Kerry Washington has revealed that she initially approached Ben Affleck’s new thriller Animals with some scepticism after he told her the film would meaningfully explore marriage.
The former Scandal star admitted that actresses are sometimes assured their characters will be important, only to discover that the script gives them little substance.
However, Washington said her concerns disappeared when she read the screenplay and discovered that her character’s deeply troubled marriage was central to the story.
“Sometimes, as a woman, you hear that, and you’re like, ‘I bet not,’” Washington said of Affleck’s promise to explore the relationship.
She joked that filmmakers sometimes make such claims because they want an actress to believe her character matters.
A marriage already falling apart
Animals follows Los Angeles mayoral candidate Mark Kimball, played by Affleck, and his wife, Abigail, portrayed by Washington.
Their lives are thrown into turmoil when they receive a telephone call claiming that their son has been kidnapped and demanding a $7 million ransom.
As the couple desperately tries to save him, secrets and betrayals begin surfacing, placing their already deteriorating marriage under even greater pressure.
Washington said she was fascinated by the fact that Mark and Abigail were not presented as a happily married couple suddenly facing a crisis.
Instead, she described their relationship as having a “pretty horrible dynamic” before the kidnapping even occurs.
“It was exciting to see the journey of their marriage through this traumatic unfolding of events,” she explained.
Ben Affleck’s creative approach
Washington also praised Affleck’s work as both a director and co-star, describing him as someone who creates an environment in which actors can be vulnerable and take creative risks.
The cast reportedly spent a full week rehearsing before filming began — an opportunity Washington described as unusual and valuable.
She said the rehearsals allowed her and Affleck to examine their characters’ relationship and build the complicated history between them before cameras started rolling.
Washington had previously known Affleck socially through Hollywood events but had never worked with him.
She has since described him as a “visionary” and a genuine actor’s director who understands the demands placed upon performers.
Jennifer Garner was originally considered
The role of Abigail was reportedly originally intended for Affleck’s former wife, Jennifer Garner, while Matt Damon was expected to play Mark.
The project was later reworked after Damon became unavailable because of his commitment to The Odyssey.
Affleck stepped into the leading role himself, while Garner reportedly decided that playing his on-screen wife could bring distracting real-life “baggage” to the film.
Washington was subsequently cast as Abigail, bringing a different dimension to the marriage and the political world surrounding the couple.
Animals also stars Steven Yeun, Gillian Anderson, Adriana Paz, Luis Gerardo Méndez and Ray Fisher.
The crime thriller is now available to stream on Netflix.
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