Ben Affleck on goodbye scene with Bruce Willis in 'Armageddon': Had food poisoning
Los Angeles, Jan 19
Hollywood star Ben Affleck revealed that he had food poisoning while shooting his emotional goodbye scene with star Bruce Willis in the 1998 disaster blockbuster "Armageddon."
"When we shot that scene, I had food poisoning," Affleck told Fox 32 Chicago.
He added: "I wasn't an experienced enough actor at that point to know that you can just pick up the phone and be like, 'I'm too sick to work today.' I'm like, 'I better come in.' So I went and I was literally, it's the only time it's ever happened in my life, vomiting between takes."
Affleck quipped that his distressed state "probably made the scene better," reports variety.com.
The scene in question saw oil man A.J. Frost, played by Affleck, say goodbye to "deep core" oil driller Harry Stamper, played by Willis, as he sacrifices himself to manually detonate a bomb to destroy an asteroid on a collision course with Earth.
Directed by Michael Bay, other cast members included Billy Bob Thornton, Ben Affleck, Liv Tyler, Will Patton, Steve Buscemi, William Fichtner, Owen Wilson and Michael Clarke Duncan.
The science fiction disaster film follows a group of blue-collar deep-core drillers sent by NASA to destroy a gigantic asteroid, which is the size of Texas, on a collision course with Earth.
Despite receiving mixed reviews from critics, Armageddon was a commercial success. It became the highest-grossing film of 1998, and the highest-grossing film to be released by Touchstone Pictures.
Affleck recalled seeing Buscemi at the premiere of his new Netflix film "The Rip," which he said flooded his mind with memories of the film.
He said, "I actually saw Steve Buscemi last night at the premiere for 'The Rip,' and we were reminiscing about that movie and thinking about how that was the weirdest, kind of wonderful, strange, otherworldly movie experience."
— IANS
Reader Comments
This is why I love behind-the-scenes stories. The movie magic is one thing, but the real human struggles are another. It's a classic film, no matter what the critics said. The A.R. Rahman soundtrack was epic too!
Honestly, while his dedication is commendable, I hope film sets have better protocols now. No one should feel forced to work while vomiting between takes, "experienced actor" or not. Worker health matters, even in Hollywood.
Bruce Willis and Ben Affleck had such great chemistry. That scene was so emotional, and now knowing this fact, it adds another layer. Sometimes real pain translates so well on screen. Iconic 90s movie!
Haha, typical newbie mistake! We've all been there in our first jobs, scared to call in sick. Glad he can laugh about it now. Armageddon's success shows that audiences connect with heart, not just perfect science. Pure paisa vasool entertainment!
The cast of that film was absolutely stacked. It's fun to hear them reminiscing. Steve Buscemi is a legend. Makes me want to have a movie marathon this weekend.
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