IN CONVERSATION WITH
CASEY AFFLECK
interview by JANA LETONJA
Academy Award winning actor, writer, director and producer Casey Affleck will star and co-wrote the comic heist film ‘The Instigators’, which will be theatrically released on 2nd August, before making its streaming debut on Apple TV+ on 9th August. He is also the principal of Sea Change Media, where he develops new works from emerging filmmakers of diverse backgrounds, telling stories that aim to entertain audiences and inspire conversations.
Casey, we’ll be seeing you in the comic heist ‘The Instigators’, in which you star and co-wrote. Tell us more about the story of the film and what the audiences can expect.
This movie is a classic buddy action comedy and heist flick, all wrapped into one. I get to spend a majority of my scenes with Matt Damon and Hong Chau, two of the most talented actors on the planet. Matt plays Rory, who my character Cobby teams up with for a heist when both are down on their luck. Hong’s character gets unwittingly wrapped up in our antics, and the three of us form a really fun trio of characters. We made the film with one of the best directors out there, Doug Liman, who knows exactly how to make this kind of action comedy hybrid. We had a great time making the movie together and we think audiences are going to have a great time watching it.
This being a comedy heist, what inspired its writing?
The movie is very much inspired by movies like ‘Midnight Run’, ‘Butch Cassidy’ and the ‘Sundance Kid’. Those are some of my all-time favorites and I’ve really been wanting to make a movie like them for a long time. My hometown, the great city of Boston, is also a huge inspiration for the story we’re telling. Our main characters are resilient in spite of the challenging situations they find themselves in. They face those challenges with humor and heart. That’s the Boston spirit for sure and it became a big part of our storytelling.
jacket & pants RAG & BONE
t-shirt BOSS
shoes LORO PIANA
The film is produced by your brother Ben and your lifelong friend Matt Damon, who also stars in it with you. You all have worked on many projects together. How does your creative process look like, and how did it especially look like putting this film together?
I like to surround myself with talented people who are passionate about the work we do. My co-screenwriter Chuck MacLean and I had the script finished, which we were really excited about. I took it to Matt, and he and his wife read it and liked it. He wanted to act in it and asked if his production company with Ben, Artists Equity, could be producers. We knew then too that Doug Liman had to direct. That all sounded great and I also was excited for Kevin Walsh, who produced ‘Manchester by the Sea’, to join our producing team alongside Jeff Rabinov and Alison Winter. We ended up with an incredibly strong group of intelligent, talented filmmakers who all wanted to make the same movie, one that was entertaining, action-packed and a great time at the movies.
What do you enjoy most about working with the two of them, and what are the biggest challenges of working with creatives who are so close to you?
They are both smart and trustworthy, which at the end of the day are the qualities anyone would want in their collaborators. The shorthand we all have with one another makes any challenges irrelevant. In this film, acting opposite Matt was an absolute pleasure. I’ve done that before, but this time I really got to see how his craft as evolved over the years. He really is one of our best actors.
Last year, we’ve seen you in the Oscar-winning box office triumph ‘Oppenheimer’. Were you surprised at all by all the awards this film won? What made it so special to you?
Chris Nolan is absolutely brilliant. It didn’t surprise me that the film worked so well. All the films I’ve worked on, good and bad, easy and hard, are special to me. ‘Oppenheimer’ is unique for a couple reasons. When you’re shooting a movie of that scale, it can be difficult to truly understand the scope of it until you see it on a huge screen. When I shot the film, I was mostly focused on delivering what Chris needed in order for those scenes to work effectively among the whole. He’s painting on such an unimaginably large canvas and it was just an honor to be there to witness that and to contribute to it. That the movie ended up being such a huge commercial success and also winning every award it could, is pretty spectacular, but not surprising.
Speaking of awards, you’ve won a fair share of them yourself, from Academy Award, BAFTA, Golden Globe, Critics Choice, etc. Which one holds the biggest meaning to you and why, and also, what do you consider the biggest reward for your work?
The reward for my work is the time spent being creative, the living I have made, the people I have met. The awards have been really meaningful reflections of the creative experiences I’ve had and I’m grateful for the acknowledgement, especially when it comes from others who do what I do and know how challenging the work is. The lifelong friends I’ve made and the collaborators I’ve had the chance to work with are ultimately the biggest prize.
How did your interest in acting develop, and what inspired your decision to also start writing and directing?
I began as a child doing theater. My interest in screen acting was gradual at first, but then started to feel inevitable. It’s wild to think of the movies I’ve gotten to be in and the filmmakers I’ve worked with over the years. I have evolved into a writer and director because I have stories of my own to share, and I also want to be a part of helping others tell their stories.
You also established Sea Change Media, where you develop new works from emerging filmmakers from diverse backgrounds. What inspired you to start Sea Change Media, and what are the main things you are looking for when deciding on which stories to develop?
Sea Change was founded out of a real desire to keep pushing the limits of my own creativity while opening the door for others to do the same. Our goal with it is to find new stories and new voices, and ones that might shift the industry and the audience in some meaningful way. There are so many stories out there just waiting to be told if they are given the chance, the resources and the encouragement. I’m excited by what we’ve been able to do so far, everything we’re developing, and projects and people we haven’t even discovered yet.
TEAM CREDITS:
talent CASEY AFFLECK
photographer FERNANDO SIPPEL
stylist CHARLIE WARD
groomer SCOTT MCMAHAN
ad PATRICK JAMES REILLY
photography assistant JUAN PABLO HERRERA
editor TIMI LETONJA
editorial director & interview JANA LETONJA
cover design ARTHUR ROELOFFZEN
shirt, jacket, & pants LORO PIANA
shoes GIORGIO ARMANI
sweater BOTTEGA VENETA
denim jacket & pants LORO PIANA
t-shirt BOSS
Back in 2020, you also spearheaded the charitable social media campaign ‘Stories from Tomorrow’, where public figures read original stories written by children around the world. What fulfills you the most about work like this, and how important is giving back for you?
I am and have been lucky, and I want to help others feel the power of telling stories. ‘Stories from Tomorrow’ was really inspired by my mom, a longtime public school teacher who instilled in me and in all of her students a love of reading and writing. I thought taking that idea and opening it up to kids from all over the world, encouraging them to write something that might be read by one of their favorite actors, could be a good idea. The entries we received from young people, each with a unique voice, really inspired me.
What is coming up next for you? What can you share with us about your upcoming projects, after ‘The Instigators’ is out?
I never know what’s coming next. I really don’t. I just try to stay open to what will come. I am excited for folks to see ‘The Instigators’ and I’m looking forward to finding out what’s ahead for me. In the meantime, I am enjoying the time in between.
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