for the movie, but also so that we can do it again. And the reason why, going back to that model, the one thing that we do ask is that, like, the Hollywood model is kind of like I get paid in failure, right?

Right.

Like, I still have the money. I mean, I spent it, but, like, I made money on Gigli. I didn't have to give it back.

Right.

You know what I mean? Like, everyone else went broke. and I got a car, you know? So this is like, we're not gonna get paid here. We're just gonna spend what it costs to make the movie itself, and we're all gonna show up and invest our time and energy. And if it works, and if it's successful, and if it's financially successful, you'll get paid, whether you're the cinematographer, whether you're the writer, the director, much more otherwise than you would have.

Right.

But the relationship between how you're compensated and how much it connects to audiences is really direct versus just like, hey, man, you know, I don't get out of bed for less than whatever. And that's what I kind of— you know, that— and such a nice thing to not have that vibe, you know, where the people who are doing it just want to be there.

And I think this film's got a real good chance of hitting that sort of zeitgeist thing only because— well, for 2 reasons. Number one, it's a story we all think we know, but we don't. The whole story about how and why Nike got into business with Michael Jordan when Michael Jordan entered the NBA and when this whole start of this sneaker, this whole Air Jordan thing. It's an incredible American business story that no one really knows how it went together. And this movie explained it. And you're releasing it during March Madness, which I think is genius.

First of all, I hear it's great from a few different people who've seen it. 2 of them are in the movie, but they say it's great.

Believe them. And you can come by the house and watch it.

I wanna go see it.

I told Jason 2 or 3 times, please ask him to—

I think you broke up during that part of the phone call.

Yeah, I'm desperate to see it. And, uh, I think Bradley saw it. Anyway, whatever it is, I'm desperate to see it. I think it sounds amazing.

Bradley won't let me see his movie until it's mixed.

It's really good.

That movie's great.

That movie's amazing.

I heard— I read the script, and I remember saying to him, like, this is the movie.

We're talking about Maestro.

Dude, my script.

Brilliant.

Incredible.

And The Test, it's amazing. It looks amazing.

It's fucking amazing. Talk about movies that nobody makes.

It's the best script I've ever read.

It's really, really good. But I was going to say, for your movie, what's great is, because it is, like, as Jason says, it does tell this story and it's so great. And people like Jason, this is where they learn stuff, is from the movies, because they've never read a book before.

They have no life experience.

Right. They have no life experience. So, but truly, everybody says, and even Jason says this, which you never say, you weren't talking about yourself, about how much you love the movie.

I can say that.

He legitimately loves it. So it's— I'm very excited to see it. Now let's talk about Batman. Let's talk about the real thing that everybody's talking about.

Can I jump in before—

We gotta talk about the down business.

No, because the only time we really hung out was when we did that thing with Kimmel about Batman, and then I stuck my head in as Lego Batman and you guys all laughed at me.

We do have 2 Batmans on the podcast, Sean.

I know, that's kind of cool.

It's very cool.

One real and one, uh, But I saw the trailer for The Flash, and everybody was freaking out when you came on the screen.

You know what? That movie's good.

I hear it's amazing.

That movie's really good. I hear that movie's fucking great. They made a good one.

I love that.

And it's my best shit I've done. I finally figured out how to play the guy.

No, really?

I got it. For real?

I was like, hold on. Am I— is that—

I quit.

I know I quit, and I know I came back to it, but I got it now! It's like, you know, you do the audition and you're on your way home and you're like, Wait, what was the moment?

What— how did— why did the penny drop? What happened?

I mean, I don't wanna give a spoiler, but it was a scene where I got— I get caught— I get saved by Wonder Woman during a conflagration with some bad guys.

Yeah.

And she saves me by— I mean, I'm sure I'm like the spoiler, you know, DC assassins are gonna get me. She saves you with the Lasso of Truth. And so what happens is that Batman divulges, you know, some of his real feelings about his life and his work.

And it helps you see the character, and now you want another chance to play it.

And I was like, wait a minute, I got it. Am I still— wait, can I—

guys, are we still rolling? Can we write another story?

Best story of my fucking life.

By the way, Ben, one time I remember years ago, and I asked you this, I remember Alec Baldwin saying in an interview that he was driving home from Knots Landing when he was on Knots Landing.

Oh, yeah.

And, like, on a Friday night, and just going like, oh, fuck, that's how you do this scene. And he's like, from that moment on, he made a deal with himself that he would never leave it, that he would always figure out the scene while he was there. And it always stuck with me, especially 'cause it was Knots Landing.

It's so funny. Alec told me a similar story, but totally different.

Is that true?

Yeah, he loves this metaphor. He's like, you know why I'm a good actor but not a great actor? And I was like, uh, no, Alec, and I don't want to answer that.

Uh-huh.

It was like, because I was playing Kowalski on Broadway, and I, uh, uh, it was the door. He was supposed to leave the screen door, and I guess in some— and, and the screen door wouldn't open, and he was exiting.

It wouldn't open.

I shook it once and I shook it twice and it wouldn't open, and so I stepped around it. Right then I realized, what would Brando do? He would have kicked it down.

He would have kicked it down.

And I was like, so, I'll kick it down.

Okay.

But he's very focused on that, like, moment-after thing.

Dude, that's hilarious.

I want to ask you about— you've won 2 Academy Awards, Good Will Hunting and Argo. Thank you.

I was wondering if we were gonna get to that. Yeah, let's get into it.

This is the Jason Bateman show.

Your publicist.

My publicist is, like, all over me about that. I was like, okay, got it.

I'm below texting, texting, texting.

Yeah, no, but I wanna talk to you about Argo because you wrote me one of the funniest emails, which I wanna read right now. We can cut it if you want, but it's really funny. Anyway, Victor Garber, who's a friend of ours, right? He was staying in my guest house here while you were filming Argo, which is 3 houses down.

He said you were in his guest house, but go ahead.

What's that?

He said you were in his guest house, but—

Yeah, sure, whatever, we swap. We share— like you share a bank account, we share a guest house. So, um—

I want to still share a bank account with Matt. All of a sudden, the deal's over after Bourne.

But you shot Argo 3 houses down from me, and I would walk over in my pajamas and sit down and watch you direct. And it was super, super fun. And then, um, then you won the Oscar, and I was there, uh, at the Oscars. And I wrote an email to you, and I said, I'm so proud of you. I'm so thrilled for you. I still— and then all the other sentences had question marks. I said, I still haven't seen it. I probably won't get to it. I'll probably have to Netflix it, and someone will have to read the subtitles to me, but I'm sure I'll love it like everyone in Iran says they do. And then I said, I loved your speech, blah, blah, blah. And you wrote back, I saw your little sweet face when I was standing up there accepting my Oscar. In the middle of the greatest triumph of my professional life, I thought, I have got to tell Sean to go tanning. I fucking— so when I was doing all this research for you today, like all this stuff, I found that old— I was like, I'm gonna look at old emails.

I laughed out loud. And then you wrote me another one.

You haven't taken me up on it.

Still pasty.

No, not at all. I'm translucent.

So good.

Oh, Benjamin, this has been amazing. Way too much of your time.

Is it over? They told me it's 2 hours. So, oh, only an hour for me. You don't usually do a 2-hour Just feels like fun.

We usually go 3.

Right?

We usually go 3.

I am a big fan. I gotta tell you guys, I love the Marc Maron Show. You are wonderful. Oh, I'm sorry.

Wrong show, wrong show.

Oh, shit. Oh, shit. Oh, shit.

No, the truth is, you guys are— you guys are, uh, do a great job. You manage to be very interesting to listen to, and yet very little of substance is ever said.

We distract you with all the constant noise.

That's all it is. And it feels like, uh, kind of wonderful. I enjoy it. It's an honor and a pleasure to be on the show. Thank you for having me.

Well, likewise.

Honest to God, You are fucking amazing in the movie. From the first time I met you on the day of Smoking Aces, when I walked into that scene and you did the monologue about congenital alcoholism and herpes and a small penis, I have never— You cannot— If you go back and watch that movie, there is not a shot of me wearing underwear.

That's not from the movie, dude. He was just telling somebody a story.

Yeah, we were just hanging out then, remember?

They put it in the movie.

Yeah.

It was— I was like, this guy is a genius. A genius. And I have never forgotten it.

And then— Joe Carnahan's fault. He wrote a great scene and directed a great movie.

No, no, your fault.

Genius.

Love Joe. Great in that, great in Extract. I have loved it.

We had fun on Extract.

I think you're a genius.

Yeah, you are.

I do. I think all the—

My mother thinks that word's overused. Yeah, it is.

She probably hears it a lot about her sons.

But we're really happy. I will say this. I'm so happy that you're directing movies and you're making movies like this and that you're doing it Just continue to do fucking great stuff. Yeah, I can't wait to.

I'm a fan.

I love it.

This is all I want to do.

You do want to direct more than act, right? You love it.

I, I, you know, I started really loving acting finally for real when I was like, I don't want to do this anymore. I'm just gonna direct movies. This is— I'm done with this, right?

I don't care.

I just like directing. And then I was like, well, I'm already here and I can, you know, do them both, right?

Act in the movies. Yeah, direct.

And then I just let go. And I remember Sidney Pollack I remember Sidney Poitier once saying— he was a director and an actor. We did a movie called Changing Lanes 20-some years ago. And he said to me, you know why I'm a good actor? I was like, no, Sidney. 'Cause I don't give a shit.

Yeah.

I was like, I didn't understand at the time, but I know what he's getting at now, which is that so much of it just has to do with letting go and being relaxed and trying things and not sweating what people are gonna think. And, you know, trying the take that at the time Jason and Matt make fun of you for, but later on works in the movie.

Wait, really?

Wait, which one was that?

It was the take where I really wanted to play my part, and I interrupted Matt and made him wait a second, and you were like, maybe too big.

Maybe that's too—

I said that?

Uh-oh.

Yeah.

No, I believe you.

I believe in the movie.

Matt was right out in front of you. He was like, you can't do that. Hold on, hold on. No, I'm kidding.

Oh, wait a second. Oh, wait, is this the one with the blaster glasses and the jogging outfit?

Oh, no, you were all unequivocal about that, and that didn't make— that was too big.

Dude, it's on the poster. What do you mean it didn't make the movie? You're on the poster in your phaser glasses and your jumpsuit.

That is historically accurate.

I get it.

No one's going to know that, though.

They're just going to be like, oh, I'm trying to promote it.

That's what I'm here— the whole point was to get to the fact that that is not made up. That is the clothes that were worn.

And his purple Porsche.

And he had a purple Porsche that said Nike Man.

Yeah, this is Phil Knight, listener, the guy who created Nike. I can't wait to see it.

It's fun.

And I do— once I started doing it and doing it with people I really loved— and it's true, I would— I love directing in a different way, but acting has become really fun. Tender Bar was really fun. Last Duel was really fun. The Way Back was really fun, weirdly, for a movie about a person whose child dies and is alcoholic.

You were awesome in that.

It was like— it'd become joyful because I started developing my own criterion and stopped kind of making it about, like, you know, who likes me?

Like Will says, it's a sexy indifference. Right, Will?

Yeah. I don't say that. No.

I'm going with overweight indifference.

Indifference is attractive.

Well, whatever you're doing, please keep doing it, man. Just such a fan. You're so great at what you do, and you always have been. And just appreciate it.

Thank you very much. And I'm gonna hold you guys to it, 'cause you're all in the next one for free. Thank you.

Oh, my God.

Oh, yeah.

I told you to model.

We'll do it for free.

Let's do it for the art.

Thank you.

You're amazing for doing this.

I'm too handsome for film.

Will you let me into the fucking Octurtle battle? My JV stuff.

Tell Matt—

Here it is. Yeah, give my agent your number.

Yeah, no, I have one.

Okay, great.

Does Matt own the invites?

Yeah.

He's the commissioner?

So did he really keep you out?

Yeah, totally locked me out. Well, not even locked me out. He was like, maybe keep working. You know what I mean?

Like that move.

Try the crossword.

He finally— I tell him this.

This is insane.

He finally won today for the first time in like 6 weeks, and he was ecstatic. Really?

Yeah.

Yeah, he was having a tough time.

But like I said, once I found out that he's in the low 50s, now I maybe— I'm wondering if there is kind of an intramural league that I can be— because that is—

I have a feeling Ben's gonna wax all you guys.

Yeah, it won't take you long. Believe me, you're a sharp guy. It will not take you long to fucking make us all look like fools.

I'm starting to lose it.

Yeah.

You are all young.

Ginkgo.

Sure.

Ginkgo.

Thanks, guys.

I have a question about Batman. Oh, sorry.

Sure, sure, go ahead.

No, that's—

No, feel free.

Go ahead and call her.

Ben, love you.

Thank you for doing this.

Yeah, I love you, pal.

Seriously, guys, Jason has my number, and you guys, honest to God, like, the movie is here, sitting here on the projector, and if you ever wanna come at any point, even if I'm not here, just like set it up, ring the bell, come watch the movie. You probably don't give a shit, and you're gonna end up watching it.

No, no, they do, and you live about 3 blocks from Will.

Okay.

Oh, wow.

So someone has no excuse.

Oh, shit.

We'll walk over.

By the way, we will cut this, but I love the new house. Yeah.

Thank you.

Well, the rental's not too fucking shabby. Is that the one you're talking about, Sean?

No, the one that they just purchased.

Sean is keeping up with some of our celebrity journalists.

No, no, no. I have a real estate agent who knows him.

Oh, really?

But yeah, and I saw it under construction and I was like, this is amazing. So I'd love to see it when it's done.

You are the first to be invited.

We heard it. We got it recorded. Thank you, buddy.

Thank you, Benjamin. We love you.

Thanks for the rest of your night. I love you all.

Thank you very much.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Okay. Thanks, Ben. Bye, bud.

Bye. Wow.

Well, that guy—

Fucking wattage shot.

So when we were talking about—

Big star wattage. I mean, we had Damon on tour, and that's fine. That was fine. But then we have Ben Affleck just coming in with the fucking wattage.

I know.

Well, that's the big shot.

Now that's a star.

That's a star. Yeah. Through outer space.

Yeah. Remember if fucking Matt showed up in like a fucking hoodie and he fucking— you know what I mean?

Just get through the interview.

Just get through the thing. And then Ben shows up and he's handsome, he's talented, and he's smart as fuck. He's prepared.

Shoulders on him.

He's prepared.

His hair is gorgeous.

Yeah. He's intelligent as fuck. Jason, Jason, let me see your hands real quick. I want to see your hands while you're talking.

Because it's really dark where you are.

No, all jokes aside, wow, that was awesome.

Yeah. And when I was doing the research, learning about him and stuff and about his past and whatever, And then you go through his credits, you're just like, wow. You forget, like, wow. Bang, bang, bang. Hit after hit after hit after hit.

He's been so relevant and talented and successful for so long, and I feel like he's only halfway done.

Yeah. And I think— I don't know if this is true. Does anybody know? Hasn't he played Batman more than any other actor?

I'll bet.

I think that that might be— I think you might be right.

Yeah, I think so. He's played it 5 times, I think.

Really?

Yeah.

I'm so happy for him. And this movie, he just crushes it. And Matt and him did a great job writing a lot of the stuff too.

He's such a natural as a director. I mean, Jason, it's kind of what you talk about when you spend all that time doing it and you've got a head on your shoulders and you spend all that time on set and in that environment.

Yeah, you've got to absorb something.

You absorb something and you can kind of apply it. And you have done it and he has done it. And he's made so many great films, as you said, Sean. Sean. Yeah, Sean. No, no, no, I know. But what was the one about Iran, the hostages?

Argo.

Argo.

So I'll go see that.

The Town is amazing as well. That's another great film that he directed.

Yes, The Town. I love that movie.

Really, really good.

Yeah, see, that's what I'm saying. I didn't even get a chance to talk to him about The Town. That was so good.

I know. Well, because you had— you were asking, you know, you had too many questions about out of left field.

He just texted me, I hate Sean. Well, he spelled it S-H-A-W-N, but the hate is spelled correct.

No way.

No, that's not true. No, he's the guy. My God, what an interesting life. I'd like to read his book. I want to read his book. I want to read Downey's book.

Just a book.

Any book, I guess, right?

Would be amazing.

Top to bottom, left to right.

Right?

Yeah. As long as the book has a By the binding center?

The pages are bound? That works.

Oh no, he doesn't even know how it works.

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