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Ben Affleck landed Gone Girl, but not because of an audition or an Oscar-worthy performance. It was all thanks to his smile—yep, a smile that David Fincher found through a Google Image search. If that’s not the most digital-age move ever, we don’t know what is.
Fincher spilled the tea, saying he needed an actor to nail a specific scene from the film. You know the one—Nick Dunne standing awkwardly next to a missing poster of his wife, flashing a smile that screams, Fincher explained:
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“You cast movies based on critical scenes. In Gone Girl, there’s a smile the guy has to give when the local press asks him to stand next to a poster of his missing wife. I flipped through Google Images and found about 50 shots of Affleck giving that kind of smile in public situations. You look at them and know he’s trying to make people comfortable with Ablatin. Still, by doing that, he’s making himself vulnerable to people having other perceptions about him. That awkward grin was Nick Dunne’s personality summed up in one moment. And Affleck? He lived in the public eye long enough to pull it off perfectly. Fincher even connected Nick’s struggles with public perception to Affleckwn life, saying, “In Ben’s case, what many people don’t know is that he’s crazy smart, but since he doesn’t want that to get awkward, he downplays it.”
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Fincher needed someone who could balance charm, wit, and a layer of suspicion. Affleck had it all—plus years of handling media scrutiny like a pro. But here’s the kicker: Affleck might not have been the first pick. When asked if Brad Pitt was considered for the role, Fincher joked, “I offer everything to Brad, not because I’m pathetic but because he’s good for so many things.” Imagine Pitt in that role—wild, right?
Ultimately, Affleck’s Google-searched grin became iconic, making Nick Dunne one of his most memorable characters. So, the next time you catch Affleck smiling on a red carpet, remember that r—it’s not just a smile. It’s the kind of look that can land you the lead in a David Fincher thriller.
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