Ben Affleck’s career could have taken a very different turn. The Oscar winner was on the “Happy, Sad, Confused” podcast, where he revealed what Bruce Willis thought of his voice. The pair starred in Michael Bay’s 1998 blockbuster “Armageddon,” where the now-retired action star imparted his advice.
Affleck, 54, initially spoke about the voice he used to play Batman. The conversation shifted to Bruce Willis after host Josh Horowitz asked how Affleck came up with that particular inflection. The former Batman star recalled a conversation with Willis on the “Armageddon” set that he used when it was time to play the Caped Crusader.
Bruce Willis Told Ben Affleck To Turn Down ‘Shakespeare In Love’
In the “Happy, Sad, Confused” interview, Ben Affleck joked about doing the Batman voice in a higher register. The 54-year-old imitated the Dark Knight’s voice in a deliberately hammy style that made host Josh Horowitz laugh. Affleck said there was no other way to deliver his lines since the role requires a deeper inflection.
The topic shifted to Affleck’s experience on the “Armageddon” set. He appeared as one of the supporting leads in the blockbuster starring Bruce Willis. The box office smash was one of Affleck’s earliest successes, and the actor still credits Willis for helping him. One of the longest-lasting pieces of advice he received was to work on his voice.
“Bruce Willis once turned to me and said, ‘Your voice is too high,'” Affleck recalled a conversation with Willis on the “Armageddon” set. “I was like, ‘Bruce, that’s just my voice. Can I change that?’ He was like, ‘Man, you don’t want to sound like that. I’m helping you out.'”
Affleck had already experienced great success with “Good Will Hunting” when he shot “Armageddon.” However, the commercial success of the Michael Bay film opened new doors for him. He was preparing to shoot the romantic drama “Shakespeare in Love” when Willis advised him against it.
“Bruce, by the way, I love Bruce. He was the sweetest guy in the world. He really was giving me a tip.” Affleck told Horowitz about Willis’s advice. “He was also like, ‘Man, don’t go do that Shakespeare movie; you don’t want to do that movie.”
Ben Affleck Acknowledged That Bruce Willis Was Wrong About ‘Shakespeare In Love’
Although he wasn’t the lead star of the film, Affleck garnered critical acclaim for “Shakespeare in Love.” The romantic drama became a massive hit at the box office, grossing $289 million on a $25 million budget. “Shakespeare in Love” also won a record seven Oscars, including Best Picture.
“He was wrong about that one,” Affleck laughed, looking back at the success of the film. “But he hadn’t read the script, in all fairness.”
Affleck’s personal life was also glamorized by the press following “Shakespeare in Love.” The actor began a relationship with his co-star Gwyneth Paltrow. Their romance was highly publicized, setting the platform for Affleck’s subsequent relationships with Jennifer Lopez and Jennifer Garner to be similarly scrutinized.
The 54-year-old revealed he drew inspiration from the “Batman” source material to nail the voice. He also said that the key to a successful Batman voice is to believe the actor really is the character.
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Ben Affleck Reveals Bruce Willis Told Him Not To Star In Movie That Later Won an Oscar