Casey Affleck opens up in the wake of #MeToo

Casey Affleck has been mostly absent from the public eye for the past year, but in the wake of the #MeToo and Time's Up movements and with a new film coming out this fall, he is for the first time addressing lingering questions about earlier harassment allegations.

The 42-year-old actor, producer and director is taking responsibility for the "unprofessional" atmosphere on the set of 2010's "I'm Still Here" that led to civil lawsuits from two women who worked on the film. He also spoke to The Associated Press about what he's learned from the #MeToo conversation and what he's doing at his production company to bring new voices into Hollywood.

During Affleck's best actor campaign for "Manchester By the Sea" in 2016, the spotlight was turned back on the civil lawsuits filed by a cinematographer and a producer who worked on "I'm Still Here" for breach of contract. One of the women also sued for sexual harassment, and both described an uncomfortable atmosphere on the set of the unconventional mockumentary.

"It was an unprofessional environment ... the buck had to stop with me being one of the producers and I have to accept responsibility for that," Affleck told the AP of the making of "I'm Still Here," which he produced and directed.

"I contributed to that unprofessional environment and I tolerated that kind of behavior from other people and I wish that I hadn't." He added: "I behaved in a way and allowed others to behave in a way that was really unprofessional. And I'm sorry."
"Those are the people who are kind of leading this conversation and should be leading the conversation. And I know just enough to know that in general I need to keep my mouth shut and listen and try to figure out what's going on and be a supporter and a follower in the little, teeny tiny ways that I can."
Of his decision to do an interview now, Affleck said, "If I'm not promoting a movie, I'm not going to do any press, so that's why you haven't heard from me."
"(Lowery) always assembles a really nice group of people around him," Affleck said. "It sort of makes its way into the movie. It's such a nice experience to watch one of his movies."