The buck had to stop with me: Casey

Casey Affleck opens up on the behaviour on the sets of a film that he had produced

It was an unprofessional environment... I contributed to that unprofessional environment and I tolerated that kind of behaviour from other people and I wish that I hadn’t... And I’m sorry.

CASEY AFFLECK ACTOR, DIRECTOR, PRODUCER

Casey Affleck has been mostly absent from the public eye for the past year, but in the wake of the #MeToo and Time’s Up movements and with a new film coming out this autumn, he is addressing lingering questions about earlier harassment allegations.

The 42-year-old actor, producer and director is taking responsibility for the atmosphere on the sets of I’m Still Here (2010, starring Joaquin Phoenix) that led to civil lawsuits from two women who worked on the film. He also spoke to AP about what he has learned from the #MeToo conversations and what he is doing at his production company to bring new voices into Hollywood. “It was an unprofessional environment ... the buck had to stop with me being one of the producers and I have to accept responsibility for that,” Affleck said on the making of I’m Still Here, which he produced and directed.

During Affleck’s Oscar for Best Actor campaign for Manchester By the Sea in 2016 — he won the Academy Award — the spotlight was turned back on the civil lawsuits filed by a cinematographer and a producer who worked on I’m Still Here for breach of contract. One of the women also sued for sexual harassment, and both described an uncomfortable atmosphere on the sets of the mockumentary on Phoenix.

“I contributed to that unprofessional environment and I tolerated that kind of behaviour from other people and I wish that I hadn’t,” said Affleck, adding, “And I’m sorry.” Although the lawsuits were settled out of court, Affleck’s name in 2016 and 2017 became associated with a long list of men who have abused power in Hollywood.

While Affleck has addressed the lawsuits, including in an AP interview from July 2017 , he also has not spoken publicly since #MeToo and Time’s Up overtook the Hollywood culture 10 months ago. In that time, Affleck also opted out of presenting the Best Actress award at the Oscars — traditionally, the responsibility of the previous year’s Best Actor winner. Instead, Jodie Foster and Jennifer Lawrence handed the trophy to this year’s winner Frances McDormand.

“I think it was the right thing to do, just given everything that was going on in our culture,” Affleck said. “And having two incredible women go present the Best Actress award felt like the right thing.” Affleck said that he has been learning a lot in the past few years, listening to the conversation and has moved away from a place of defensiveness to one of finding his own culpability. “I know just enough to know that in general I need to keep my mouth shut and listen and try to figure out what’s going on and be a supporter and a follower in the little, teeny tiny ways that I can.”

PHOTO: AP/PTI Actordirectorproducer Casey Affleck was caught up in a sexual harassment controversy, and now he says that he has learnt something from the #MeToo conversations