Ben Affleck made an incredibly brief cameo in the original Buffy the Vampire Slayer movie and has spoken about why his one line was dubbed. Released in 1992, the comedy-horror was met with lackluster reviews from critics and the final product diverged considerably from what screenwriter Joss Whedon had envisioned. Of course, he would later receive a second chance at depicting Buffy Summers' story, with the acclaimed television series taking on a darker, more mature tone and airing from 1997-2003.
Although far removed from Sarah Michelle Gellar’s iconic portrayal, the film version of Buffy the Vampire Slayer follows the same core premise. High schooler Buffy’s (Kristy Swanson) life is irreparably changed when the mysterious Merrick (Donald Sutherland) reveals she is the Chosen One, destined to battle the undead. The movie sees the hero tackle local vampire king Lothos (Rutger Hauer), culminating in an attack during the school dance.
Buffy the Vampire Slayer boasts roles for many famous faces, including Luke Perry, Hilary Swank, and David Arquette. However, Affleck also appears as a high school basketball player. It’s a performance that can easily go unnoticed, not just for its brevity, but because his one line was dubbed. Speaking on The Jess Cagle Show on SiriusXM, Affleck humorously claimed, “I’m so bad in that movie." He thinks this is why his performance was essentially ripped out of the feature but didn't learn of this development until after its release.
Affleck’s uncredited role can be seen during a basketball game, wherein one of the students has been transformed into a vampire and scares future Batman actor Ben Affleck into handing him the ball. Per Affleck, "I had one line. It was "Take it", I think." This isn’t even spoken by him in the final version. Affleck describes how he simply had to look scared during the scene and provided what he considered to be an adequate line delivery, adding that “the director seemed happy”. He never received tickets to the premiere, so went to see the film himself, and discovered his performance was changed. He recalls, “That is not my voice. That is not me. Apparently, the director hated my performance so much that she looped the entire performance.” This is just speculation on Affleck’s part, albeit he could very well be correct. It’s unclear why Buffy the Vampire Slayer director Fran Rubel Kuzui chose to dub an extra's single line of dialogue, especially considering Affleck is only onscreen for a few seconds.
It’s difficult to imagine Affleck’s delivery being so bad it was deemed unusable, but at least he’s able to joke about the embarrassing experience. The cameo is rather funny, largely due to his expression of utter disgust as opposed to actual terror. Affleck isn’t necessarily the best at hiding his lack of enthusiasm for a role, which he has joked about regarding Armageddon and Pearl Harbor. However, this was at the very start of Affleck’s film career, and the Buffy the Vampire Slayer movie was hardly a strong opportunity to showcase his skills. The same year, he played a small supporting role in School Ties, acting opposite The Mummy star Brendan Fraser and close friend Matt Damon. He then landed a larger role in Dazed and Confused, before 1997's Good Will Hunting, which he co-wrote with Damon, became a huge success.
It’s amusing to consider the two-time Oscar winner was once so terrible his fleeting appearance had to be dubbed with another actor. Ben Affleck is now a highly respected actor and director, with many clamoring for him to return as the Dark Knight after his supporting role in 2022's The Flash. Still, it’s reassuring to hear he hasn’t forgotten his humble beginnings in Buffy the Vampire Slayer.