Ben Affleck‘s attempts to use Instagram ended unexpectedly, despite his lack of interest in becoming a social media star. The Animals actor revealed that the platform banned him twice for a surprising reason.
In an interview with Variety, Affleck said Instagram banned him twice when he attempted to create an account under his own name. His account had only six followers, who were his children and some of his friends. He admitted, “I got banned from Instagram twice for impersonating myself.”
The 54-year-old star said that he created the account mainly to keep up with his children’s online activity. He explained, “It was just an excuse for me to look at [my kids’] social media accounts.” The failed attempts explain why the Good Will Hunting star has little interest in maintaining a public profile online.
Ben Affleck explains why he values his privacy over social media
In the same interview, Affleck discussed how social media has changed the way audiences engage with actors. He explained why performers should maintain a distinction between their public personas and private lives.
The actor said, “There used to be a time when everything you said or did wasn’t on the permanent record. As you get older, you become aware of what that means. I experienced the whole world and had a whole life in private. I have a real sense of how valuable that is.”
Affleck also argued that audiences do not need access to actors’ everyday lives to appreciate their work. He named Daniel Day-Lewis, Meryl Streep, Viola Davis, and Denzel Washington as brilliant performers. He then explained, “I realize I sound like an old, out-of-touch person, but I believe that as an actor you have to maintain an illusion.”
The former Batman star also addressed the pressure Hollywood places on actors to build online followings. He told Variety that casting directors view actors’ social media followings as a meaningful metric. However, he admitted he would be “a terrible influencer,” clarifying that building an online following does not appeal to him.
Originally reported on ComingSoon.net.
