Ben Affleck almost missed the gig that basically launched his long run with Kevin Smith because of, well, his mouth. Smith just told People that Affleck's early-career love of F-bombs freaked out a producer so much, he tried to keep him out of Mallrats. Yes, a Kevin Smith movie worrying about too much swearing. That happened.
The 'too many F-bombs' problem
Back in 1993 on Dazed and Confused, producer James Jacks worked with Affleck and, according to Smith, watched the F-bomb count climb the second Ben hit his mark. That reputation followed him. When Smith was casting Mallrats, Jacks initially wanted no part of bringing Affleck in, saying the movie already had plenty of profanity. Affleck auditioned anyway, and despite Jacks not loving it, he nailed it and got the role. Kind of a great little behind-the-scenes twist considering where things went next.
Mallrats is where Smith says he really met Ben
At that point, Affleck wasn't a name yet. He'd popped up in things like Dazed and Confused, but he wasn't headlining. What he was doing, though, was co-writing Good Will Hunting with Matt Damon. During the Mallrats shoot in Minnesota, over roughly a month and change, Affleck kept asking to duck out to Los Angeles to work on that script. Smith let him go, and would come back to his office to find handwritten notes from Ben thanking him for the time and saying how much he was enjoying the job. That stretch is where Smith says he really figured out who Affleck was and why they'd keep working together.
From supporting player to 'Chasing Amy' lead
Watching Affleck work on Mallrats, Smith started wondering why the guy hadn't led a movie yet. He told Affleck he was writing something called Chasing Amy and was building the lead around him. Ben's response was short and perfect:
"Finally."
Chasing Amy opened in April 1997. Later that year, in December, Good Will Hunting hit theaters and Affleck and Damon took home the Oscar for Original Screenplay. After that, Affleck's career went full rocket ship.
Quick timeline
- 1993: On Dazed and Confused, Affleck gets a reputation for turning the air blue; producer James Jacks later tries to block him from Mallrats over language worries.
- Mallrats: Affleck auditions anyway, gets the part, and bonds with Kevin Smith during the Minnesota shoot while juggling Good Will Hunting trips to L.A.
- April 1997: Chasing Amy lands, with Affleck leading for Smith for the first time.
- December 1997: Good Will Hunting releases; Affleck and Matt Damon win the Oscar for Original Screenplay.
So yeah, the guy who almost lost a job for swearing too much ended up being the face of Smith's next era and a freshly minted Oscar winner by the end of the same year. Not a bad turnaround.