Ben Affleck looked relieved after getting some things off his chest.
Following an exhaustive and revealing chat with the New York Times earlier this week, the actor, 47, appeared to be in a great mood at Atlanta’s Plaza Theatre Wednesday for a screening and panel for his new film The Way Back, a sports drama in which he plays a high school basketball coach fighting alcoholism.
Affleck appeared on a panel with his co-stars in the movie Brandon Wilson, Charles Lott Jr., Melvin Gregg, and Will Ropp.
Relieved: Ben Affleck, 47, appeared to be in a great mood at Atlanta’s Plaza Theatre Wednesday for a screening and panel for his new film The Way Back
At the event, the A-list actor wore a black coat with large buttons over a grey top with grey pants, rounding things out with white sneakers.
Affleck chat with the newspaper earlier this week about how he approached his role in The Way Back, who is dealing with issues related to alcohol (which the actor has undergone rehab for on multiple occasions).
‘What happened was that I started drinking more and more when my marriage was falling apart,’ he told the paper. ‘This was 2015, 2016. My drinking, of course, created more marital problems.’
He said that the ‘biggest regret of [his] life is [his] divorce’ with ex-wife Jennifer Garner, 47. (The couple share daughters Violet, 14, and Seraphina, 11, and son Samuel, seven.)
Group effort: Affleck appeared with costars (L-R) Adam Lefkoe, Ben Affleck, Brandon Wilson, Charles Lott Jr., Melvin Gregg, and Will Ropp
Stylish: At the event, the A-list actor wore a black coat with large buttons over a grey top with grey pants, rounding things out with white sneakers
Stalwart: The leading man has had a Hollywood presence for more than 25 years
Affleck, who separated with Garner in June of 2015 said he ‘drank relatively normally for a long time’ in the wake of their split. He would go on to enter a rehabilitation facility for alcohol addiction in August of 2018, saying, ‘I am fighting for myself and my family,’ in a social media post two months later about his efforts to remain sober.
He told the paper that he keeps a positive mindset in moving forward amid life’s ups and downs.
‘It’s not particularly healthy for me to obsess over the failures – the relapses – and beat myself up,’ he said. ‘I have certainly made mistakes. I have certainly done things that I regret.
‘But you’ve got to pick yourself up, learn from it, learn some more, try to move forward.’
On the promotional trail: Affleck chat with the New York Times earlier this week about a number of topics, including how booze impacted his life and career
Eye on the prize: Affleck told the paper that he keeps a positive mindset in moving forward amid life’s ups and downs
Starting five: The A-list actor posed with his four young co-stars in the film
Staying focused: Affleck said of dealing with adversity, ‘You’ve got to pick yourself up, learn from it, learn some more, try to move forward’
The Argo star would go on to enter a rehabilitation facility for alcohol addiction in August of 2018, saying, ‘I am fighting for myself and my family,’ in a social media post two months later about his efforts to remain sober.
He suffered a slip this past fall when he was snapped outside of Unicef’s Masquerade ball at the La Peer Hotel in West Hollywood, California, appearing inebriated, using nearby vehicles to stay upright in a clip posted on TMZ.
In visiting Garner’s home the following day last October, Affleck told the outlet he’d do his best to move forward from the mistake, saying: ‘It happens, you slip, and I’m not gonna let it derail me.’
He has been persistent in his efforts to battle alcohol addiction with multiple stints in rehab over the past 20 years. He spent 30 days in rehab at Promises in Malibu in July of 2001, with Charlie Sheen personally taking him there, People reported.
Fired up: The film is a sports drama in which Affleck plays a high school basketball coach fighting alcoholism
Poignant: In his new film The Way Back, Affleck plays Jack Cunningham, a high school basketball coach fighting alcoholism
Speaking with The Hollywood Reporter in 2012 about the stint, he said, ‘I went to rehab for being 29 and partying too much and not having a lot of boundaries and to clear my head and try to get some idea of who I wanted to be … it was more a “let me get myself straight” before it became a rite of passage.’
Following his 2004 wedding to Garner, there were no reported stints of rehab for Affleck until March of 2017, when he said that he underwent 40 days in rehab in an effort to be ‘the best father’ he can be.
‘I want my kids to know there is no shame in getting help when you need it, and to be a source of strength for anyone out there who needs help but is afraid to take the first step,’ he said in a Facebook post about it at the time. ‘I’m lucky to have the love of my family and friends, including my co-parent, Jen, who has supported me and cared for our kids as I’ve done the work I set out to do. This was the first of many steps being taken towards a positive recovery.’
The Way Back opens in theaters March 6.