Ben Affleck said he is not considering a run for public office, describing political life as unappealing and saying he has become disillusioned with the political system.
In an interview with Variety while promoting “Animals,” Affleck said serving as a politician seemed “terrible” and “tawdry.” The film features him as a candidate for Los Angeles mayor. He also declined to say whom he supports in the city’s mayoral contest, saying he wanted to remain neutral until the movie is released.
Affleck told “Good Morning America” that public expectations of politicians have fallen, and said people across party lines feel the system is not working well. He said portraying a mayoral candidate made him consider the demands of campaigning, including constant fundraising.
He described a promotional stunt in which he and the actor playing his campaign manager wore shirts and hats bearing his character’s name and told people in Los Angeles that he was running for mayor. Affleck said some people responded with interest and asked for photos; he joked, “Do not vote for me for mayor!”
In another interview, with USA Today, Affleck called holding office an “awful job” and said he was “so disillusioned with the system and with politics and politicians.” He attributed his aversion to what he described as “hypocrisy, corruption and failure,” and criticized a political culture he said gives too much weight to money, sound bites and personal attacks.
Affleck has previously campaigned for political candidates, including Al Gore and Barack Obama. His comments were made in the context of promoting “Animals,” which he described as exploring moral compromise and the pressures people face when their interests conflict with their principles.
