Actor and director Ben Affleck has shared information about his long-standing passion for computer programming, writing scripts in Python, and studying advanced AI-based video technologies, while collaborating with industry leaders such as OpenAI and Google.
Despite critics having long viewed him as a less prominent actor compared to his longtime colleague Matt Damon, Ben Affleck demonstrates a completely different type of intelligence.
In a recent candid interview with Fireside Alpha, Affleck surprised fans by revealing a hidden, long-held interest in computer programming and backend film production technologies.
He stated: 'I have always been somewhat interested in computers since I was young. Then, when cinema began transitioning from analog to digital format, I became much more interested in this technical transition. The visual effects workflow for years included machine learning, so I can write pretty bad scripts in Python and the like.'
The most famous joint work of the duo is the Oscar-winning and highly acclaimed film 'Good Will Hunting,' which they co-wrote. For decades, public opinion favored Damon as the brains of the pair—largely because Damon played the role of the secret mathematical genius Will Hunting, while Affleck portrayed his rough, uneducated best friend, Chuckie.
However, it turns out that Affleck may possess a sharper technical mind. His interest in filmmaking mechanics extends far beyond acting and directing. As Affleck explained, his deep interest in post-production and digital visual effects ultimately led him to establish his own venture in that field.
He noted: 'Before founding Artists Equity, I had a small visual effects company. Over the years, I have worked a lot with GPUs,' recalling how visual effects specialists introduced him to cutting-edge workflows and hardware setups.
Now, as a 54-year-old Oscar winner, he also disclosed his keen interest in the rapid development of artificial intelligence. It is unsurprising that his status as a Hollywood star grants him direct access to cutting-edge technological innovations in ways that ordinary programmers can only dream of.
Affleck stated: 'There are several major players—Google and that other company, OpenAI—that are doing very interesting things with transformers in video.' He added: 'I found out that I could just call and say, 'Hi, this is Ben Affleck. Can I come see what you're working on?' And to my complete surprise, sometimes people actually agree.'