Ben Affleck Defends Meryl Streep After President-elect Trump Called Her ‘Overrated'

On Monday night, “Extra's” Charissa Thompson caught up with Ben Affleck at the premiere of his latest movie, “Live by Night.” On the red carpet, the actor reacted to Meryl Streep's Golden Globes speech, which has dominated headlines.

After President-elect Trump called her “overrated,” Affleck defended the Golden Globes nominee, saying, “I think if there's one thing that you can say about Meryl Streep is that she is not overrated. That's like saying Gandhi is not a good statesman, Martin Luther King not a good speechmaker.”

He added, “If you look up 'great actress' in the encyclopedia, you'll will see Meryl Streep's face there, and she is better than any of them, Brando — she's the best actress or actor that ever lived, so to say she's overrated shows you don't understand acting.”

Ben also sang the praises of his younger brother Casey, who won a Golden Globe for his role in “Manchester by the Sea.” He shared, “I was elated. He's a great actor. He's finally had a chance to play a role where he gets the chance to stretch and show what he can do.”

The 44-year-old wrote, directed and stars in “Live by Night.” How does he do it all? Ben revealed, “The truth is it sounds like a one-man band, but when you make a movie, you rely on hundreds of people.” Ben plays a bootlegging gangster in the Prohibition Era drama, co-starring Sienna Miller and Zoe Saldana. "I just thought it was so fun to make a big, sexy gangster movie.”