Ben Affleck has revealed that he battled food poisoning while filming one of Armageddon‘s most pivotal moments, forcing him to vomit between takes opposite Bruce Willis.
The 1998 disaster epic required Affleck to shoot the emotional scene in which Willis’ character, Harry S. Stamper, swaps places with Affleck’s A.J. Frost on the asteroid. Affleck told Jonathan P. Miller for News Of Los Angeles that he showed up despite being violently ill because he didn’t yet understand he could call in sick.
“When we shot that scene, I had food poisoning. I wasn’t an experienced enough actor at that point to know that you can just pick up the phone and be like, ‘I’m too sick to work today.’ I’m like, ‘I better come in.’ So I went and I was literally – it’s the only time it’s ever happened in my life – vomiting between takes,” he recalled.
The crew placed a garbage can just off-camera so Affleck could throw up repeatedly. “They had a garbage can and I was [vomiting between takes]. And it probably made the scene better,” he laughed.
At a Glance
- Ben Affleck filmed a key Armageddon scene while suffering from food poisoning
- He vomited between takes because he didn’t know he could call in sick
- The experience left a lasting impression on the young actor
- Why it matters: The anecdote highlights the grueling reality of early-career film shoots
A Lasting Bond With the Cast
Affleck shared that the film left an outsized impact on him, largely because of the chance to work alongside veteran performers. He recently reunited with co-star Steve Buscemi at the premiere for The Rip and the two reminisced about the “weirdest, kind of wonderful, strange, otherworldly movie experience” that neither had encountered before or since.
“I actually saw Steve Buscemi last night at the premiere for The Rip, and we were reminiscing about that movie and thinking about how that was the weirdest, kind of wonderful, strange, otherworldly movie experience that neither one of us had any experience with anything like it,” he said.
Both actors remembered feeling lucky to share the set with a blockbuster ensemble led by Willis, who was “really nice to everybody.”
Producer Praises Willis’ Generosity
Producer Jerry Bruckheimer echoed those memories, telling News Of Los Angeles that Willis consistently looked out for the crew. “Bruce is such a good guy. He was so generous to the crew,” Bruckheimer said.
At the end of each production week, Willis contributed substantial cash to on-set raffles. “They’d have drawings, and he’d throw a lot of money in the hat, and the crew members would always take away some nice extra cash at the end of the week, whoever won,” Bruckheimer recalled, calling Willis a “giving guy” and a “good friend.”
Willis’ Career-Ending Diagnosis
Willis retired from acting in March 2022 after his family announced he was “stepping away” following an aphasia diagnosis that was “impacting his cognitive abilities. Roughly a year later, wife Emma Heming Willis revealed the 68-year-old star had progressed to frontotemporal dementia (FTD).
The disclosure ended a decades-long career that included iconic roles in Die Hard, Pulp Fiction, and, of course, Armageddon.
Key Takeaways
- Ben Affleck powered through food poisoning during a crucial Armageddon scene, unaware he could request a sick day
- The grueling shoot forged lasting friendships among the cast
- Bruce Willis was remembered for his kindness and generosity toward crew members
- Willis’ 2022 aphasia diagnosis and subsequent frontotemporal dementia diagnosis forced his retirement
