Ben Affleck Turns the Page
Ben Affleck admits the definition of his life was “annus horrribilis” in 2003.
In a new Details interview, he was quoted telling the magazine, “It’s hard to shake those sort of narratives. If you were looking at that one-liner on me in 2003, which was definitely the annus horribilis of my life,” he adds with a laugh, “… I made a bunch of movies that didn’t work. I was ending up in the tabloids. I don’t know what the lesson is, except that you just have to find your compass.”
Ben believes he was “short handed.” He did not like the label of being the guy whose “movies bombed,” and ending up in tabloids. Once immersed in the tabloid spotlight, he remembers thinking that in order to break free, “I just said, ‘I don’t want to do it anymore. This is horrible. I don’t want to be in this spotlight, this glare, in this way. It’s tawdry, it’s ugly, it’s oppressive, and it’s inane. So I’m going to try to get away.”
The Oscar winning actor/director turned his focus behind the camera, and his first two films – “Gone Baby Gone” and “The Town” were both critically acclaimed, surprisingly stylized films. Now, with his third film “Argo” opening October 12th and earning Oscar buzz, he’s further cementing his rep as an on-the-rise filmmaker. “I’m going to do something that takes me toward a place where the work that I do is reflective of what I think is interesting dramatically.” Affleck also has been acting a lot less, “It has to be a really good part, it has to be a director I want to work with.”
Times are different now for the 40-year-old. Married to Jennifer Garner in 2005, the couple has 3 children together and have largely managed to avoid any Bennifer-like histrionics. Affleck juggles the family life and his career, he says, so that “I could go home and be with my kids.”
“Running around after three kids is very trying,” he admits. But now everything has to compete with being with my family. I don’t want to be a stay-at-home dad. Work is very important to me. I like to work. So does my wife. But I need my work to mean something to me in order for me to not be home with them.”
Madonna Expresses Herself In Support Of Obama – But Did She Go Too Far?
For decades, Madonna has made a living shocking fans with her opinions, style, outbursts and eyebrow-raising behavior. Now, she’s getting into politics – and some think she may have finally gone too far.
According to the celebrity blog IDon’tLikeYouInThatWay, the star made quite the stir during her MDNA tour stop last night in Washington D.C., our nation’s political capital currently in the throes of a tight presidential race. Madonna, an avid Barack Obama supporter, has taken every opportunity to speak up for the president during his race against Mitt Romney. But this time, she had some points to make that seemed, well, a bit misinformed.
Firstly, Madonna brought up trailblazers such as Abraham Lincoln and Martin Luther King Jr., throwing around buzz words like slavery while still focusing on their achievements. She then proceeded to explain that they were assassinated; something, she says, that tends to happen to people who are different or unconventional.
Next, she took to talking about President Obama, stating that he was “a black Muslim in the White House,” and that that was “some amazing sh-t.” Barack and his administration have denied this rumor, and done everything in their power to disprove it. Yikes – maybe it’s time for Madonna to hire a fact checker?
Here’s her direct quote: “Y’all better vote for f-cking Obama, okay? For better or for worse, all right? We have a Black Muslim in the White House. Now that’s some amazing sh-t. It means there is hope in this country. And Obama is fighting for gay rights, so support the man goddamnit.”
As an uber-icon, one would think Madonna would have her facts a little more straight about the president she claims to follow so closely and support. Like her or not, Madonna has been granted a soapbox the size of this planet. She’s certainly entitled to her opinion, but perhaps next time she may want to think it out more carefully.