Ben Affleck Says Food Poisoning Made Armageddon’s Most Emotional Scene Even Harder to Film

Ben Affleck has shared a surprising behind-the-scenes story from his time making Armageddon, revealing that he had severe food poisoning while filming one of the movie’s most emotional moments.

The 1998 sci-fi blockbuster, directed by Michael Bay, was one of Affleck’s first major studio films. It also paired him with a high-profile ensemble cast led by Bruce Willis.

Speaking recently to Fox 32 Chicago, Affleck recalled that he fell seriously ill on the day he filmed the scene where Willis’ character, Harry S. Stamper, sacrifices himself by switching places with Affleck’s A.J. Frost to save Earth from an oncoming asteroid.

“When we shot that scene, I had food poisoning,” Affleck said. At the time, he was still a young actor and didn’t realize he could call in sick. “I wasn’t experienced enough to know you can just say, ‘I’m too sick to work today.’ I thought, ‘I better come in.’”

Once on set, his condition worsened. Affleck said he was vomiting between takes, with a garbage can kept nearby. Laughing about it now, he joked that the physical misery may have actually helped the scene feel more intense on screen.

Despite the rough experience, Affleck looks back fondly on the film. He praised Willis for being kind and professional, saying the late actor was “really nice to everybody.” He also appreciated the chance to work alongside such a large and talented cast.

The film also starred Billy Bob Thornton, Steve Buscemi, Owen Wilson, Michael Clarke Duncan, Will Patton, and Liv Tyler, who played Grace Stamper, Harry’s daughter and A.J.’s love interest.

Affleck recently reunited with Buscemi at the premiere of his new film The Rip. The two actors ended up reminiscing about Armageddon and how unusual the experience was. Affleck described it as a “weird, kind of wonderful, strange, otherworldly” production unlike anything they had done before.

Earlier this year, Affleck also revisited the film during an appearance on Criterion’s Closet Picks. There, he humorously declared that his DVD commentary for Armageddon might actually be the best work of his career.

“I didn’t know any better than to be really honest,” he said, adding that fans still approach him about the commentary as often as they do about his movies. Looking back, he called it an unintentional achievement—one he remains proud of decades later.

More than 25 years after its release, Armageddon clearly still holds a special, if slightly nauseating, place in Affleck’s career.