Ben Affleck recently spoke with The Hollywood Reporter about his latest film, Air, which centers around the historic commercial agreement between Nike and basketball legend Michael Jordan.
Despite the film revolving around Jordan, he does not appear, and the actor who portrays him, Damian Young, is never shown frontally. Affleck explained that this was a deliberate choice as he believed it would be difficult for the audience to suspend their disbelief if they saw an actor playing Michael Jordan.
Ben Affleck Explains Why Michael Jordan Isn’t in ‘Air’
Affleck felt that no one was convincing enough to portray the legendary player other than Jordan himself. Instead, the film portrays Jordan as existing in the ether, only being mentioned by other characters in the movie.
Affleck believes this approach is similar to the experience of sports stars and celebrities in modern life, as most people go their entire lives without ever meeting or seeing their favorite sports star or celebrity.
Affleck explained that it would work better if the audience brought everything they remembered about Michael Jordan into the film.
Affleck also discussed his approach to working with Michael Jordan on the film. He explained that Jordan was involved in the project from the beginning and was very open to discussing his experiences with Nike and his memories of the time.
Affleck was thrilled to have Jordan’s input on the project, stating that working with one of his childhood heroes was a dream come true.
