George Clooney is showing support for his friend and fellow actor Ben Affleck, explaining why the Hollywood star “deserves” to win the Oscar for his performance in the recent Amazon Prime film ‘The Tender Bar.’

“I’ve had great success working with him the two times I’ve worked with him. I’m a giant fan of his. I have to say the thing that’s so cool about that is Ben really showed up, and he stuck his neck out, and yes, he’s gotten a SAG award nomination and a Golden Globe nomination. He deserves it.”, Clooney declared.

The two Hollywood actors have worked together in the past, including the 2012 film ‘Argo,’ produced by Clooney, and now in ‘The Tender Bar’ directed by the 60-year-old star.

This time Clooney took a moment to reflect on Affleck’s performance, praising his undeniable talent and dedication: “He really worked hard on this, and he hasn’t been acknowledged much as an actor, and he’s a really wonderful actor.”

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He continued, “You know, Ben’s been through the ringer. He’s been as high as you could get,” Clooney said, in reference to the difficult situations the actor has faced in his personal life, “He stood on the stage and won a couple of Oscars. He knows what it’s like to be at the top of the game, and he also has had some rough patches.”

“He’s a fighter, and he’s been out there, and he showed up on this one in such a big way and in such a gracious way, and he’s been doing it for a bit, and it’s fun to see the reactions towards him, and it’d be lovely if the same sort of attention was carried on [to the Oscars],” Clooney concluded, “I think he would deserve it.”