Ben Affleck is an American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter known for his work in both independent films and major Hollywood productions.
He first gained widespread recognition with his role in “Good Will Hunting” (1997), which he co-wrote with Matt Damon, earning them an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay. Affleck has also directed critically acclaimed films such as “Gone Baby Gone” (2007), “The Town” (2010), and “Argo” (2012), the latter of which won the Academy Award for Best Picture.
Early life and Education
Benjamin Geza Affleck was born on August 15, 1972, in Berkeley, California, but he was raised in Cambridge, Massachusetts. His mother, Christopher Anne “Chris” Boldt, was a school teacher, and his father, Timothy Byers Affleck, held various jobs, including working as a janitor, mechanic, and bartender. Ben has a younger brother, Casey Affleck, who is also an actor.
Affleck showed an early interest in acting and filmmaking. He attended Cambridge Rindge and Latin School, where he met his future collaborator Matt Damon. The two became close friends and shared a passion for acting and writing. During his high school years, Affleck acted in various theater productions and took acting classes.
After high school, Affleck briefly attended the University of Vermont, where he studied Spanish, but he dropped out after one semester. He then moved to Los Angeles to pursue his acting career more seriously, attending Occidental College for a brief period, where he studied Middle Eastern affairs. However, his focus soon shifted entirely to his burgeoning career in the entertainment industry.
Career
Affleck’s early acting roles included appearances in independent films and television. His first notable role was in the PBS educational series “The Voyage of the Mimi” (1984). In the early 1990s, he had small parts in films like “Dazed and Confused” (1993) and “School Ties” (1992).
Affleck’s major breakthrough came with “Good Will Hunting” (1997), a film he co-wrote with his childhood friend Matt Damon. The film was a critical and commercial success, earning the duo an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay. This success catapulted both Affleck and Damon to stardom.
Following “Good Will Hunting,” Affleck starred in several high-profile films, including:
– “Armageddon” (1998), a blockbuster disaster film.
– “Shakespeare in Love” (1998), which won the Academy Award for Best Picture.
– “Pearl Harbor” (2001), another major box office hit.
– “The Sum of All Fears” (2002), where he played Jack Ryan.
Affleck transitioned into directing with considerable success:
– “Gone Baby Gone” (2007), his directorial debut, was critically acclaimed.
– “The Town” (2010), which he also co-wrote and starred in, received positive reviews and commercial success.
– “Argo” (2012), a political thriller he directed, produced, and starred in, won the Academy Award for Best Picture.
In recent years, Affleck has continued to balance acting and directing:
– He played Batman in the DC Extended Universe, appearing in films like “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice” (2016) and “Justice League” (2017).
– Directed “Live by Night” (2016), a period crime drama.
– Acted in critically acclaimed films such as “Gone Girl” (2014) and “The Way Back” (2020).
Personal life
Ben Affleck was married to actress Jennifer Garner from 2005 to 2018. They met on the sets of “Pearl Harbor” and “Daredevil” and have three children together. They announced their separation in 2015 and finalized their divorce in 2018. Affleck has spoken openly about the pain of their breakup.
Before Garner, Affleck dated Jennifer Lopez from 2002 to 2004 and they recently rekindled their relationship, getting married in 2022. He also dated Gwyneth Paltrow in the late 1990s and had relationships with Lindsay Shookus and Ana de Armas.
Affleck has been open about his struggles with alcoholism, seeking treatment multiple times. He has spoken about his family history of addiction and the challenges of maintaining sobriety in the spotlight.
Net Worth
Estimated to be over 150 million dollars