Ben Affleck Says Line Dancing in ‘The Accountant 2’ Was Like Doing Stunt Work During SXSW Premiere: ‘Tom Cruise Has Nothing on Me’

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Move over, Tom Cruise — there’s a new stuntman in town.

Instead, we could say: In “The Accountant 2”, Ben Affleck once again portrays Christian Wolff, an autistic criminal with a genius for mathematics. During a specific scene, his acting left the Texas audience at SXSW in fits of laughter and standing ovations.

Chris often has trouble with women, as shown by his initial awkward encounter at a speed dating event. However, an evening at a country bar takes an unexpected turn when a woman starts to flirt with him. Initially, he fumbles the interaction while sitting with his brother Braxton (Jon Bernthal), but later finds rhythm in the line dancing crowd. Despite wearing orthopedic sneakers instead of cowboy boots, Chris quickly catches on to the dance moves and even manages to get a phone number by the end of the night.

This version maintains the original meaning and flow while providing a more natural and easy-to-read rephrasing.

Affleck admitted that his struggle was all the time he invested in learning to line dance, which he considered a bit of fun for him. He jokingly claimed that Tom Cruise had nothing on him in this area. As the crowd laughed at his joke, he modestly clarified, ‘I mean, in terms of line dancing.’

During the post-screening Q&A, everyone seemed to be buzzing about Ben Affleck’s performance, which made for some great conversation. Later on, as Director Gavin O’Connor kindly asked us not to give away any spoilers online, Ben jokingly chimed in, “Please, keep my nude scene a secret.” Intriguingly, Gavin shared that there was indeed a nude scene, but it ended up on the cutting room floor. Apparently, Ben had been perfecting his line dance moves in front of a mirror for this part! When asked about it, Ben proudly declared, “It was my decision to go for it, and I have no regrets!

Bernthal expressed his enthusiasm about collaborating with Affleck in the sequel, as “The Accountant” didn’t provide much interaction between the adult characters, but delved into their childhoods. He admires Affleck deeply, stating, “Ben is a hero of mine; I greatly respect him because he’s equally an outstanding individual and an exceptional artist.” Working with Affleck, he said, was effortless compared to his usual struggles during filmmaking, as he described the experience as “very easy.

In contrast to the first movie, “The Accountant 2” introduces multiple actors with autism. When Claudette Godfrey, head of SXSW Film and TV, asked about raising the bar in casting, producer Lynette Howell Taylor explained, “When we have a chance to break down barriers for fresh talent, particularly neurodiverse individuals who may not often get a chance to shine, why wouldn’t we seize that opportunity? These actors bring a unique, real-life perspective. Their individual experiences enriched the characters and sparked ideas we might not have thought of otherwise.”

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Unlike the original film, “The Accountant 2” employs several autistic actors. When asked about raising the bar in casting by Claudette Godfrey from SXSW Film and TV, producer Lynette Howell Taylor replied, “When we can remove barriers for new talent, especially those who are neurodiverse and may not usually have a platform to showcase their abilities, why wouldn’t we do it? These actors offer a genuine, firsthand perspective. Their unique stories added depth to the characters and inspired ideas that we would never have considered on our own.

One of the actors was Allison Robertson, who first appeared in a movie as Justine. This character is employed at Harbor Neuroscience Institute, where she provides forensic instruction to children with autism.

Robertson stated that this introduction to what’s often called Hollywood was simply unparalleled. She didn’t rely on an agent but rather pursued the role independently, which she referred to as self-submitting. Furthermore, she found it particularly significant that they picked her based on her unique qualities, rather than any other routes she could have taken.

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2025-03-09 09:46