Ben Affleck’s major opportunity came from Good Will Hunting (1997), a film he co-wrote with his childhood friend Matt Damon. The film is striking scenery for which Affleck and his beloved friend Matt Damon won an Academy Award. In 1998, he acted in the hit Armageddon and later got a role in the Oscar-winning film Shakespeare in Love.

Ben Affleck
Everything was going well, but suddenly his life hit rock bottom when he starred in Martin Brest’s romantic comedy Gigli. The movie caused self-doubt and soured public criticism about Bennifer. Affleck acknowledged that he had other films than Gigli that had done worse at the box office, but it’s remembered as a big failure due to the tabloid attention on him and Lopez back then.

Ben Affleck’s Career Took a Major Turn After Gigli

The negative impact of Gigli fired people’s opinions on Ben Affleck, which affected him deeply. He saw an unfavorable aspect of people, which led him to self-doubt and disappointment. But Affleck didn’t stop there as people’s reactions guided him toward his true passion: Film Direction. He made his directorial debut with the crime thriller Gone Baby Gone in 2007, four years after the release of Gigli. This movie marked his first full-length feature and became the turning point that ignited his career as a filmmaker.

Affleck acknowledges that if Gigli hadn’t faced such harsh criticism, he might not have embraced directing as he did. Also, the experience allowed him to meet Jennifer Lopez, a relationship that holds special meaning in his life.
Martin Brest with co-actors of Gigli
The actor was already facing media attention due to his public relationship with JLo then, and his film Gigli added to the scrutiny. The film didn’t do well financially or critically and is often seen as one of his worst films. Despite this, Gone Baby Gone director saw the movie as an initial spark for his directing journey and credited the film’s director, Martin Brest, for this new influence. Affleck once told Entertainment Weekly:
“Interestingly, I learned more about directing on that movie than anything else because Marty is a brilliant director, really gifted.”
Affleck admitted that if it wasn’t for the career setback he experienced after Gigli, he might have had a completely different career.

Ben Affleck’s Colleagues No Longer Keep Him in Their Conversations Since He Started Direction

Ben Affleck while directing Argo
The Argo actor shared that his colleagues have treated him differently since he started directing, and he’s no longer included in their private conversations. Affleck said:

“I thought, ‘When did I become this guy? What am I, the dad?’ I’m an asshole all of a sudden.”

He explained that he was not part of the group anymore. He recalled one of the incidents when he was walking towards some friends and overheard them discussing something about getting stoned – probably something someone brought in – and everyone stopped talking as soon as he got there.