Affleck addresses Grammy memes
Ben Affleck knows he’s meme material and doesn’t seem to mind.
In a cover story for the Hollywood Reporter published Thursday, the actor and director opened up about his new production company, his family life and his appearance at the 65th Grammy Awards that resurrected those “sadfleck” memes.
“I had a good time at the Grammys,” he told the Hollywood Reporter in a wide-ranging interview. “My wife was going, and I thought, ‘Well, there’ll be good music. It might be fun.’ ”
On Feb. 5, the Oscar winner joined his wife, Jennifer Lopez, at the annual music celebration, held in Los Angeles. Viewers spotted Affleck in the background, seemingly disengaged during host Trevor Noah’s monologues.
One viewer said that Affleck looked “miserable” while the Chicks in the Office account urged, “Someone please check on Ben Affleck #GRAMMYs.”
Affleck told the Hollywood Reporter that he was hoping to get away from the spotlight when Noah came around for one of his monologues, but that Lopez told him, “you better … not leave.”
“That’s a husband-andwife thing,” he added.
The actor said he’s no stranger to being labeled “bored” or “drunk” at awards shows. However, he wasn’t a fan when some Twitter users accused him of being drunk at the Grammys. Affleck has been vocal about his struggles with addiction and alcoholism,
“I thought, ‘That’s interesting,’ ” he said. “That raises a whole other thing about whether or not it’s wise to acknowledge addiction because there’s a lot of compassion, but there is still a tremendous stigma, which is often quite inhibiting.”
Elsewhere in the interview, Affleck said “the best part” of being public about his struggles with addiction is that “sometimes people call me up and they’re like, ‘Hey can you help me out?’ ”
“And it makes me feel so good to do that,” he said.
Musician Palmer subject of documentary:
Country music artist Rissi Palmer is the subject of a new PBS American Masters documentary, “Rissi Palmer: Still Here,” which premieres Friday.
Palmer became the first
African American woman to chart a country song in 20 years when her single “Country Girl” peaked at No. 54 on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart in 2007. She is one of only five African American women to ever hit the Billboard charts in the history of country music.
In the new PBS documentary, Palmer is working on an upcoming album “all while managing family life and one of the busiest professional years she has had in a decade,” according to a news release.
In addition to her recording career, Palmer hosts an Apple Music radio show, “Color Me Country,” which celebrates other Black, Indigenous and Latinx artists.
The Palmer documentary is part of an American Masters short series called “In the Making,” according to a news release from PBS.
March 20 birthdays: Actor Hal Linden is 92. Musician Ranger Doug is 77. Drummer Carl Palmer is 73. Actor Vanessa Bell Calloway is 66. Director Spike Lee is 66. Actor Holly Hunter is 65. Model Kathy Ireland is 60. Actor Michael Rapaport is 53. Actor Cedric Yarbrough is 50. Actor Bianca Lawson is 44. Actor Ruby Rose is 37.