Ben Affleck Was 'Intimidated' By Two Of The Town's Biggest Action Sequences
Following "Air" (which he deems his best personal and creative experience), we've reached a point in Ben Affleck's career when the films he's put his name down to direct are as anticipated — if not more — than the ones he's only set to star in. A lot of that is thanks to "The Town," Affleck's 2010 film where he played a Boston-based bank robber (one of his best roles to date) who gets in too deep with an employee of a bank he's recently turned over (Rebecca Hall). Boasting an incredible cast comprised of Jeremy Renner, Blake Lively, Jon Hamm, and the late Pete Postlethwaite in his final on-screen performance, it makes for an intense watch with some incredible set pieces. To Affleck, these were the hurdles to overcome to become an even greater filmmaker than he was already becoming.
Speaking to Entertainment Weekly, Affleck admitted, "I was intimidated and insecure about it. I had some experience acting in action sequences — some good, some that I didn't love — and so I had a sense of the kind of thing I liked. But it definitely was the most intimidating aspect of the movie." It was in the film's final chapter, though, where the gig would push him to his limit during the heist at Fenway Park that bled out into the tight-knit streets of Boston.
Affleck anticipated skepticism with The Town's final act
When mapping out "The Town," Ben Affleck saw both the robbery of Fenway Park and the fleeing from it as what would make or break him as a director. "I saw the Fenway and chase sequences as the two steps forward as a filmmaker," Affleck theorized. "I knew that people would be skeptical, like, 'He's an actor, can he pull this off?' I felt like I was going to find out along with the rest of the world if I was any good at doing this kind of thing."
But while there's no doubt that he accomplished what he set out to do, Affleck also revealed to Entertainment Weekly that he may have caused an issue for some locals on a very special day while at the home of the Red Sox. It turns out that the filming schedule for "The Town" lined up perfectly with the wedding of a happy couple that was tying the knot in the same location, leading to the day they'd never forget becoming memorable for all the wrong reasons.
"So we were shooting with automatic weapons there, and we fired off a full mag and, we didn't know it, but there were some people getting married," Affleck said. From there, the guests gave an understandable reaction. "People were screaming! They thought they were under attack! I don't know if we ruined a wedding or if it will end up a great story," the actor continued.
Well, of course. It's certainly something to look back on in the years to come — the day that Ben Affleck scared the snot out of them. So romantic, right?