Ben Affleck held back tears as he explained how Adam Driver stepped in to save his son’s birthday after his own presents for the boy failed to arrive in time.
Appearing on Jimmy Kimmel Live, the Oscar winner said Driver, who stars alongside him and Matt Damon in Sir Ridley Scott’s The Last Duel, had made him a “hero” in his son’s eyes.
The 47-year-old told how filming the medieval drama abroad meant he had struggled to get home to Los Angeles in time for his son Samuel’s eighth birthday.
A man in need of a new best friend – @BenAffleck! #TheWayBack pic.twitter.com/2WwYJDIQYI
— Jimmy Kimmel Live (@JimmyKimmelLive) March 4, 2020
He explained that Driver, best known as Kylo Ren in Star Wars, had heard his son was a fan of the series and had sent a haul of signed merchandise.
Affleck said he had rushed home to collect the presents he had ordered for his son, who he shares with ex-wife Jennifer Garner, only to find they had not arrived.
“There was this sort of sinking, awful feeling,” he said.
Luckily, Driver’s presents had arrived – along with a mobile phone video of him wishing Samuel a happy birthday.
An emotional Affleck said: “He opened the presents and I played him the video, and it was an incredibly moving and powerful moment. Adam made me a hero to my kid, and I will never, ever, ever forget it.”
Affleck appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live to promote his new movie The Way Back.