Could there be a Ben Affleck-Matt Damon ticket in 2020?
Could there be a Ben Affleck-Matt Damon ticket in 2020?
During the New York Times' Times Talks on Monday night, Affleck admitted that he had an interest in taking up politics. "I like the idea of running for office," he shared. "I think there’s something noble in public service."
That being said, the 44-year-old actor added that he feels "really disillusioned" about what goes into a political campaign. "It’s just this relentless cash suck, where you’re just glad-handing and making phone calls and doing cocktail parties and trying to gobble up as much money as you can," the Live by Night star explained.
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Referring to the recent presidential election, where Donald Trump beat Hillary Clinton, Affleck added, "Although, I will say the one great thing about November of 2016 is that all of a sudden I became qualified to run for president."
Affleck seems more open to a career in politics than he did when speaking to ET in 2012 while promoting Argo. "Politics is a thornier thing," he said. "I do have some strong beliefs, but they don't all hew to one side, and I think it can actually be hurtful to get too involved in politics, because what happens is you might like someone's movie but then you go, 'Well, I know he disagrees with my politics.' So that can be dicey."
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The Oscar winner went on to share why politics and celebrity often go hand in hand, and again noted what a huge part money can play in a campaign. "Politicians, a little bit, would like to be rock stars, so getting some of that shine is a nice thing for a politician. Also, I think more importantly, people who are actors that people want to be around will draw in money," he said. "Money is so much at the root of politics. I mean, you've got to raise a billion dollars to be president of the United States."
