Ben Affleck

Actor and director

• Born: August 15, 1972
• Place of Birth: Berkeley, California

• Education: University of Vermont; Occidental College

Ben Affleck is a screenwriter, actor, and director best known for his films Good Will Hunting (1997), The Town (2010), and Argo (2012). He has received numerous awards for his efforts, including the Academy Award and the Golden Globe Award for best original screenplay for Good Will Hunting, which he received when he was just twenty-four years old. He then starred in such blockbuster films as Armageddon (1998), Pearl Harbor (2001), Daredevil (2003), and Gone Girl (2014). In 2016, he stepped into the role of the iconic comic-book superhero Batman.

Affleck made his directorial debut with the crime drama Gone Baby Gone (2007). The film won him the National Board of Review Award for best directorial debut. His next directorial effort was another crime film set in Boston called The Town (2010). With his next directing job, the political thriller Argo (2012), Affleck received widespread critical acclaim, winning several directing awards as well as the Academy Award for best picture. In 2016, he directed the gangster crime drama Live by Night, which received mixed reviews from critics.

Affleck is also a philanthropist who is well known for supporting the A-T Children’s Project, a nonprofit organization that donates funds to research the rare neurological disorder ataxia-telangiectasia (A-T). In March 2010, he founded the Eastern Congo Initiative, which supports humanitarian efforts in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Affleck is also active in politics and frequently shows his support for Democratic politicians.

Background

Benjamin Géza Affleck-Boldt was born on August 15, 1972, in Berkeley, California. His father, Timothy Byers Affleck, was a social worker and photographer and his mother, Christine Affleck, was a teacher. He has one younger brother, Casey Affleck, who also became an actor. While he was still young, his family moved to Cambridge, Massachusetts, and his parents later divorced when he was twelve years old due to his father’s alcoholism. His father has since recovered and found work counseling individuals who are struggling with addiction and substance abuse in rehabilitation centers.

As a teenager, Affleck appeared in a television commercial for Burger King, and he acted in the film The Dark End of the Street (1981) as well as the PBS educational miniseries The Voyage of the Mimi (1984). While attending Cambridge Rindge and Latin High School, Affleck met Matt Damon, his future writing partner and costar, and the two took drama classes together.

Affleck continued to act through his teenage years, appearing in television movies such as Hands of a Stranger (1987) and Daddy (1991). He aspired to attend Harvard University in Cambridge, but his grades were not good enough to earn admittance to the prestigious school. He enrolled at the University of Vermont in Burlington, Vermont, where he studied for a semester before deciding to pursue acting full time. With the support of his mother, Affleck moved to Hollywood, California, where he stayed with friends of the family. As part of an agreement with his mother, Affleck enrolled in Occidental College in Los Angeles to continue his education. His lessons there focused on Middle Eastern studies, although he did not graduate.

He continued to act in television series and took an uncredited role as an extra in the comedy film Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1992). His first major role was in the drama film School Ties (1992), in which he acted alongside his friend Damon. Affleck was becoming frustrated trying to land major film roles, so he decided to pursue roles in independent films. This led to him acting in the critically acclaimed comedy film Dazed and Confused (1993). While the film was not a commercial success when it was released, it has since achieved cult status.

A Working Actor

Affleck’s role in Dazed and Confused impressed independent filmmaker Kevin Smith, who cast him in his comedy Mallrats (1995). For Smith’s next film, Chasing Amy (1997), Affleck was given the lead role. The film was a blockbuster hit and received critical and popular acclaim.

Despite the renown and attention that the success of Chasing Amy brought him, Affleck was still struggling to land major roles. He acted in another independent film, Going All the Way (1997), but he desired to act in more lead roles rather than supporting ones. Together with Damon and his brother Casey, they decided to write their own film.

Good Will Hunting and the Late 1990s

While attending Harvard University, Damon had begun writing a script in one of his creative writing classes about an intelligent young man in South Boston who is being courted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to become an agent. Affleck and Damon turned the story into a screenplay, called Good Will Hunting (1997), and began shopping it around at production studios. They brought it to Rob Reiner, the head of Castle Rock Entertainment, who urged them to get rid of the FBI aspects of the story and instead emphasize the lead characters’ relationship.

They rewrote the script and sold it to Castle Rock Entertainment for $675,000. However, the studio was reluctant to allow Affleck and Damon to star in the film. Affleck turned to Smith for guidance, who took the script to another production company, Miramax, which bought the rights from Castle Rock for one million dollars and agreed to allow Affleck and Damon to star in the film. Acclaimed filmmaker Gus Van Sant was chosen to direct.

Good Will Hunting was released on December 5, 1997, and received rave reviews. It was a box-office hit as well, earning more than $225 million worldwide against its $10 million budget. The film received nine Academy Award nominations, including best picture. For their writing, Affleck and Damon shared the award for best original screenplay.

Good Will Hunting finally earned Affleck the recognition he desired and led to him landing several major roles. Before the decade was over, he had starred in the period drama Shakespeare in Love (1998), the blockbuster action film Armageddon (1998), and the science fiction horror film Phantoms (1998). He also starred in another Smith film, Dogma (1999), alongside Damon.

Early 2000s and Beyond

Affleck starred in numerous successful films throughout the early 2000s, including the thrillers Changing Lanes (2002) and The Sum of All Fears (2002). He landed the lead role in the superhero action film Daredevil (2003), which received mixed reviews from critics. His next film, Gigli (2003), was critically panned, but the film nevertheless received a large amount of attention thanks to Affleck’s real-life romance with his costar Jennifer Lopez. The media frequently reported on the couple, especially during their short-lived engagement. After they split up in 2004, Affleck began dating and later married his Daredevil costar Jennifer Garner in 2005. By 2015, after having three children together, Affleck and Garner had announced that they were separating and filing for divorce. The divorce was finalized in 2018. Affleck again started dating Lopez. The couple married in 2022, but Lopez filed for divorce in 2024.

Many saw Gigli as the downfall of Affleck’s career. He had gone from one of the rising stars of Hollywood to a target of the tabloids. He had not had a critical hit in years until his performance in Hollywoodland (2006) resurrected his career and earned him much praise. In 2007, Affleck took on the role of director for the first time with the Boston crime drama Gone Baby Gone (2007), starring his brother Casey, Morgan Freeman, and Ed Harris. Critics praised the film and Affleck’s direction won him several awards, including the best new filmmaker award from the Boston Society of Film Critics. His next directorial effort was The Town (2010), another crime drama set in Boston.

The next film he directed was the political thriller Argo (2012), for which he earned numerous awards, including the Academy Award for best picture. Affleck also starred in the film, portraying real-life Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) agent Tony Mendez. This casting decision drew some controversy because Mendez is of Mexican descent.

After securing one of the lead roles in the film adaptation of the best-selling novel Gone Girl (2012), portraying the seemingly grieving but suspected husband of a woman who has disappeared under questionable circumstances, Affleck was announced to be returning to the comic-book world of superheroes to take on an even bigger role as Batman. Christian Bale had previously earned praise for starring in the role in three films in the franchise under Christopher Nolan's direction, sharing responsibility for helping to reboot the legendary DC character for the twenty-first century. In 2013, with Zack Snyder stepping in as director, Affleck won the part and made his first appearance as the caped crusader in the much-anticipated film Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016), which sees Batman take on the Kryptonian hero Superman in an attempt to check his power. While the film was largely panned by critics, Affleck's performance as Batman received mixed reviews. That same year, in addition to starring in the action drama The Accountant, he appeared briefly in the Batman role in Suicide Squad. After also directing Live by Night in 2016, he went on to both star in and executive produce Justice League (2017), which brought a number of other DC heroes together with Batman, including Aquaman, Wonder Woman, Cyborg, and the Flash.

In 2019, Affleck was part of an ensemble cast for the military film Triple Frontier and made an appearance in the comedy Jay and Silent Bob Reboot. That year, he also confirmed that he would no longer be playing Batman, although he did make a brief cameo as Batman in the 2023 film The Flash. He also received very positive feedback in 2023 for his work directing the sports drama Air, produced and released by Artists Equity.

Impact

As a writer, actor, and director, Affleck is one of the best-known figures in Hollywood. After struggling to land supporting roles for years, he eventually realized his dream of becoming a successful actor and then a renowned director. His longtime friendship and partnership with Damon led to one of the most successful films of all time, Good Will Hunting.

As both an actor and director, Affleck has won several awards, even winning his first Academy Award for cowriting Good Will Hunting when he was only twenty-four years old. Along the way, he has not forgotten his roots, setting many of his films around Boston, where he grew up.

His celebrity status has allowed Affleck to draw attention to humanitarian causes close to his heart. He has undertaken community-building initiatives for the people of the Democratic Republic of Congo suffering under the rule of warlords. With help from the United Nations, Affleck released a short film in 2008 about Congolese refugees, and in 2010, he formed the Eastern Congo Initiative, an organization that aids the Congolese. He has also done a lot of charitable work for and drawn attention to children suffering from a rare neurological disorder called ataxia-telangiectasia. In 2020, he organized a poker tournament and raised $1.75 million for Feeding America to support those in need during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Affleck’s prominence in the media has also helped him to promote his political beliefs, particularly his strongly Democratic stance on many issues. He has appeared on television and radio news programs several times in support of Democratic candidates. He has also appeared in advertisements to support same-sex marriage and equal rights.

Bibliography

Bahr, Lindsey. "Ben Affleck Is the New Batman." Entertainment Weekly, 22 Aug. 2013, ew.com/article/2013/08/22/ben-affleck-batman. Accessed 2 Oct. 2024.

Baron, Zach. "Cinemetrics: The Redemption of Ben Affleck." Grantland, 11 Oct. 2012, grantland.com/features/argo-redemption-ben-affleck. Accessed 2 Oct. 2024.

"Ben Affleck." IMDb, www.imdb.com/name/nm0000255/. Accessed 2 Oct. 2024.

Burr, Ty. "With Best Picture Oscar, Ben Affleck Comeback Is Complete." Boston Globe, 25 Feb. 2013, www.bostonglobe.com/arts/movies/2013/02/25/with-best-picture-oscar-ben-affleck-comeback-complete/mqQilNIGAxz0RI1GxdZnVI/story.html. Accessed 2 Oct. 2024.

Longeretta, Emily. “Jennifer Lopez Files for Divorce from Ben Affleck." Variety, 20 Aug. 2024, variety.com/2024/film/news/jennifer-lopez-ben-affleck-divorce-1236020852/. Accessed 2 Oct. 2024.

Nanos, Janelle. "Good Will Hunting: An Oral History." Boston, Jan. 2013, www.bostonmagazine.com/arts-entertainment/2013/01/02/good-will-hunting-oral-history. Accessed 2 Oct. 2024.

Palmer, Martyn. "Ben Affleck: 'My Wildest Dreams Have Come True, but at a Price.'" The Guardian, 1 Jan. 2017, www.theguardian.com/film/2017/jan/01/ben-affleck-my-dreams-have-true-come-at-a-price. Accessed 26 Apr. 2023.

Vineyard, Jennifer. "From Actor to Auteur: Ben Affleck’s Career Trajectory." CNN, 1 Mar. 2013, www.cnn.com/2013/03/01/showbiz/celebrity-news-gossip/ben-affleck-career-trajectory/index.html. Accessed 2 Oct. 2024.