George Clooney says Ben Affleck has ‘been through the ringer’ but deserves another Oscar

‘He knows what it’s like to be at the top of the game, and he also has had some rough patches’

George Clooney has spoken out in praise of Ben Affleck, who he says has “been through the ringer”.

He also claimed that Affleck deserves to win an Oscar for his turn in The Tender Bar, which was directed by Clooney.

Speaking to Deadline about the Gone Girl star, Clooney said: “You know, Ben’s been through the ringer. He’s been as high as you could get. He stood on the stage and won a couple of Oscars.

“He knows what it’s like to be at the top of the game, and he also has had some rough patches.”

Affleck has spoken openly about his struggles with alcoholism in the past, and underwent a divorce (from the actor Jennifer Garner) in 2018.

Clooney continued: “Some of [his rough patches], as he has said many times, self-inflicted, but he’s a fighter, and he’s been out there, and he showed up on this one in such a big way and in such a gracious way.

“He’s been doing it for a bit, and it’s fun to see the reactions towards him, and it’d be lovely if the same sort of attention was carried on [to the Oscars]. I think he would deserve it.”

The Tender Bar is available to stream now on Amazon Prime Video.