Westworld actress Evan Rachel Wood is mightily unimpressed by Ben Affleck’s recently revealed claim that kissing a man was his “greatest acting challenge.”
Wood, who’s been openly bisexual since 2011, suggested the Gone Girl star should “try getting raped in a scene,” tweeting, “Grow up, Ben.”
Kevin Smith, who directed Affleck in Chasing Amy, recently claimed the actor said: “A man kissing another man is the greatest acting challenge an actor can ever face.”
Related: Ben Affleck in ’97: “A man kissing another man is the greatest acting challenge”
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After briefly kissing his co-star Jason Lee for the film, he reportedly quipped, “Now, I’m a serious actor.”
We should probably point out this took place in 1997. But Wood doesn’t think two decades should give him a pass on the remarks.
“I’m sure he just thought it was a funny,” she said, “but even jokes like that are damaging.”
Wood also doesn’t buy the idea that kissing the opposite sex for a role is necessarily any easier.
“Also, you think us ladies like kissing all the guys we kiss?”
“Just cause it’s a ‘straight kiss’ doesn’t mean we enjoy it. Ahem.”
Her comments were met with open hostility on social media, with one commenter even suggesting (ultra-predictably), “Try getting raped in real life.”
“Hey,” Wood replied. “I have been raped and came out with it publicly last year.”
“Maybe you shouldn’t throw stones in a glass house.”
She’s since removed the entire thread since the responses were becoming increasingly dire.
“I have deleted the thread because of the sickening things people have written in response,” she announced.
“I don’t want to give that kind of hatred a place.”
Rex Huskey
http://www.towleroad.com/2017/07/ben-affleck-gay-kiss/
Paco
She was 9 years old 20 years ago and really has no clue that back in 1997, a same sex kiss between men was still very controversial.
She had a knee-jerk reaction to a quote made in a different era and looked foolish.
pudman56
Let’s see. 1997, I was 41 years old. I of the male species had no problem kissing other men. Now let’s really go back in time. Picture it. 1972, age 16. I had no problem kissing other boys. Don’t don’t what rock your head was buried under but then, I’ve never been afraid of what “the norm” has to say about much. Anyway, by your own logic, it is now 2017. Have you kissed a man yet?
Paco
I had no problem kissing guys in 1997 either, but society still clutched their pearls about it. I’ll come out from under my rock if you pull your head out of your own ass. Deal?
Roan
It’s 2017 and society still clutches their pearls. Your comment about the previous decades was right on point. I highly doubt Pud kissed boys in middle school hallways, held hands at the A&P and enjoyed leisurely strolls through main street America while nuzzling each other’s necks.
batesmotel
Yeah, I agree. I heard that and thought, oh shut up and sit down. Doesn’t she have a job? Wasting her time screeching about a comment Ben Affleck made two decades ago during a time when talking about anything gay then was taboo.
Spike
And yet his buddy Matt Damon had no problem playing gay in Behind The Candle Opera.
And did an EXCELLENT job at that.
Kangol
Not just that film, but Damon also played a gay man in The Talented Mr. Ripley too. There’s a huge qualitative difference between the two actors. Damon is far and away the more talented one.
dean089
‘Behind the CANDELABRA’ came out in 2013, sixteen years after Ben’s statement, so it’s not exactly a close comparison.
pudman56
Yeah, but then Matt Damon is a good actor. Enough said!
JoeyRamone
Damn, even more disturbed by the not unexpected but always irritating trolls harassing her. Sexually frustrated boys in their man caves too afraid to face the real world.
alterego1980
Why is this even a thing!!!?? 20 years changes a lot of people. Ben is gay-friendly. Why are you shitting all over Him and keeping this story going when gays are literally being thrown off rooftops in other countries and harassed here in our own?
dean089
Because dredging up such stuff helps certain people regain relevance. Now she can go around calling herself an “activist” and stop thinking about LGBT rights.
Chris
20 years ago, how many same-sex kisses took place on-screen? He was speaking at that time. ….. And in spite of what Evan Rachel Wood wrote, on-screen rape was (unfortunately) not as rare.
Brian
Ugh, people really lack reasoning skills! She never said that being raped is easy. The conversation was about “the toughest scene” an actor could do. Affleck said it’s kissing, and Wood said that rape scenes are tougher than kissing scenes. Nowhere did she imply that acting is tougher than everything else in life. People are so totally dumb. I’m continually astounded by the stupidity in this world.
Herman75
What about his fvcking another dude…….
https://youtu.be/TwIyLHsk2h4?t=2m18s
Sluggo2007
What’s his problem? He’s been kissing (and screwing) Matt Damon for 3 decades now.
Josh447
I know! How hot is that?! But when is the “sex tape” going to surface? I’ve had the popcorn ready and waiting for years.
Josh447
She’s a judgmental twit. For her it’s rape scenes which might just be true for woman in general. But for men 20 years ago, it’s kissing another man. She didn’t comment in a benevolent way i.e “grow up”, she attacked a fellow actor with legitimate concerns. Women kissing women has no comparison to a man kissing a man on screen. She needs to apologize get over herself and move on. If she thinks she is chaulking up points with this tactic, she might want to think that through again.