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Acting, not action, for the leading man

Ben Affleck buoyant about 'Bounce'

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Ben Affleck's latest offering is "Bounce," a story of a charming ad executive who undergoes an emotional transformation  

NEW YORK (CNN) -- Ben Affleck is half of one of Hollywood's erstwhile hottest couples, a twosome whose once-bright flame has gone out.

Practically everyone knows the story by now. He and Gwyneth Paltrow broke up almost two years ago and their ardor, once the stuff of burning headlines, cooled. But now they are sizzling again on the big screen in "Bounce," their latest movie, which opens on Friday.

Affleck plays Buddy Amaral, a charming ad executive who gives up his airplane seat to Paltrow's husband. The plane goes down, Buddy goes to check on the grieving widow, and ...

... well, connect the dots. Could a screen couple that attractive not fall in love?

The stars both say they no longer are a real-life couple, just very good friends -- so good, in fact, that Paltrow got Affleck the role. She'd read the script and thought the part would be an important, career-enhancing part for the 28-year-old Affleck, who's probably best known as an apocalyptic action hero in "Armageddon" (1998).

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Ben Affleck on why he thinks 'Bounce' is his best work ...

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On co-star Gwyneth Paltrow's best quality as an actress...

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On his on-screen chemistry with ex-girlfriend Gwyneth ...

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"I think that he's capable of a lot," Paltrow told CNN recently. "I had read in a magazine somewhere, they had said, 'Oh, he's cute, but he's not the Marlon Brando of his generation.'

"And I thought that's not really fair, because when he really commits to something, whether it's 'Shakespeare in Love' or 'Good Will Hunting' or 'Chasing Amy,' he's really good," she continued. "And just because he's charming and doesn't necessarily plumb the depths of his soul ... doesn't mean that he doesn't have talent."

Affleck's reaction? The leading man recently sat down with CNN to discuss working with an ex-sweetie, stretching as an actor and what his latest film means to him.

CNN: Are you happy with it this film?

Ben Affleck: I'm very happy. I'm extremely proud of the movie. I think it's my favorite of all the things I've done.

CNN: You've said it's your best work to date.

Affleck: I think so. It's sort of a subjective thing, ... but there's just a lot of stuff in here that was subtle, that I thought would be very difficult, that required a lot of attention and work. It was really hard work and there was a lot of emotional stuff in the movie. And the character, ... if you look at him in the beginning and the end, (undergoes) a substantive change. But it's never obvious; there's never any one turning point, so you're required to earn every step.

So, I was terrified initially. I saw the movie as extremely demanding in a way where you wouldn't notice if it worked, but if it didn't work, it would be a disaster. I just had the good fortune to work with some very talented people in Gwyneth and Don (Roos, director).

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Ben Affleck co-stars with Gwyneth Paltrow in "Bounce"  

CNN: What did you have to really work on to be successful in this role?

Affleck: Don (Roos) wrote a story that was ... very real to me. It feels like people that I know; it resonates in that sense, and though it's very realistic, it's not boring and dull realism. It's engaging and compelling to me, story-wise. There are a lot of unpleasant emotions in the movie. He's a guy who walks around with a lot of guilt and unhappiness -- maybe unhappiness at himself -- and a sense of inadequacy that he's masking with sort of unpleasant behavior.

CNN: What was Gwyneth's Paltrow's best quality when you worked opposite her?

Affleck: Her emotional state of being is so readily accessible. The fact that she can do it, ... that it's right there. It's right below (her) skin, and she's, like, sensitive or something. She's very right there with you, and she works very hard. She demands a lot, but it's worth it. Working with her is a rare treat.

CNN: Your relationship on screen seems so real. Are you really faking all that?

Affleck: No. I think there's a certain chemistry you can have with somebody who you used to go out with that you don't anymore. ... So I think on the one hand we were able to exploit some of the comfort and the ease that we have with one another. By the same token, I'd be lying if I said that there isn't also some element of real chemistry; I don't think you can fake that. I think it was present in the movie.

CNN: Did you hesitate at all about working with an ex?

Affleck: It was just a simple case of two people that liked and respected one another and who wanted to work together, and it wasn't such an issue. It seems like it would be. I don't really know how to explain it, except to say it wasn't. It was a pleasure to come to work with her. ... It was more fun than anything else. I'd do it again in a minute.



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