Kerry Washington wanted to do her homework before stepping onto the set of Ben Affleck’s new Netflix thriller, Animals. Before filming began, the actress reached out to Viola Davis for an honest account of what it was like working with Affleck as a director.
Washington shared the story during a lighthearted Netflix interview with Affleck about their first collaboration. When asked what surprised her most about him, she admitted, “I was like, ‘Oh, I could be friends with this person. He’s, like, a nice person.’”
Affleck, however, already knew Washington had done some investigating before they began working together.
“I love that you told me later on that you called around and checked up on me,” Affleck said.
“I called Viola Davis,” Washington responded. “I was like, ‘Give me the skinny. How was it? How was your time on Air? Was he great? Was he terrible? How’d it go?’”
Davis apparently gave Affleck a positive review. “Viola said nice things,” Washington told him before adding, “You’re lucky.”
Davis worked closely with Affleck on the 2023 sports drama Air, which he directed, produced and starred in as Nike co-founder Phil Knight. Davis portrayed Deloris Jordan, the mother of basketball legend Michael Jordan. Jordan personally requested Davis for the role after Affleck consulted him about the film.
Washington had even more reason to seek an honest assessment before joining Animals. Affleck stars as Mark Kimball, a financially struggling Los Angeles mayoral candidate whose carefully planned campaign falls apart after his son is kidnapped. Washington plays his wife, Abigail, a therapist with secrets of her own, as the couple desperately tries to raise the ransom.
Once filming began, their working relationship grew increasingly collaborative. Affleck credited Washington with changing his approach to an intimate scene involving a coordinator.
“You really took me aside, and you explained to me how to use this in a way that actually allowed for and created much more freedom and latitude,” he told her.
Washington explained that the process involved establishing “shared boundaries” and “shared rules” before the actors began filming. “You’ve built the dance floor, and now you can dance on it,” she said.
Affleck admitted that the conversation gave him a new perspective. “I remember that day going like, ‘Whoa. I really have a lot that I can learn from this person,’” he recalled.
Washington’s emphasis on establishing clear boundaries also carries added significance following her experience filming Django Unchained. Jamie Foxx recently revealed that Quentin Tarantino’s original script included a scene in which both Django and Broomhilda were raped.
According to Foxx, he and Washington pushed to have the scene removed because “movies are forever” and they wanted to protect her as she prepared to take on the role of Olivia Pope in Scandal.
