Jann Carl: First of all, how much fun did you have making the movie.

Ben Affleck: It was a lot of fun, considering there was a great group of guys. You know what I mean? Billy Bob is a really funny guy, Bruce is kind of a guy's guy. Really sweet. Steve Buscemi I really like. Owen Wilson is really great. William Fitchner, you know, Wil Patton, Big Mike, the whole group was like fun, a fraternity. There were nights we stayed out on the oil rig, and literally bunked together. It was me, Steve Buscemi, Will Patton, Big Mike Duncun te huge guy, all in one tiny room.

Jann: Like sleeping in there together?

Ben: Literally sleeping in there together. It was like college, you know what I mean? Except more cramped you know. Like, Steve Buscemi snores, I'm not living with him anymore. But it was fun.

Jann: It's that last time you're sleeping with him.

Ben: No more sleeping with Steve. I called up his wife and was like, I don't know how you put up with it, all I can say.

Jann: The neutral buoyancy tank. I was reading about that and in one minute I would be thinking, 'Wow, that would be so cool' and then the other, 'ehh I don't know if I'd like that.'

Ben: Yeah, it's actually a little bit - I thought that this was going to be so fun. Everyone was talking about it and I thought, this is a great special honor. And I felt really great that I had the opportunity to do this. But then all those guy's attitudes was like, it's the attitude they give you when they know something's dangerous. But they think you maybe don't know about it. So, they're like, 'Hey Ben, how ya doing?' And the NASA guys are giving each other the, 'eh, he'll be okay' look, you know. And you're kinda like, 'What's the problem here?' And then finally someone is like, 'Some folks when they go down, they have some seizures and convulsions, they'll throw up in their space suits, and we have to bring them right up, or else they choke in their own vomit.' So all of a sudden I was a little bit more tentative about it.

Jann: And just then is when they probably said, "Lower Him!"

Ben: Exactly. Bring him down! It's very claustrophobic and there's this mix of air that you breath because of various depths and bends and so it's a different type of air and they pressurize the suit first, and it's like very heavy, so that if it were to leak you would just fill with water and drown.

Jann: Oh that's nice.

Ben: Yeah, and obviously if it leaks in space, you would explode. But, yeah, it's a slower death in the water than it is in space. But, uh, obviously they never had a rip. They've had some slight tears, and they have to go back in the ship but mostly they're pretty safe. But also you get kind of a vertigo effect, the glass, it's like a fish bowl. It encases your head. And when the lights are refracted from the water, it's difficult to explain but you get this weird view that is like, in your normal range of vision you see more than you usually do. Which can produce a kind of vertigo in the brain because the brain is not used to taking in those kinds of signals. So that is one of the reasons people flip out, or convulse, or have panic attacks or throw up.

Jann: I'd be puking. That would be me. I can't even do roller coasters.

Ben: Yeah, thats what I said. I was like, 'I do throw up on the Turkish Twist.' And they were like, 'Send him down.'

Jann: This whole idea of action star in the big action adventure movie. Would you like to be your generation's Bruce Willis, your generation's Arnold Schwarzenegger?

Ben: You know, I tend to not think of things that way. I approach things movie by movie. A lot of movies I've done, well many of them nobody has seen them, and there was no need to define them, other than to say, 'it's on the video shelf somewhere.' But some of the movies like 'Chasing Amy' was an unconventional movie so there was no necessity to say well, he's the so and so. Even 'Good Will Hunting' was kinda an unusual different movie, or at least that is what we tried to do. So this is the first time I've ever done one of these genre movies where my role fits into it. It's the Will Smith model or the Nick Cage model, you know what I mean? I just sort of approach it as wanting to do a good job and make it believable and make it interesting and fun without thinking of other people. I don't want my career to have any one exclusive path where you would identify me with one genre of movie. I'd rather make the characters I play different and hope to string out some sort of career from that.

Jann: But how much fun was it with all those toys?

Ben: The toys are fun, but they're offset by, it's a long shoot schedule, they're like whipping stuff at you with air guns.

Jann: They were cornflakes. Come on!

Ben: They were cornflakes, but there were these things that were supposed to be asteroid hits when you're like hanging around, and the stunt guys had like these guns that would shoot these little exploding pellets, and Peter Stormare had a theory that the stunt guys hated actors and really wanted to shoot them where the weak points were in the suit. They seemed to aim for the wrists and the fingers and the back of the knees. Wherever it was, it hurt! They're always hitting you and they were like, 'Don't worry, we're sharpshooters.' And we're like, 'You're sharpshooters? Ow! Oww!' You know what I mean. It hurt and you kind of felt like a wuss. 'Ah! Ahh! Stop shooting me!' So there's pros and cons to this genre movie.

Jann: This whole idea of action star in the big action adventure movie. Would you like to be your generation's Bruce Willis, your generation's Arnold Schwarzenegger?

Ben: You know, I tend to not think of things that way. I approach things movie by movie. A lot of movies I've done, well many of them nobody has seen them, and there was no need to define them, other than to say, 'it's on the video shelf somewhere.' But some of the movies like 'Chasing Amy' was an unconventional movie so there was no necessity to say well, he's the so and so. Even 'Good Will Hunting' was kinda an unusual different movie, or at least that is what we tried to do. So this is the first time I've ever done one of these genre movies where my role fits into it. It's the Will Smith model or the Nick Cage model, you know what I mean? I just sort of approach it as wanting to do a good job and make it believable and make it interesting and fun without thinking of other people. I don't want my career to have any one exclusive path where you would identify me with one genre of movie. I'd rather make the characters I play different and hope to string out some sort of career from that.

Jann: But how much fun was it with all those toys?

Ben: The toys are fun, but they're offset by, it's a long shoot schedule, they're like whipping stuff at you with air guns.

Jann: They were cornflakes. Come on!

Ben: They were cornflakes, but there were these things that were supposed to be asteroid hits when you're like hanging around, and the stunt guys had like these guns that would shoot these little exploding pellets, and Peter Stormare had a theory that the stunt guys hated actors and really wanted to shoot them where the weak points were in the suit. They seemed to aim for the wrists and the fingers and the back of the knees. Wherever it was, it hurt! They're always hitting you and they were like, 'Don't worry, we're sharpshooters.' And we're like, 'You're sharpshooters? Ow! Oww!' You know what I mean. It hurt and you kind of felt like a wuss. 'Ah! Ahh! Stop shooting me!' So there's pros and cons to this genre movie.

Jann: This whole idea of action star in the big action adventure movie. Would you like to be your generation's Bruce Willis, your generation's Arnold Schwarzenegger?

Ben: You know, I tend to not think of things that way. I approach things movie by movie. A lot of movies I've done, well many of them nobody has seen them, and there was no need to define them, other than to say, 'it's on the video shelf somewhere.' But some of the movies like 'Chasing Amy' was an unconventional movie so there was no necessity to say well, he's the so and so. Even 'Good Will Hunting' was kinda an unusual different movie, or at least that is what we tried to do. So this is the first time I've ever done one of these genre movies where my role fits into it. It's the Will Smith model or the Nick Cage model, you know what I mean? I just sort of approach it as wanting to do a good job and make it believable and make it interesting and fun without thinking of other people. I don't want my career to have any one exclusive path where you would identify me with one genre of movie. I'd rather make the characters I play different and hope to string out some sort of career from that.

Jann: But how much fun was it with all those toys?

Ben: The toys are fun, but they're offset by, it's a long shoot schedule, they're like whipping stuff at you with air guns.

Jann: They were cornflakes. Come on!

Ben: They were cornflakes, but there were these things that were supposed to be asteroid hits when you're like hanging around, and the stunt guys had like these guns that would shoot these little exploding pellets, and Peter Stormare had a theory that the stunt guys hated actors and really wanted to shoot them where the weak points were in the suit. They seemed to aim for the wrists and the fingers and the back of the knees. Wherever it was, it hurt! They're always hitting you and they were like, 'Don't worry, we're sharpshooters.' And we're like, 'You're sharpshooters? Ow! Oww!' You know what I mean. It hurt and you kind of felt like a wuss. 'Ah! Ahh! Stop shooting me!' So there's pros and cons to this genre movie.

Jann: Now how difficult was it, in this big movie and it the midst of it, for you and Liv to pull off a love story? How tough was it to weave that into this big movie?

Ben: Well, you know, I think it sort of fits itself into the movie naturally. From a directorial stand point, you can only take so much boom boom, sort of testosterone and suspense and action before you want to a little respite from that. And so as a consequence, that part of the story sort of weaves into the larger whole, and from my point of view, those kinds of scenes, well I'm more accustomed to playing. Scenes where you're dealing with someone else. Scenes about people. What I wasn't used to seeing was looking at a green screen or pretending to drive the thing but you're only in a sort of mock-up and people are telling you, 'There's a big rock coming at you and a bigger rock! Act more scared!' You don't know exactly how to gauge that. Whereas the love story, I've done that before. I understand what that is. I've been in love before where as I've never been in an asteroid shower. So that was more difficult to imagine.

Jann: In reference to a scene with you and Liv Tyler where you were caught in an awkward situation, have you ever been caught in a situation where you were like... I mean I can definitely think of a time when, my now husband and I, when yeah, we...

Ben: You and your husband? What? Do tell!

Jann: Well No! It was one of those 'uh-oh', mom and dad... you know, I shouldn't have brought this up.

Ben: Oh, mom and dad! How old were you?

Jann: I was, old enough!

Ben: You were hiding and then mom and dad..? That's saucy!

Jann: It's awful.

Ben: I guess, gee now I'm now preoccupied by your story. You know, I'm a virgin. So...

Jann: Oh my gosh!

Ben: I wouldn't know about that kind of thing, but I'll take your word for it.

Jann: So when it finally comes time for you, just remember, as far away from mom and dad as possible.

Ben: When I finally take the big leap, it won't be at my parent's house.

Jann: Or hers.

Ben: Yes.

Jann: So, you've obviously seen this I'm sure. Now, how bizarre is this, to have your own action figure? What do you think?

Ben: Yeah baby!! First of all I'm a little disheartened to find out that I look like Frankenstein.

Jann: You do not!

Ben: (Playing with the action figure) Fire! Fire! Burn!! It's pretty cool to have your own action figure. I thought they were going to be the small Star Wars kind. That only moved (demonstrates by moving his arms slightly) but this is kind of the G.I. Joe, Kung-Fu grip style. This is the larger style which is the higher caliber of action figure. And I'm hoping there will be some accessories along with it. Honestly, the one question that everyone asked me is if I was going to get my own action figure. And now I got it and you know what? I'm not letting it go.

Jann: Well thank you! Congratulations on a very fun film. It was a real ride.

Ben: I appreciate it.

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