2007 may go down as the year that Casey Affleck became more than primarily Ben's younger brother. Which isn't to say that he hasn't been the highlight of movies or hasn't been some people's favorite Affleck from the start, but with starring roles (and rave reviews) for both The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford [1] and Gone Baby Gone [2], Casey is bigger than ever. Oh, um, and hotter, hotter than ever, too. Both of these points are evidenced by his recent photoshoot for Flaunt Magazine. The interview is hilarious (he says what excites him are, "People...with plastic surgery.") and endearing. And as for the pictures — did I mention he's smoking hot? Here are highlights:

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• On his level of fame: "I never get recognized. When I've had a hard day, people give me change on the street."
• On working with his brother: "It was like working with someone you'd done a thousand films with. Like figuring out who's gonna set the dinner table or something. Ben took to directing really well. He's a natural leader. People almost always like him within the first two minutes of meeting him. And he learns really, really fast...To see [Morgan Freeman and Ed Harris] look to Ben for direction was really impressive....Ben made me jump off a 60-foot cliff into a quarry full of 500-year-old black water, old shoes, car fenders, and corpses. Twice. Then he cut it out of the movie."
• On his "leading man" status: "If being a 'leading man' has some significance beyond [getting to be in more scenes], then I am not exactly that. I don't think I have the qualities that people call 'leading man.' I don't think I have them because I am not even sure what they are. And that's OK with me because I have been able to play a few 'leading man' parts while not myself possessing these 'leading man' qualities, then I have achieved something...I would rather be a round peg in a square hole than a square peg in a round hole. The latter is stuck while the former can pop in and out and go back and forth and do it all. I want to have a peg that can change shape and get in as many holes as possible."

I think this article and photoshoot catapulted him into the top of my list. Love him (and naturally, extra points for Red Sox fans) — both Affleck boys are better than ever these days. Though methinks come this award season Casey might have a harder and harder time walking down the street without getting recognized.

To see more of Casey Flaunting just

Source [3]