Ben Affleck And J.K. Simmons Discuss JUSTICE LEAGUE's "Badass" And "Ripped" Commissioner Gordon
Ben Affleck and J.K. Simmons talk here about what the latter brings to the table as Commissioner Jim Gordon in Justice League and it sounds like we're getting a drastically different version of the hero.
Source: Justice League: The Official Collector's Edition
Earlier this year, some photos surfaced of J.K. Simmons looking insanely ripped. Despite being 62 years of age, the actor looks like he could kick all of our butts and while the Justice League star has admitted that he didn't get in that shape specifically for the role of Commissioner Jim Gordon (a role he's expected to reprise in that long-delayed Batman movie from Matt Reeves), it certainly seemed to help.
"My take on Commissioner Gordon is that he's a badass," Simmons explains in a new interview. "But that's an under-appreciated part of who he is, because he's eclipsed by the ultimate badass, Batman. But Gordon is a tough ex-Marine, who worked his way up and can handle himself in the turf of bad guys. Compared to Batman, he's just a regular guy, but compared to most people, he's a champion."
As for his training regime for this movie, the actor explained that his impressive physique is a lifestyle choice. "I've just been trying to fight Father Time and stay fit for the last several years. It does work well with the character, but I haven't been specifically getting fit just for it - it's for general life."
Ben Affleck is someone who knows all about getting in shape for a role and he has nothing but good things to say about Simmons. "I did another movie with J.K. called The Accountant, and he's a fine actor. I really like him. Obviously he was great in Whiplash, and he's perfect as Commissioner Gordon. J.K. lands a real gravitas to the role. He's got that kind of realism down, where he's just so world weary and gritty. Here's a guy that's been working the beat of Gotham for decades."
"I think he just likes to be ripped [Laughs]," he adds. "It's a little weird, it's like the Super Hero Commissioner Gordon, who takes his shirt off and stars flexing [Laughs]. J.K.'s just as strong as the members of the Justice League." So, we're clearly getting a tougher Gordon than past iterations and if we're lucky, both Simmons and Affleck are going to be able to team up in The Batman...one day!