George Clooney explains why Ben Affleck was perfect for ‘The Tender Bar’

It was inevitable that George Clooney and Ben Affleck would end working together eventually, when you consider the raft of similar experiences that both have endured throughout their careers.

Of course, there’s the obvious Batman connection, even if Zack Snyder’s Dark Knight has proven a great deal more popular with fans than Joel Schumacher’s second Caped Crusader. They’ve each spent decades at the summit of the Hollywood A-list, and then gone on to prove themselves as talents to be reckoned with on the other side of the camera.

The pair have Amazon’s literary adaptation The Tender Bar coming soon to theaters and Prime Video, and in an interview with Variety, Clooney explained why he knew Affleck would be ideal for the part of Charlie Moehringer.

“We wanted to do a smaller movie because it was during the pandemic. All these actors showed up with their hearts open. So you have Lily Rabe, Chris Lloyd and everyone swinging for the fences, which was really fun. In the middle of that was Ben, who doesn’t usually get these kinds of roles and was so excited. I was proud to be a part of this, to be a witness to an actor getting his teeth into a really good part, because it doesn’t happen often.”

Affleck may have two Academy Award wins under his belt for writing and producing, but he arguably doesn’t get the credit he deserves when it comes to his acting ability. A powerhouse turn in last year’s The Way Back was his best in a long time, but with the window closing on his blockbuster years and a 50th birthday on the horizon, The Tender Bar could mark the beginning of a more permanent residence in smaller, character-driven projects.