Steven Spielberg refused to work with Ben Affleck because of “problems” he had with the actor.
Director Mike Binder, 67, revealed that Spielberg, 79, voiced concerns about collaborating with Affleck, 53, for Binder’s 2006 comedy-drama Man About Town. Speaking to Stephen Baldwin on his podcast One Bad Movie, Binder said he was caught in the crossfire between the blockbuster director-producer and the Oscar-winning actor.
Affleck was interested in working with Binder after the director’s 2005 hit The Upside of Anger.
Spielberg, who was interested in directing and producing Man About Town under the DreamWorks umbrella, apparently shut down the idea of working with Affleck after an incident involving the actor during a vacation in Spain. At the time, Affleck was dating Gwyneth Paltrow, Spielberg’s goddaughter.
Binder recalled the incident, telling Baldwin, “I call Steven, and Steven said ‘No. Can’t do it with [Affleck]. We just bombed a movie with him. He’s got that whole JLo thing going on right now. And I have other problems with him.’”
Binder then retold the story. While on vacation, Spielberg’s son supposedly threw Affleck, who was fully dressed, into a pool. In Binder’s retelling of the tale, Affleck got really mad, came out of the pool, picked the boy up, and threw him into the pool, making Spielberg’s son cry. He added that Spielberg said, “Find someone else. Anyone but him. He’s cold as hell.”
The director called Affleck to tell him the collaboration was off. Affleck knew instantly, Binder said, that Spielberg had relayed the pool story. “‘He told you I threw his kid in the water. That’s why I’m not in the movie,’” Binder said, imitating Affleck.
Eventually, Binder decided to go with Affleck to lead the film. DreamWorks, Spielberg’s film studio, dropped it. Media8, an independent entertainment company, subsequently financed Man About Town.
“I love both these guys, and they’re both smarter than me, but they both kind of acted like idiots, and so did I,” Binder said.
The director was candid throughout the podcast episode, also discussing the evolution of Affleck and Spielberg’s relationship. Most notably, Affleck beat Spielberg in the 2012 Oscars, winning the award for Best Picture over Spielberg’s Lincoln. Spielberg hugged Affleck.
“I text him. I’m watching it, and then I go, ‘Ben, tonight you could throw Spielberg’s whole family in the pool and get away with it.’”
Ben replied, “That made me laugh so f---ing hard.”
Binder eventually concluded about the two of them: “They were great guys, yet at the same time, they were a-----es.”
“Steven Spielberg is a genius and a great guy, but he can be an a-----e. And Ben Affleck is a great guy, and he could be a bigger a-----e. But by the same token, both of them can go, ‘Yeah, I can be an a-----e.’”
The Daily Beast has contacted Spielberg and Affleck’s representatives for comment.
