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"RE-RELEASE: Ben Affleck" artwork

"RE-RELEASE: Ben Affleck"

SmartLess

October 8, 2026

Ben Affleck comes to us from his lair to let down his hair, talk about Air, splitting incomes as a pair, how long-lasting friendships are rare, and filmmaking fare vedere. So listen to this episode… um… if you dare. This episode was originally released on 4/3/2023.

Speakers Jason Bateman, Will Arnett, Sean P. Hayes, Ben Affleck

TopicsComedyEducation

Jason Bateman (0:05)

Well, you know, I just can't get enough of that opening song. I just think it's just great.

Will Arnett (0:10)

It's under our voices right now. Can you hear it right under us?

Jason Bateman (0:12)

Right, yeah, it just kind of gets me going.

Will Arnett (0:14)

Oh, I'm being real buoyed by it.

Jason Bateman (0:16)

I know, it's super fun. Well, you always call me a robot. It's kind of like my little theme song, right?

Will Arnett (0:20)

Yeah, it is like a little robot theme, but it's playing underneath us right now. It's going to kick in in a second. Kick it in.

Jason Bateman (0:27)

Kick it in.

Sean P. Hayes (0:28)

Three, two, one.

Jason Bateman (0:48)

Now, so we had a little record earlier today, and now we're having our second record. There was a gap in between where lunch usually sits, and I always, whenever this happens, I'd love to know what Sean had.

Sean P. Hayes (0:58)

Oh, good. I had chicken curry with rice and cauliflower and sweet potatoes, and then I had a huge bowl of ice cream after.

Will Arnett (1:08)

Wait, you had chicken curry with rice?

Jason Bateman (1:10)

Yeah.

Will Arnett (1:12)

I did not know that, Chef, we already made that. That's funny.

Jason Bateman (1:16)

That's new.

Sean P. Hayes (1:17)

But you see, I didn't change. I'm still in my SmartLess merch shirt.

Jason Bateman (1:21)

Yeah. SmartLess merch. There's some good stuff in there.

I guess I shouldn't be surprised because we looked at it all before it went in there.

Sean P. Hayes (1:27)

Let me tell you something. I slept in this. shopsmartless.com. It's the best stuff.

Jason Bateman (1:31)

It's Sleepable Soft.

Will Arnett (1:32)

Is that what it is? Wait, is it shopsmartless.com for real?

Sean P. Hayes (1:34)

shopsmartless.com, yeah.

Jason Bateman (1:36)

What's it again? Sorry, Sean. What'd you say?

Sean P. Hayes (1:38)

shopsmartless.com. It's great. I'm telling you, you sleep in the sweats, you put the hat on when you roll out of bed. It's great.

Will Arnett (1:45)

Who, did you design the blanket, those big heavy blankets? You did, right?

Sean P. Hayes (1:51)

I did design them, but I, what's that?

Will Arnett (1:53)

You wanted the heavy blanket.

Sean P. Hayes (1:54)

I wanted the heavy blanket because I have an issue with a throw blanket. A throw blanket covers one leg. So I never understood the function of a throw blanket.

Will Arnett (2:02)

No, I'm saying I like it because it's weighty.

Sean P. Hayes (2:05)

Yeah, it's weighty and it's big. It covers your whole body.

Will Arnett (2:07)

And it's like, what do you call it?

Jason Bateman (2:11)

Warm?

Will Arnett (2:12)

Fleece? Like fleece, I guess?

Jason Bateman (2:13)

Is it fleece?

Sean P. Hayes (2:14)

By the way, you know what I did?

Will Arnett (2:16)

Oh, that's Fleeing Whisperer, yeah, that's going to be...

Sean P. Hayes (2:18)

For Scotty, I got him a surprise. I got John Williams, the composer, to sign a page of the ET score for Scotty.

Jason Bateman (2:29)

How'd you do that?

Sean P. Hayes (2:31)

A friend of mine knows, is friends with his daughter, and then we just kind of made it happen.

Jason Bateman (2:36)

Are you guys good at that? Are you good? It sounds like you are, Sean, where you sort of like you remember what your friend or partner or kid or whatever really loves, and you work on it for a few months, and you get the perfect gift. Like, do you do that? I love doing that.

Will Arnett (2:53)

Yeah.

Jason Bateman (2:54)

Really?

Sean P. Hayes (2:54)

Yeah.

Jason Bateman (2:54)

Hey, Will, you don't need to go up high like everybody in the world does it except you, Jason.

Will Arnett (3:01)

I don't do it, so that's why.

Jason Bateman (3:03)

Yeah, exactly.

Sean P. Hayes (3:04)

It's true.

Jason Bateman (3:06)

Will's very good at throwing money at a gift.

Will Arnett (3:08)

Of course, Sean and I am very good at that.

Jason Bateman (3:11)

You're very good at that. Whereas, Sean, you'll do sort of a sentimental thing, or I remember you said in July that what you wanted for Christmas was...

Sean P. Hayes (3:18)

That's right. Like, I clocked last year for Maple's birthday, she just mentioned that she loved skateboarding, so I got her a certificate for a skateboarding thing.

Jason Bateman (3:30)

Yes, and we went and spent the hell out of that. Did you?

Will Arnett (3:33)

That's how she broke all her teeth, remember? Thanks, Sean.

Remember that time she broke her arm and all her teeth came out? She had to spit her teeth out.

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