IN THE NFL AND MOST JOBS, YOU’RE JUST SHOWING UP.
>> HE WILL SHOW WHAT 41 LOOKS
LIKE NEXT YEAR.
>> I CAN’T WAIT.
>>> BEN AFFLECK IS OPENING UP
ABOUT HIS RECENT STRUGGLES IN A
NEW INTERVIEW WITH THE "NEW YORK
TIMES."
TIMES." HE TALKED ABOUT IT, REALLY
REVEALING, EVERYTHING FROM HIS
DIVORCE TO ALCOHOL ADDICTION.
>> BEN AFFLECK HAS BEEN IN THE
PUBLIC EYE FOR A LONG TIME.
HE TOOK A ROLE PLAYING THE ROLE
OF AN ALCOHOLIC I’M SURE TAPPED
INTO SOME OF THE STUFF HE KNEW.
HE TALKED ABOUT THAT A LITTLE
BIT.
BIT. >> THIS IS A NEW ROLE.
>> IMAGINE IF THAT’S THE ROLE
YOU’RE PLAYING AND YOU ARE IN A
WAY -- HE’S BEEN LIVING THROUGH
SOME OF IT, YOU CAN SEE IN THE
PAPERS AND STUFF.
HE SAT DOWN AND HAD A REVEALING
INTERVIEW WITH THE "NEW YORK
TIMES" ABOUT ALCOHOL ADDICTION
AND CALLS HIS SPLIT WITH
JENNIFER GARNER THE BIGGEST
MISTAKE OF HIS LIFE.
>> YOU’RE TRYING TO MAKE
YOURSELF FEEL BETTER WITH EATING
OR DRINKING AND SEX OR WHATEVER
AND THAT ENDS UP MAKING YOUR
LIFE WORSE.
LIFE WORSE. >> THEN YOU DO MORE OF IT TO
MAKE IT GO AWAY AND THE REAL
PAIN STARTS AND IT’S A VICIOUS
CYCLE.
CYCLE. >> NO MATTER WHAT YOUR ADVICE
IS, YOU SAY, YEAH, IF I JUST CAN
GO OUT AND BUY ONE MORE PAIR OF
SHOES I WILL FEEL BETTER.
IF I CAN PULL THE LEVER ONE MORE
TIME ON THE SLOT MACHINE, I WILL
FEEL BETTER.
FEEL BETTER. IT DOESN’T DO IT.
>> IT’S SO INTERESTING TO HAVE
AN HONEST CONVERSATION ABOUT IT.
BY TRANSPARENCY, HIM TALKING
ABOUT THIS, HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE
SAYING, WAIT, IS THAT ME?
AM I DOING THIS?
AM I GETTING INVOLVED IN THIS
CYCLE I CANNOT BREAK?
I WILL NEVER FORGET I WAS IN
MAINE FOR MY COUSIN’S WEDDING IN
YOUR EARLY 20s.
IN YOUR EARLY 20s, YOU GO OUT
AND CELEBRATE AND STAY OUT LATE.
MY DAD SAID, LET’S GO FOR A
WALK, I WANT TO TALK TO YOU
ABOUT DRINKING.
ABOUT DRINKING. I FOUND IN MY LIFE IT GOT IN THE
WAY OF THINGS THAT MATTERED
MOST.
MOST. I WANT YOU TO BE AWARE OF IT.
IT CAN’T.
IT CAN’T. I REMEMBER AT THE TIME I WAS
LIKE, HUNGOVER.
LIKE, HUNGOVER. I DO THINK IT WAS SUCH A MODEL
OF ME HOW I WANT TO MODEL TO MY
KIDS, BE TRANSPARENT ABOUT
THINGS THAT HAPPENED IN YOUR
LIFE OR TALKING TO KIDS.
>> I’M SO SHOCKED YOUR DAD HAD
THAT CONVERSATION WITH YOU.
>> HE SAID, THERE WAS A POINT IN
MY LIFE, THIS IS INTERRUPTING
WHAT’S BEAUTIFUL.
WHAT’S BEAUTIFUL. HE DIDN’T GO TO AA, ALTHOUGH IT
HELPED SO MANY PEOPLE, BUT IT
WAS INTERRUPTING HIS DREAMS AND
PARENTING.
PARENTING. >> TO NOT ONLY THINK IT BUT
SPEAK IT TO YOUR KIDS, SOMETHING
SO MANY PEOPLE WANT TO SAY
BUT -- I DON’T KNOW.
>> EMBEAR RACING.
I ALWAYS APPRECIATED THAT.
I STILL DO.
AS MOMS, YOU’VE SEEN STUDIES ON
THESE ARTICLES PARENTING IS
TEDIOUS AND CAN BE DIFFICULT.
IT CAN BE EASY TO OPEN THAT
BOTTLE OF WINE AT 5:00 ON
MONDAY.
MONDAY. I CATCH MYSELF BECAUSE I HAD
THOSE CONVERSATIONS.
THOSE CONVERSATIONS. I TRY NOT TO.
>> YEAH.
>> YEAH. >> FOR MY KIDS AND FOR ME.
I THINK BY BEN AFFLECK TALKING
ABOUT THINGS LIKE THIS.
>> WHEN YOU SPEAK ABOUT
MEANINGFUL CONVERSATIONS IN
GENERAL, THEY’RE HARD TO HAVE.
YOU EVER HAVE SOMETHING BUBBLING
UP, I REALLY NEED TO TALK ABOUT
THIS, IT TAKES SUCH COURAGE,
EVEN IF IT’S A PROBLEM YOU’RE
HAVING WITH YOUR SPOUSE OR
SIBLING.
SIBLING. WHAT USUALLY HAPPENS AFTER THAT
CONVERSATION, YOU ALMOST ALWAYS
FEEL BETTER BECAUSE IT’S EASY TO
GLOSS IT OVER.
WE SPEND OUR WHOLE LIVES
GLOSSING EVERYTHING OVER, MAYBE
A BAD DAY FOR ME.
I DON’T WANT TO BRING IT UP.
IT’S A BAD TIME.
NOT TODAY, NOT TODAY.
YOU FIND YOURSELF YEARS LATER
REALIZING YOU BURIED STUFF.
IF YOU HAVE THE GUTS TO HAVE A
CONVERSATION, IT CHANGES
EVERYTHING.
EVERYTHING. >> YOU REALLY THINK ABOUT IT,
TOO, BY DOING THIS INTERVIEW.
HE DID THIS INTERVIEW BECAUSE
WHO KNOWS WHAT HIS MOTIVATIONS
WERE.
WERE. HE HAS LITTLE KIDS WHO CAN THINK
ABOUT DAD TALKED ABOUT WITH
HONESTY AND TRANSPARENCY HOW
HARD IT IS TO BE ADDICTED TO
SOMETHING AND HARD IT IS TO DEAL
WITH PAIN BY DOING SOMETHING
THAT’S NOT GOOD FOR YOU.
TO HAVE THAT CONVERSATION HE
DOESN’T EVEN KNOW HOW MANY
PEOPLE HE’S PROBABLY HELPING.
>> AMAZING.
>> AMAZING. >> THIS IS A LITTLE BIT OF THE
ARTICLE.
ARTICLE. IT TOOK ME A LANGUAGE TIME TO
FUNDAMENTALLY DEEPLY WITHOUT A
HINT OF DOUBT TO ADMIT TO MYSELF
THAT I AM AN ALCOHOLIC.
THE NEXT DRINK WILL NOT BE
DIFFERENT.
DIFFERENT. HE CREDITS HIS SPENDS, BRADLEY
COOPER AND ROBERT DOWNIE JR.
WITH HELPING YOU.
NO MATTER WHAT YOUR STRUGGLE IS,
SOMEBODY, ONE PERSON WHO GETS
YOU AND DOESN’T JUDGE YOU AND
HELPS YOU.
HELPS YOU. >> SEES WHO YOU REALLY ARE, THAT
YOU’RE MORE THAN THAT PAIN.
MARIA IS ALWAYS -- LOVE MARIA,
IT’S NOT ABOUT THE ALCOHOL,
ABOUT WHAT YOU’RE TRYING TO
COVER UP.
COVER UP. >> TALKING ABOUT MEANINGFUL
CONVERSATIONS I WAS THINKING
ABOUT HER IN THAT LANE, TOO, SHE
TALKS ABOUT THAT A LOT, DO YOU
HAVE THE GUTS TO HAVE A
CONVERSATION OR ARE YOU GOING TO
KEEP GOING?
KEEP GOING? DO YOU HAVE THE COURAGE TO DO
IT.
IT. ONCE YOU DO IT, YOU WILL
REALIZE.
REALIZE. SHE HELPED ME WITH A COUPLE OF
COMBOS WHERE MY GOSH YOU FEEL
LIKE SOMEONE PUT A PIN IN YOUR
PROBLEM AND YOU EXHALE AND SAID
IT OUT LOUD AND YOUR GUTS.
>> BY THE WAY, THE NEXT DRINK, I
KNOW I HAVE THE PROBLEM, THAT
TAKES COURAGE BECAUSE IF YOU
FAIL, PEOPLE ARE WATCHING.
I HOPE WE LIVE IN A WORLD WHEN
PEOPLE FALL WE GET BACK UP.
>> ABSOLUTELY.
>> ABSOLUTELY. THERE IS A NEW FILM HE’S WORKING
ON.
ON. HE’S WITH MATT DAMON AGAIN.
IT’S ANOTHER FILM.
I THINK THE LAST FILM WAS --
WHAT’S IT CALLED?
>> ""GOOD WILL HUNTING"!
HOW DO YOU LIKE THESE APPLES?
>> THAT MAY BE THE BEST EVER.
I DON’T CARE WHEN THAT MOVIE --
>> SHOULD WE WATCH IT?
>> YES.
>> YES. >> YOU KNOW A MOVIE I SAW OVER
THE WEEKEND, "PARASITE."
>> I LOVE IT!
DID YOU LOVE IT?
>> I DID BUT YOU DO NOT WATCH IT
ALONE.
ALONE. JOANNE DID NOT PREPARE ME.
>> KATHIE SAW IT AND MY FRIEND,
MARY, SAW IT AND LOVED IT.
>> IT’S FUNNY UNTIL IT’S NOT.
WHEN IT TURNS NOT YOU BETTER
HAVE SOMEBODY NEXT TO YOU ON THE
COUCH.
COUCH. I WAS SO SCARED.
>> HOW MUCH OF IT IS SCARY?
TWO MINUTES?
TWO MINUTES? >> AT THE END.
>> AT THE END.
>> JOANNE -- NO.
THERE IS SUSPENSEFUL PARTS FOR
AT LEAST 45 MINUTES OF THAT
MOVIE.
MOVIE. THANK YOU.
THANK YOU. >> SO THERE’S SOME SUSPENSE AND