Ben Affleck Reveals The Silver Lining To The Lowest Point Of His Career

Actor and director Ben Affleck hasn't necessarily endeared himself to the general public in recent interviews — despite the nostalgia-laced resurgence of his relationship with Jennifer Lopez (or, as its more commonly known, "Bennifer 2.0"). During a December 2021 appearance on "The Howard Stern Show," Affleck's commentary on his struggle with alcohol was met with backlash after it appeared Affleck appeared to blame his ex-wife Jennifer Garner for his own issues with addiction. 

Now, while it remains to be seen whether Affleck will receive any sort of criticism for recent remarks about the 2003 box office bomb "Gigli," which he co-starred alongside Lopez — and which at its release was considered an affront to the LGBTQ community for its plotline of Lopez's lesbian character falling for Affleck's (straight and cis) leading man, per AV Club — the evocation of the title itself has seemingly earned a new round of attention. The reason? That according to Affleck, the film itself marked a turning point in Affleck's life, professional and personal. As the Daily Mail reported on January 11, Affleck himself attributed "Gigli" as both a curse and a gift.

Ben Affleck and Matt Damon recently interviewed each other for Entertainment Weekly, during which Affleck opened up about how "Gigli" changed his life. Though the film was largely derided by critics as one of the worst movies ever made, it led to Affleck re-shifting his focus from acting to directing.

In retrospect, Affleck admitted that he knew that the movie would be a disaster. " ... We did five weeks of reshoots, which we knew were not gonna work," he told Damon. But, he added, "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," Affleck disclosed. "So in those ways, it's a gift." (Considering Affleck went on to win a Best Picture Oscar for his 2012 film "Argo," his hunch was correct.)

In the interview, Affleck also credited "Gigli" as a watershed for bringing him even closer to Jennifer Lopez. Because of the movie and the fracas that ensued, Affleck's relationship with Lopez during the interceding years has "been really meaningful to me in my life." With the second incarnation of their relationship going full-speed ahead, he couldn't help but gush about Lopez in a September 2021 interview with People. "Jennifer has inspired a massive group of people to feel they have a seat at the table in this country," he said. "That is an effect few people throughout history have had, one I will never know and one I can only stand by and admire with respect."