Chris Evans got starstruck by Ben Affleck? ( Photo Credit – Instagram; Flickr )
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Picture this: Evans, fresh-faced and climbing the Hollywood ladder, was vying for a role in Gone Baby Gone (2007), a movie directed by Affleck. But instead of flexing his acting chops, he froze like a deer caught in headlights. And not just any deer—one that couldn’t even talk about parking.
“I walked in, and I’m walking down the halls looking for this room, and as I passed a room, I heard, ‘There he is.’ In my head, I was like, ‘That’s Ben,’” Evans remembers, already spiraling. He says he instantly went into panic mode. He turns around, shakes Affleck’s hand, and boom, his first words? “Hey, how ya doing—am I gonna be ok where I parked?” Oh, the horror. Affleck, the cool cat he is, didn’t miss a beat: “Where’d you park?”
“I said, ‘At one of the meters,’” Evans says. “Did you put money in it?” Affleck asks. “Yeah.” “I think you’ll be alright,” was the response. And that was the epic start to a meeting between two of Hollywood’s biggest stars. Classic.
But here’s the kicker: Not only did Evans flop hard in the audition, but he also never landed the part. He was too busy stressing over parking validation even to deliver his lines. Meanwhile, Affleck walked away with another directorial win for Gone Baby Gone. Could that awkward moment have been the start of the end for Evans’ career? No.
Fast forward a few years, and who’s the guy wielding an indestructible vibranium shield and fighting off Thanos in Avengers: Endgame (2019)? Yep, Chris Evans. Instead of Gone Baby Gone, he ended up as Captain America, Captain Marvel’s BFF and one of the MCU’s most iconic stars. He went from parking meter anxiety to saving the world—and he’s been on fire ever since.
And while Gone Baby Gone turned out to be a legendary movie (with Affleck getting tons of kudos for his directing), Evans found his lane. From Fantastic Four (2015) to Knives Out (2019) and Free Guy (2021), Evans built himself a career as sturdy as Cap’s shield—awkward parking stories and all.
But hey, if anything, that cringe-worthy interaction with Affleck was a reminder that even the best heroes have their moments. And sometimes, a flub in the parking lot is just the beginning of saving the day.
