Ben Affleck, who co‑wrote, directs and stars in the upcoming Netflix film “Animals,” said he nearly cast his ex‑wife Jennifer Garner to play his character’s wife, but decided against it, noting the baggage involved. He recounted the casting process and how he ultimately took the lead role of Mark Kimball.
Why it matters
Fans of Affleck or Garner may be interested in the near‑on‑screen reunion and the director’s casting choices.
Key facts
- Ben Affleck is co‑writer, director and star of the film “Animals”.
- He said he almost cast his ex‑wife Jennifer Garner as his character’s wife in the film.
- He described the casting decision as involving “baggage.”
- He ultimately took over the lead role of Mark Kimball.
- “Animals” is set to premiere on Netflix on Oct. 9.
Evidence
Official source, or corroborated across several outlets.
- Ben Affleck Nearly Cast Ex Jennifer Garner As His Wife In ‘Animals’: “You Just Get Baggage”deadline.comprimary(opens in a new tab)
- Ben Affleck Almost Cast Ex-Wife Jennifer Garner in ‘Animals’ Before Deciding ‘We Don’t Wanna Do That’: ‘You Just Get Baggage’variety.com(opens in a new tab)
- Ben Affleck Almost Cast Ex-Wife Jennifer Garner in His Netflix Film ‘Animals’: ‘We Don’t Want to Do That’thewrap.com(opens in a new tab)
How this update was made
- Written by AI. The headline, summary, “why it matters” and key facts were written by an AI model from the 3 reports under Evidence, and from nothing else.
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More about Ben Affleck
- Ben Affleck’s sci‑fi thriller scores a surprising streaming comebackUnverifiedConfidence: Unverified. Weak evidence — treat this as unconfirmed
- Ben Affleck donates $100,000 to support children battling epilepsy at The Care & Cure Institute's 20th Anniversary GalaReportedConfidence: Reported. Credible reporting, but no official confirmation yet
- Ben Affleck says he sold his AI company InterPositive to Netflix in a reported $587 million dealReportedConfidence: Reported. Credible reporting, but no official confirmation yet
- Ben Affleck’s new crime thriller holds Netflix’s global No. 1 spot for two weeksUnverifiedConfidence: Unverified. Weak evidence — treat this as unconfirmed
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