Ben Affleck Jokes ‘Tom Cruise Has Nothing on Me’ After Debuting Line-Dance Skills in The Accountant 2: ‘It Was a Stunt’

Affleck said he spent “months and months … training to line dance” for the movie, admitting that the practice was “a stunt for me”

Just call Ben Affleck a stunt dancer!

The 52-year-old actor joked about his line-dancing training in his new movie The Accountant 2 during a conversation following the movie’s premiere at the 2025 SXSW Film & TV Festival in Austin, Texas, on Saturday, March 8.

“For me, the challenge, of course, was the months and months I spent training to line dance,” said Affleck from the stage at the Paramount Theater following the movie’s premiere, according to Variety. “It was a stunt for me.”

“Tom Cruise has nothing on me,” the two-time Academy Award winner joked, adding as the crowd cheered, per Variety, “In terms of line dancing.”

“There was a nude scene but we cut it. He practiced line dancing in front of the mirror,” said director Gavin O’Connor, the outlet reported, with Affleck quipping, “It was a choice! I liked it!”

The Accountant 2 sees Affleck return as Christian Wolff who, per a synopsis, attempts to solve a case after “an old acquaintance is murdered, leaving behind a cryptic message to ‘find the accountant.’ “

“Realizing more extreme measures are necessary, Wolff recruits his estranged and highly lethal brother Brax (Jon Bernthal) to help,” the synopsis adds. “In partnership with U.S. Treasury Deputy Director Marybeth Medina (Cynthia Addai-Robinson), they uncover a deadly conspiracy, becoming targets of a ruthless network of killers who will stop at nothing to keep their secrets buried.”

O’Connor, who directed both the new film and its predecessor The Accountant (2016), told PEOPLE at the SXSW premiere that Affleck “understands the character so well” and has done “so much research” for the sequel.

“It’s a temptation for actors when they play, say, genius to chew it up and over-act. [Ben] never does that,” said the filmmaker, 61. “It’s always simple, it’s always honest, it’s always truthful. It’s just beautiful acting.”

The PEOPLE Puzzler crossword is here! How quickly can you solve it? Play now!

Affleck was joined at the movie’s SXSW premiere by longtime friend Matt Damon, who co-produced The Account 2 via his production company with Affleck, Artists Equity. Damon, 53, posed for photos with Affleck while still wearing his full beard for filming Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey.

Affleck spoke to reporters including PEOPLE on the red carpet, sharing why he and Damon make a good team.

“It’s a beautiful thing. You know, I don’t have very many — none of us really have very many friends. You don’t need a million friends. You need a few good ones. And I’m really lucky to have had a friend in Matt,” he said. “… I’m lucky to have friends like that in my life.”

The Accountant 2 premiere in theaters April 25.