Ben Affleck Talks Personal Ties to 'The Town' on 'Today' (VIDEO)

Ben Affleck wrote, directed and stars in the upcoming heist flick 'The Town,' which focuses on Charlestown, Boston, an area that's produced more bank robbers than any other part of the country. And according to Affleck, he has first-hand knowledge of how rough Charlestown can be, since he grew up in neighboring Cambridge, he said on 'Today' (weekdays, 7AM ET on NBC).

"Where I grew up in Cambridge was actually next to Charlestown," Affleck said. "but it was kind of worlds away. We knew these guys were ... really tough. And, I mean, I guess in short I was sort of intimidated and scared by Charlestown. They had this code of silence."

Affleck also said he visited prison inmates for the role, but felt a bit uneasy coming face-to-face with convicted bank robbers. "For me, it was a little scary initially. I didn't know what ... to expect when I went to these prisons," he said.