Ben Affleck on Casting 'The Town': Blake Lively Who?

Blake Lively became one of the most-talked about and beloved young Hollywood actresses for her role as Serena van der Woodsen on the CW's hit Gossip Girl. She has also proved her acting prowess on the the big screen in films such as The Private Lives of Pippa Lee and was recently cast in the Marvel comic book flick Green Lantern. Despite all that, Ben Affleck — who directs and co-stars with Blake in The Town —  admits in the February issue of Esquire that he didn't recognize the 22-year-old when she auditioned. 

"This girl came in, and no one had said to me beforehand, ‘Hey, look for this person.’ And obviously she was really attractive, and so I thought, Oh, here comes some blond girl,” Ben tells Esquire, which features Blake on its February cover. “She came in, did one reading, and just crushed it.”

Blake also nailed the Boston accent required for the role, giving a "really good” audition according to Ben.

“I was sort of stunned. I said, ‘Jeez, you know, that was really f—king good. Who are you?’ She didn’t mention that she was on a television show.”

Looks like Blake also respects her elders and does not want to show off. Modesty isn't easy to find in Hollywood!