Ben Affleck

Ben Affleck is an American actor and filmmaker known for films such as Good Will Hunting, Pearl Harbor and Argo.

Affleck was born Benjamin Géza Affleck-Bodlt. He later dropped his mother's maiden name, Bodlt. His middle name, Géza, is after a Hungarian family friend who was a Holocaust survivor. Affleck was born in Berkley, California but moved with his parents to Massachusetts when he was three.

Affleck was raised in Cambridge, Massachusetts by mother Chris Anne Boldt, a school teacher, and father Timothy Byers Affleck. His younger brother, actor Casey Affleck, was born in 1975. His parents separated when he was 11 due to his father's addiction issues.

Affleck began acting as a child and met fellow actor Matt Damon at age 8, growing closer to him when they attended the same high school. Affleck moved to Los Angeles at age 18 and began a string of small roles, notably appearing in the cult classic Dazed and Confused in 1993.

In 1997, Good Will Hunting premiered, marking a turning point in Affleck's career. Affleck starred in and co-wrote the film alongside then-roommate Damon before rigorously pitching it to the studio until it was picked up by Miramax. The film was nominated for 9 Academy Awards and won two, including Best Original Screenplay.

Affleck achieved leading man status and went on to appear in a string of hits such as Armageddon (1998), Shakespeare in Love (1998), and Pearl Harbor (2001). In 2007, Affleck made his directorial debut with Gone Baby Gone which starred his brother. He later directed and starred in Argo in 2012, winning the Golden Globe Award and BAFTA Award for Best Director, and the Academy Award, Golden Globe Award, and BAFTA Award for Best Picture. His fifth directorial project was 2023's Air, in which he also starred alongside Damon.

In his personal life, Affleck has had a string of high-profile relationships, starting with Gwyneth Paltrow who he dated from 1997 until 2000. In 2002, Affleck started dating singer Jennifer Lopez, beginning one of the most high-profile relationships in celebrity history. The couple got engaged later that year but ended up calling off their wedding in September 2003, announcing their split four months later.

In 2005, Affleck married actress Jennifer Garner after a year of dating. Their eldest daughter, Violet, was born in December 2005. Their second child, Seraphina, on in January 2009, and their son, Samuel, in February 2012. They split in 2015 and finalized their divorce in 2018.

In 2021, Affleck reconciled with Lopez before marrying in July 2022. In August 2024, Lopez filed for divorce and listed their date of separation as April 26, 2024.