Ben Affleck is an American actor and filmmaker who was born in Berkeley, California, on August 15, 1972. He has starred in action, drama, and comedy films, but his work as a screenwriter, director, and producer is possibly more well-known.
In the 2007 neo-noir mystery picture Gone Baby Gone, which he also co-wrote, Affleck made his directing debut. But the film Argo (2012), in which he also starred, was the one that made him incredibly famous and earned him the Academy, BAFTA, and Golden Globe Awards for Best Picture as well as the Best Director and Best Picture awards. The actor is also a co-founder of the American non-profit organization Eastern Congo Initiative, which closely collaborates with the people of Eastern Congo. It provides assistance to victims of sexual assault and other crimes, expands access to healthcare and education, fosters economic growth, and manages peace and reconciliation initiatives at the local level.
Ben Affleck Details
Nickname | Ben |
Gender | Male |
Age | 51 years old (in 2023) |
Date of Birth | August 15, 1972 |
Full Name | Benjamin Geza Affleck-Boldt |
Profession | Film director, Television producer, Businessperson, Film producer, Professional Poker Player, Screenwriter, Child actor |
Nationality | American |
Birthplace | Berkeley, California, U.S. |
Religion | Protestantism |
Zodiac Sign | Leo |
Ben Affleck Childhood & Early Years
- On August 15, 1972, Timothy Byers Affleck and Christine Anne Affleck welcomed Ben into the world. Before settling on being a photographer, his father experimented with a variety of careers. In Cambridge, Massachusetts, his mother worked as a school teacher. Casey Affleck, his younger brother, is also an actor in motion pictures.
- His parents separated shortly after he was born, and in 1984 they became divorced formally. Affleck and his siblings relocated to Massachusetts following the divorce.
- Affleck pursued acting as a career from an early age and took part in little roles such as a Burger King commercial. He was cast in the PBS miniseries “The Voyage of the Mimi” in 1984. The crew of Mini was shown exploring the ocean in a science show.
- Affleck’s close friend and co-star, Matt Damon, who is two years older than him, was first introduced to him when he was a student at Cambridge Rindge and Latin School. Before Affleck landed his big parts in “School Ties” and “Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” they spent their time together smoking weed and consuming alcohol while underage. He received his big break in the cult classic “Dazed and Confused” in 1990.
Ben Affleck Career
- Affleck made a brief foray into directing with his 16-minute short comedy “Killed My Lesbian Wife, Hung Her on a Meat Hook, and Now I Have a Three-Picture Deal at Disney,” following a string of roles in the 1990s, including “Lifestories: Families in Crisis (1990),” “School Ties (1992),” “Dazed and Confused (1993),” “Mallrats (1995),” and “Chasing Amy (1997).
- These were the early years when he made association with the director and writer Kevin Smith and starred in his movie ‘Jersey Girl’. He also made an appearance in Smith’s every ‘View Askenwniverse- Jersey’ film. Also, in the beginning of his career he appeared on several ‘Saturday Night Live’ episodes.
- Together with fellow actor and close friend Matt Damon, Affleck rose to fame in 1997. Actually, Damon showed Affleck a play he had written while attending Harvard before it was made into a movie. They both wrote a screenplay out of it. They both went on to star in the film, which told the tale of an MIT janitor who happens to be a sophisticated math prodigy.
- Harvey Weinstein paid a million US dollars for the screenplay that Affleck and Damon co-wrote. The film received two Oscar nominations and won two, including Best Original Screenplay. Affleck became an overnight international superstar due to the film’s popularity.
- Affleck was cast in the 1998 action film “Armageddon,” which starred Bruce Willis and Liv Tyler, among other well-known Hollywood actors. Despite getting mixed reviews, the film was a box office hit.
- He costarred with Sandra Bullock in the romantic comedy “Forces of Nature” in 1999.
- Affleck starred in a brief part in “Shakespeare in Love” (2000) alongside Gwyneth Paltrow, his intermittent girlfriend.
- The director of “Armageddon,” Michael Bay, approached Affleck once more for his major motion picture “Pearl Harbor” in 2001. Despite being a massive commercial success, the film received little praise from reviewers.
- In the 2002 film “The Sum of All Fears,” Affleck played “Jack Ryan.” Alec Baldwin and Harrison Ford appeared in earlier iterations of this techno-thriller film.
- He starred in the movie “Daredevil” in 2003. Affleck had loved the film adaptation of the well-known comic series since he was a young child. Jennifer Garner, who would later become his wife, starred in the film, which was a big commercial success. He starred in “Gigli” that same year and in “Surviving Christmas” the following year. Both films received negative reviews from critics and did poorly at the box office.
- Affleck participated in the HBO miniseries “Hollywoodland” in 2006, which was a tribute to the well-known and highly regarded artist George Reeves. He was nominated for a Golden Globe and won the Venice Film Festival’s Best Actor prize.
- He performed “Smokin’ Aces” in 2007, which was a financial failure despite receiving mixed reviews from critics. He directed “Gone Baby Gone,” his debut feature film, in the same year. It was based on a novel by Dennis Lehane, which Affleck also wrote the screenplay for. Despite the film’s lackluster box office performance, Affleck’s directing abilities were praised.
- He acted in the following 2009 films: Extract, State of Play, and He’s Just Not That Into You. Affleck acted with a number of well-known performers in “He’s Just Not That into You,” including Jennifer Aniston, Justin Long, Bradley Cooper, Drew Barrymore, and others. The film was not too bad. Affleck’s performance in the political thriller “State of Play” received praise from critics.
- The Town, Affleck’s second film as director, was released in 2010. He co-wrote the film’s script, which was adapted from the book “Price of Thieves.” The critics gave the film mediocre reviews.
- He also directed the 2012 film “Argo,” which starred George Clooney in the title role. For his directing in the film, he was honored with a BAFTA, a Golden Globe, and an American Directors Guild award.
- He served as the host of Saturday Night Live’s sketch comedy segment in 2013.
- Ben Affleck played the lead role in David Fincher’s psychological suspense thriller “Gone Girl” in 2014. He performed the role of a spouse who is charged with murder in the film.
- He played Batman in the 2016 comic book movie “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.” He returned to the role of Batman in “Justice League” in 2017.
Ben Affleck Individual Life and Heritage
- For a year, Ben Affleck and Gwyneth Paltrow were romantically together but not consistently. They stayed close friends even after their eventual breakup in 1999. The director of the 2000 film “Shakespeare in Love,” in which Affleck and Paltrow starred, insisted that the two had a great deal of regard for one another.
- Affleck entered himself into a treatment facility in 2001 to address his drinking issues. He decided to spend some time in a rehab facility in order to overcome his drinking with the assistance of his friend and actor Charlie Sheen.
- When Affleck and singer/actress Jennifer Lopez started working together on the 2002 film “Gigli,” they became close and Affleck began praising Lopez publicly. He even attended her Pasadena restaurant launch. The pair made the decision to get married after two years of dating. But in January 2004, they broke off their engagement.
- Affleck began dating Jennifer Garner, his co-star on “Daredevil,” in 2004, and he has stated publicly that he wants to settle down and create a family.
- Ben Affleck wed the actress Jennifer Garner in 2005. Together, they are parents to three kids.
- Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner separated in 2015, and they filed for divorce in April of that same year.
- Later on, Ben Affleck dated Lindsay Shookus, a television producer.
- Nearly two decades after their initial meeting, Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez resumed their relationship in 2021. The pair get engaged in April of 2022. The couple married in Las Vegas on July 16, 2022.
Ben Affleck Controversy
- In October 2017, MTV correspondent Hilarie Burton accused Ben Affleck of groping her during a TRL appearance in 2001. She accused him of touching her breast while he gave her a hug. Ben Affleck publicly applogized for his inappropriate behaviour.
Trivia
- In an HBO reality series titled “Project Greenlight,” Affleck and Matt Damon assisted gifted screenwriters in realizing their goals.
- Affleck fought to raise funds and awareness for the treatment of ataxia-telangiectasia, a rare hereditary disorder that degrades the nervous system. He pushed Congress to approve funding for more disease research.
Ben Affleck Movies
- Gone Girl (2014) (Crime, Mystery, Thriller, Drama)
- Good Will Hunting (1997) (Drama)
- The Accountant (2016) (Thriller, Action, Drama, Crime)
- The Town (2010) (Thriller, Drama, Crime)
- Argo (2012) (Drama, Thriller, History, Biography)
- Gone Baby Gone (2007) (Mystery, Crime, Drama, Thriller)
- Zack Snyder’s Justice League (2021) (Action, Adventure, Fantasy, Sci-Fi)
- Field of Dreams (1989) (Sport, Family, Fantasy, Drama)
- Dazed and Confused (1993) (Comedy)
- Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016) (Sci-Fi, Adventure, Action)
Ben Affleck Awards
Academy Awards(Oscars)
2013 | Best Motion Picture of the Year | Argo (2012) |
1998 | Best Writing, Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen | Good Will Hunting (1997) |
Golden Globe Awards
2013 | Best Director – Motion Picture | Argo (2012) |
1998 | Best Screenplay – Motion Picture | Good Will Hunting (1997) |
Fast facts
- At 12, appeared in the PBS science series The Voyage of the Mimi, and later played Madeline Kahn’s son in an ABC Afterschool Special titled Wanted: The Perfect Guy
- Has appeared in several Kevin Smith films, including Mallrats, Chasing Amy, Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back and Jersey Girl
- Vigorously campaigned for Al Gore and John Kerry and appeared at the 2004 Democratic National Convention
- Testified before Congress in support of funding medical research for Ataxia-Telangiectasia after befriending a young boy who suffers from the degenerative disease
- An avid card player who has appeared on Celebrity Poker Showdown
- Involved in a mock-feud between Matt Damon and Jimmy Kimmel, which has included the song “I’m F–king Ben Affleck” and Affleck smuggling Damon onto the set of Kimmel’s show
- Founded Pearl Street Films with childhood friend Damon, named for the street that ran between their houses
Relationship
- Casey Affleck — Brother
- Seraphina Rose Elizabeth Affleck — Daughter
- Violet Anne Affleck — Daughter
- Jennifer Lopez — Ex-fiancée
- Gwyneth Paltrow — Ex-significant Other
- Timothy Affleck — Father
- Chris Affleck — Mother
- Atticus Affleck — Nephew
- Indiana Affleck — Nephew
- Samuel Garner Affleck — Son
- Jennifer Garner — Wife (separated)
Filmography
- 1984: The Voyage of the Mimi
- 1992: School Ties, Buffy the Vampire Slayer
- 1993: Dazed and Confused
- 1995: Mallrats
- 1996: Glory Daze
- 1997: Good Will Hunting, Chasing Amy, Going All the Way
- 1998: Shakespeare in Love, Armageddon, Phantoms
- 1999: Dogma, Forces of Nature, 200 Cigarettes
- 2000: Bounce, Reindeer Games, Boiler Room
- 2001: Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back, Pearl Harbor
- 2002: The Sum of All Fears, Changing Lanes
- 2003: Paycheck, Gigli, Daredevil
- 2004: Surviving Christmas, Jersey Girl
- 2005: Elektra Matt, Clerks II
- 2006: Hollywoodland, Man About Town
- 2007: Gone Baby Gone, Smokin’ Aces
- 2009: He’s Just Not That Into You, State of Play, Extract
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