Ben Affleck is going viral for speaking impeccable Spanish while promoting his new movie, “Air,” which chronicles the revolutionary partnership between NBA legend Michael Jordan and footwear giant Nike.
“What’s important to understand is that this isn’t about Michael Jordan’s story; he doesn’t even appear in the movie,” the Oscar winner, 50, said in near-perfect Spanish during a recent sit-down with Spain-based radio station Cadena SER.
The actor and director explained that Jordan — who’s widely regarded as the best basketball player of all time — is “so big, so important, so magnificent that there’s not an actor in the world who could be cast to play him whom the audience would believe.”
“They would immediately think, ‘This is all bulls–t. This movie is bulls–t. I don’t believe any of this,’” Affleck went on. “And they would destroy it completely.”
The Boston native added that he has so much “respect” for Jordan, 60, that he wouldn’t have proceeded with creating the film without the famed athlete’s blessing. (Affleck serves as director and stars as billionaire businessman Phil Knight.)
“I had the opportunity to speak with him for about an hour, and I asked him, ‘What are the most important parts to you about this story?’” the filmmaker divulged.
“And he said to me,” Affleck continued, pausing to try to remember the Spanish word for character.
“Personaje!” he let out in tandem with someone off camera.
The “Argo” star said Jordan had a few notes — none as “important” as making sure Viola Davis portrayed his mom, Deloris Jordan.
“He told me, ‘You have to have Viola Davis as my mom,’” Affleck recalled of the casting request he “of course” made sure came to fruition.
A video of the interview quickly made its rounds online, with social media users commenting things like, “I had no idea Ben Affleck was *this* fluent in Spanish???,” “Anyone else mind blown at Ben Affleck speaking fluent Spanish?!,” “Idgaf about Ben Affleck but his fluency in speaking Spanish is so sexy to me” and “Ben is now Benito!”
Though his Puerto Rican wife, Jennifer — whom he married last summer — speaks the language, Affleck has been rolling his Rs for most of his life.
In 2020, he modestly told Kelly Clarkson on her titular daytime talk show that he spoke Spanish “passively,” saying he “picked up” the language at the age of 13 after spending a year in Mexico filming a TV show.
The “Gone Girl” star made sure to note that his eldest child, Violet — whom he shares with ex-wife Jennifer Garner — was always “interested in Spanish,” so he’d “often help her” with her studies.
