Life Imitating Art? Ben Affleck Plays Struggling Alcoholic In New Film After Relapse
Nov. 14 2019, Updated 11:45 p.m. ET
In an ironic twist of fate, Ben Affleck is playing a struggling alcoholic in his new film.
As RadarOnline.com has learned, the actor — who recently suffered a relapse — plays a former high school basketball phenom-turned-construction worker fighting with addiction in the upcoming sports drama, The Way Back.
“So proud of this one and the incredible team behind it. Here’s your first look at #TheWayBack, a story of endurance and redemption. In theaters this March,” Affleck, 47, tweeted Thursday, November 14, along with a link to the movie trailer.
In the film, Affleck’s character, Jack, loses a full university scholarship and ruins his marriage due to his vices. As his life continues to fall apart, his alma mater’s basketball coach suffers a heart attack, and Jack is offered the gig.
“It keeps me busy. Keeps my mind off of other things,” Jack says of his new job, not willing to show how truly invested he really is.
From then on, Jack takes smalls steps to improve his life, but his life-long demons prove tough to get rid of.
“I spent a lot of time hurting myself,” he says in the teaser as scene of him crashing a car drunk and being carried into his home fill the screen. “I made a lot of bad decisions. I’ve got a lot of regrets.”
Affleck’s shocking role comes as the actor himself suffered an unexpected relapse, days after celebrating one year of sobriety. The incident occurred during a Halloween party, which he attended with new girlfriend, Katie Cherry. There, reporters caught clips of him stumbling drunkenly to his car.
When he was questioned about the event the next day, Affleck — who’s been to rehab three times and has long admitted to substance abuse issues — brushed it off, saying “It happens, it was a slip, but I’m not gonna let it derail me.”
Still, a fellow partygoer exclusively told Radar, “You could tell he was so out of it,” and “he was clearly plastered.”
As of now, the actor is continuing his sober counseling. He has not given any more details about his recent mishap.