Ben Affleck has worn many hats in his Hollywood career — as an Oscar-winning writer, director, and star of films like Argo, Gone Girl, and Good Will Hunting. But one of his most beloved, and perhaps most quietly impactful, roles came in 2016 with The Accountant, where he portrayed Christian Wolff, a brilliant autistic math savant who moonlights as a forensic accountant for dangerous criminal organizations.
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The film earned Affleck critical praise, box office success, and even a nomination for the Jupiter Award for Best International Actor. Now, nearly a decade later, The Accountant 2 has reignited that admiration — this time, with praise coming from one very vocal fan: Jason Kelce.
On a recent episode of the New Heights podcast, the former NFL center and Eagles legend applauded Affleck for how authentically he played a character on the autism spectrum.
“You can tell that you guys put so much time and effort into doing that properly,” Jason told Affleck during the show.
“Showcasing tools for how people who are on the spectrum deal with too much stimulus going on, what are different traits, how do they communicate… my wife (Kylie Kelce) works with kids on the spectrum. We do a lot of stuff in the autism community, and I’d be remiss if I didn’t say how awesome you do at that,” Jason added.
Kelce’s praise came from a deeply personal place, and Ben Affleck didn’t take it for granted. Visibly moved, the actor explained that authenticity had been at the core of his approach from the very beginning.
“The goal is authenticity, respect, empathy, and understanding,” Affleck said. “I did a lot of research for the first one, but I got really lucky in the years between. I developed very close relationships with people very much like my character. They enriched my life.”
Affleck went on to say that through those relationships with such special individuals, he came to appreciate the beauty, honesty, and emotional depth within the autism community — qualities he wanted to bring to the screen. “It’s just a slightly different way of seeing the world. And I really wanted people to feel that.”
The Accountant 2, released in April 2025, has grossed over $68 million globally and holds a 77% positive rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Critics have lauded the sequel for leaning more into the relationship between Christian Wolff and his brother Braxton (Jon Bernthal), while continuing to portray autism in a grounded and empathetic light.
Unsurprisingly, Affleck’s performance, striking a chord, was due to his commitment to studying the character. “I really understand this guy now. Before, I was guessing. Now I’ve lived with him,” the Oscar winner told the Kelce brothers.
So naturally, for Jason, whose family has been involved with autism education and advocacy for years, that level of commitment didn’t go unnoticed. And as Ben Affleck himself noted, it’s not just about accuracy — it’s about showing that difference can be beautiful, too.
