Ben Affleck Biography

Ben Affleck was born on August 15, 1972, to Timothy Byers Affleck and Christine Anne Affleck. His father dabbled into a lot of jobs before he finally became a photographer. His mother was a school teacher in Cambridge, Massachusetts. He has a younger brother called Casey Affleck who is also a movie actor.

Affleck attended Cambridge Rindge and Latin School and here he met his co-star, co-writer and a close friend Matt Damon, who was two years older to him. They spent their time together doing underage drinking and smoking pot before Affleck got his substantial roles in ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’ and ‘School Ties’. In 1990, he got his major role in the cult classic called ‘Dazed and Confused’.

It was in 1997, when Affleck made a big name for himself along with his actor and close friend Matt Damon. The movie was actually a play written by Damon when he was at Harvard and he showed the play to Affleck. They both turned it into a screenscript. They both later acted in the movie which was a story about a complicated math genius who is a janitor at MIT.

The script that both Affleck and Damon wrote together was bought by Harvey Weinstein for a million US dollars and the movie was nominated for Oscar Awards and won two, including the category of Best Original Screenplay. The success of the movie turned Affleck into an international celebrity overnight.

In 2003, he acted in the flick ‘Daredevil’. It was the movie version of the famous comic series and it was Affleck’s favorite since he was a little boy. The movie starred his future wife Jennifer Garner in it and did very well commercially. In the same year, he starred in ‘Gigli’ and the following year, in ‘Surviving Christmas’. Both the movies did not do very well at the box-office and were critically unapproved.

In 2007, he did ‘Smokin’ Aces’, which was moderately acclaimed by the critics but was a commercial failure. In the same year, he directed his first movie ‘Gone Baby Gone’. It was an adaptation of a book written by Dennis Lehane, Affleck did screenwriting for the movie as well. ‘Gone Baby Gone’ was not a huge success but Affleck’s directorial skills were appreciated.

In 2009, he acted in movies like: ‘He’s Just Not That into You’, ‘State of Play’ and ‘Extract’. In ‘He’s Just Not That into You,’ Affleck acted alongside many renowned actors like: Jennifer Aniston, Justin Long, Bradley Cooper, Drew Barrymore, etc. The movie was a moderate hit. ‘State of Play’ was a political thriller and Affleck’s acting was critically appreciated.

Ben Affleck had an on and off relationship with Gwyneth Paltrow for a year. They broke up finally in 1999, and remained good friends. In 2000, Affleck acted with Paltrow in ‘Shakespeare in Love’ and the director of the movie maintained that they both have great respect for each other.

In 2002, while doing ‘Gigli’ with actress/singer Jennifer Lopez, they came close to each other and Affleck started making public statements about how much he admires her and showed up at the opening of her Pasadena restaurant. After dating for two years the couple decided to get married. However, they called off their engagement in January 2004.

In 2005, Ben Affleck married actress Jennifer Garner. They both have three children together. 

In 2015, Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner announced their decision to separate and in April 2017, they filed for divorce.

Ben Affleck then dated television producer Lindsay Shookus.

In 2021, Ben Affleck again started dating Jennifer Lopez, almost two decades after they first met. In April 2022, the couple got engaged. On July 16, 2022, the couple got married in Las Vegas.

Ben Affleck is an avid collector of vintage comic books and has a deep appreciation for the art form.

He is a talented poker player and has competed in several high-stakes tournaments, even winning the California State Poker Championship in 2004.

Affleck is fluent in Spanish and has showcased his language skills in various interviews and film roles.

He has a passion for classic cars and has a notable collection of vintage automobiles.

Affleck is known for his philanthropic efforts, supporting various charities and causes, including organizations focused on providing aid to those affected by poverty and addiction.