Watch: Casey Affleck Is Voicing a Robot Bear for PETA
Casey Affleck Photo by Sarah Fisher
Casey Affleck has a new gig, but it’s not for the big screen.
The Boston-bred actor and noted animal rights activist recently offered his acting talents to PETA for a new campaign. Affleck is the voice behind Bernard, a robot bear that will be going on tour across the nation to urge tourists not to visit roadside zoos or bear pits this summer.
The mechanical mammal will make its first stop at the Clarks Trading Post in Lincoln, New Hampshire, where it will remind visitors of the harsh conditions these bears are forced to endure.
“Bears belong with their families in nature, not on display in sad, filthy concrete pits,” Affleck said, according to a press release. “PETA’s remarkable animatronic bear will do wonders this summer to show kids and their parents why everyone should stay away from these cruel tourist traps.”
Following the stop in New Hampshire, Bernard the bear will travel to the Three Bears General Store in Tennessee and the Cherokee Bear Zoo in North Carolina, as well as other locations around the country.
According to PETA, more than 1,000 bears are kept in captivity under inadequate conditions at around 300 roadside zoos, bear pits, and other facilities throughout the United States. The organization says it has rescued and relocated more than 40 captive bears since 2012.
Check out a clip of Affleck recording the voice for Bernard below.
