Instead of using his airtime on ABC’s “Nightline” to promote a new film or clothing line actor Ben Affleck will be shining the spotlight on the humanitarian crisis in the Congo.
The 35-year-old Academy Award winner took a “Nightline” crew on his recent fact-finding mission to Africa. And with the help of the ABC late-night news show he now hopes to spread the word on a story that gets relatively little notice in the United States.
Affleck’s video essay on life in the Congo airs 11:35 p.m. Thursday on ABC.
Produces say when you tune in you will see a side of Affleck that most movie fans don’t realize exists. The actor has reportedly been to the Congo three times in the past year. He said his goal was to learn about the war and hunger that has ravaged the area and killed thousands of people per month in the past decade.
Enter “Nightline.”
Affleck’s publicist reportedly approached the ABC news show with the idea of making the handsome actor a correspondent and having camera crews document his journey to the impoverished country. The idea: use Affleck’s celebrity status to generate interest by the outside world and help those in need.
“It’s fairly clear that in the modern age that there is a currency to celebrity, or celebrity is a currency, really,” Affleck reporters. “I’ve discovered that you can spend it in a lot of ways, or you can squander it. You can be taxed, as well. I really started thinking long and hard about how to use that currency as long as I had it.”
“Nightline” producers say Affleck isn’t acting as a reporter, per say; rather the goal was to get him to present the story as a personal journey as he met with survivors of the conflict, relief officials and even some warlords.
Despite his passion to aid those affected by conflict and poverty, Affleck admitted to reporters that his one “Nightline” piece isn’t likely to change much. However, the actor adds that his goal is to spread the word and hope that people in the United States can identify with some people who are suffering.
“Perhaps then they could be moved to help,” Affleck noted.
What’s your take on celebrities lending their famous names and faces to causes like this?