Ben Affleck has seen Hollywood at its highest and lowest. In 2003, Affleck endured three consecutive major misfires that severely damaged his standing as a leading action and romantic star. The following year brought two more major flops in a row, further jeopardizing his acting career. Hollywood quickly slapped him with the 'box office poison' tag. Yet the professional fallout was not the only thing that stung. As the spotlight dimmed, so did some of the friendships around him.

Affleck recently got candid about the difficult period when even some of his closest Hollywood connections began pulling away from him. 

During an appearance on Travis and Jason Kelce’s New Heights podcast, Ben Affleck opened up about the rough stretch in his career when a string of flops left him isolated in the industry. That was also when some of his Hollywood friends stopped returning his calls and began avoiding him. 

“I did a couple of movies in a row that just bombed and all of a sudden, I wasn't cool”.

He added, “And what I experienced was all of these people... who I thought were my friends, didn't want to talk to me, they wouldn't return my calls, they like avoided me.” 

Affleck faced many financial struggles in his childhood. He did not grow up with the generational wealth or privilege that many assume. However, through his modern movie business strategies, he is not only multiplying his wealth but also helping Hollywood’s big pay problem. And the same friends who had disappeared came knocking again once he found his footing in Hollywood, he shared in the interview. 

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He looked back on the success of The Town in 2010, which not only revived his career but also brought some familiar faces back into his orbit. 

The Town, which grossed $154 million worldwide and earned Jeremy Renner an Oscar nomination, put Ben Affleck back on Hollywood’s radar. He pulled double duty on the film by playing the main character, Doug MacRay, and directing it too. His directorial debut Gone Baby Gone, which came before The Town, was also a success. And suddenly, his old friends suddenly came out of the woodwork. Affleck recalled getting around 10 calls from people he had not heard from in three or four years. 

“The world is one day treating you one way and one day treating you another. You can't be attached to that or it'll make you crazy. “

Taking his agent’s advice, Affleck chose to let bygones be bygones and welcome those old Hollywood connections back. What initially felt like a career blow ultimately became a blessing in disguise for Affleck with his directorial resurgence. Rather than holding a grudge, the experience taught him to stay grounded and understand how quickly Hollywood can change its tune.  

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What do you think about Ben Affleck's dark Hollywood period? Let us know in the comments!