Ben Afleck’s Remarkable PR Transformation – And You

The PR and image rehabilitation of Ben Affleck is a pretty amazing one.  If you think back to the days of “Gigli” and the whole Jennifer Lopez media blitz, all was not going that well.  It was around that time that he was named People’s Sexiest Man Alive, which moved him from Oscar winning writer and serious actor to being thought of pretty much as a full time tabloid star.

J.Lo jumped from Afleck to  Marc Anthony and Affleck went to Jennifer Garner.  He ended up marrying his “Daredevil”/”Elektra” costar.   The Lopez tabloid days were his lowest point media wise and it looked like he could be stuck there for a while.   In 2007, he moved from actor to director and his first feature film “Gone Baby Gone,” was released.  That he followed with The Town”  which garnered an Oscar nomination for Jeremy Renner for best supporting actor and made over $150 million.  Afleck was back in the running as a serious actor and director in Hollywood.  Next came “Argo.” Which he produced with Grant Heslov and George Clooney, not bad company.  And the rest, as they say is history.

So, where do you fit into this article?  We’ve all had setbacks.  We’ve all had times where everything seems to be headed in the wrong direction.  Here is a transformation story to remember.  What Ben Afleck pulled off was pretty remarkable and I applaud him for it.  It’s easy to give up and get stuck when things aren’t going your way.  Hollywood and the public can be particularly fierce and when they turn on you it can cause a whiplash.  Afleck kept his bearings.  He kept moving forward and reinvented himself.  This is a lesson for all of us whether inside or outside of the entertainment industry.  Down times can be temporary, if we keep forging forward.  Have a vision and stick to it.  When things seem the bleakest you might feel lost at sea, but keep moving and soon you’ll see at least glimmers of the shore.  And you never know what can be the key that will open that door for you.  So,  I congratulate him for his Argo win, but, to be honest, I still think “Gone Baby Gone” is his best work to date.

Copyright © Anthony Mora 2013