Ben Affleck’s “Potty Mouth” Nearly Cost Him Kevin Smith Role

by

Ben Affleck’s tendency to swear almost prevented him from being cast in his first film directed by Kevin Smith. He’s appeared in many of Smith’s movies, from small parts to a role in Dogma, making him a frequent collaborator. The only exception is Smith’s first film, Clerks (1994), where Affleck doesn’t appear.

According to director Kevin Smith, Ben Affleck nearly didn’t get the part of Shannon Hamilton in Mallrats. Producer James Jacks was hesitant to cast him because of some colorful language Affleck used while filming Dazed and Confused (1993), feeling Mallrats already had plenty of swearing. Smith shared what Jacks said about the situation.

He frequently swears and uses foul language. We worked with him on the film Dazed and Confused. While the movie originally had very little swearing, Ben Affleck added a lot of curse words to every scene he was in.

We don’t want him in this movie. You’ve got enough bad language in the movie.

Despite initially disagreeing with casting Ben Affleck, Smith remembers Affleck performing the role exceptionally well during the audition, which ultimately changed Jacks’ opinion.

So he auditioned and much to Jim’s chagrin, he was the guy.

Mallrats marked Ben Affleck’s introduction to Kevin Smith’s films, and his role as the harsh store manager was the first of many appearances he’d make in Smith’s interconnected cinematic universe.

Kevin Smith and Ben Affleck first connected while working on the movie Mallrats, which led to them collaborating on many future projects. Around the same time, Affleck was writing Good Will Hunting, and Smith consistently allowed him to travel to Los Angeles whenever he needed to work on it.

I really got to know and appreciate Ben Affleck while working with him on the set of Mallrats in Minnesota. He’s incredibly funny, intelligent, and charismatic. It was surprising to see him often playing the role of a bully, even in my own films.

Later, I’d often find a thank-you note in my office. It would usually say something like, “Hey, I really appreciate you letting me go to Los Angeles to work on my script and be part of this movie. I’m having an amazing time, and I’m so grateful – thanks, Ben Affleck.”

Smith not only liked working with Affleck and admired him, but also recognized his talent as a potential leading man. Luckily, Smith had already begun considering ways to help Affleck achieve this after they finished filming Mallrats.

I immediately thought he had leading man potential and was surprised he wasn’t already starring in films.

I’m writing a script called Chasing Amy, and I’m creating the main character with you in mind. When I told him, there was a long pause, and then he simply said, ‘Finally.’

Directed and written by Kevin Smith, the 1997 film Chasing Amy is a romantic comedy-drama starring Ben Affleck as Holden McNeil. It’s often considered one of Smith’s best films, with critics giving it an 86% rating and audiences an 83% rating.

Ben Affleck became well-known for his roles in blockbuster films like Armageddon (1998) and Pearl Harbor (2001), and later as Batman/Bruce Wayne in several DC movies. He and Matt Damon won an Oscar for Best Original Screenplay for Good Will Hunting (1997). Affleck also directed and starred in Argo (2012), which won the Academy Award for Best Picture.

Looking back, it’s amazing how close Ben Affleck came to a totally different path. Apparently, he almost missed out on Mallrats because of some colorful language, and there was even a moment where Kevin Smith almost didn’t let him return to L.A. while they were working on Good Will Hunting. Can you imagine? Thankfully for him – and for us movie fans – things worked out. He’s now a huge star and a regular face in Kevin Smith’s films, but it easily could have gone the other way.

Read More

2025-11-04 07:09