Ben Affleck facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Ben Affleck
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Affleck in 2023
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Benjamin Geza Affleck-Boldt
August 15, 1972 Berkeley, California, U.S.
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| Years active | 1981–present |
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Works
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Full list |
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| Children | 3 |
| Relatives | Casey Affleck (brother) |
| Awards | Full list |
Ben Affleck (born August 15, 1972) is a famous American actor and filmmaker. He has won many important awards, like two Academy Awards (also known as Oscars), two BAFTA Awards, and three Golden Globe Awards. He is known for acting in and directing many popular movies.
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Ben Affleck's Early Life and Childhood
Benjamin Géza Affleck-Boldt was born on August 15, 1972, in Berkeley, California. When he was three, his family moved to Massachusetts. They lived in Falmouth and then settled in Cambridge.
His mother, Christopher Anne "Chris" Boldt, was an elementary school teacher. His father, Timothy Byers Affleck, worked different jobs. Ben's parents divorced when he was 11 years old.
Ben grew up in a family that cared about art and politics. He and his brother, Casey, often went to theater shows with their mother. They were encouraged to make their own home movies. A family friend described Ben as a "very bright and intensely curious" child.
Because of his mother's friend, who was a casting director, Ben and Casey auditioned for local commercials. Ben started acting professionally at age seven. His mother saved his earnings for college. She hoped he would become a teacher because acting seemed uncertain.
When Ben was 13, he filmed a children's TV show in Mexico. He learned to speak Spanish during a year of traveling there with his mother and brother.
As a high school student at Cambridge Rindge and Latin School, Ben acted in school plays. He became very good friends with Matt Damon, whom he had known since age eight. They both wanted to be actors. They traveled to New York together for auditions.
Ben went to the University of Vermont for a few months. He later moved to Los Angeles and studied at Occidental College for about a year and a half.
Ben Affleck's Acting and Directing Career
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Ben Affleck started acting as a child. He was in the PBS educational TV show The Voyage of the Mimi (1984, 1988). Later, he appeared in the comedy Dazed and Confused (1993). He also worked with director Kevin Smith in movies like Mallrats (1995) and Chasing Amy (1997).
Ben became widely known when he and his childhood friend Matt Damon wrote and starred in Good Will Hunting (1997). They won a Golden Globe and an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay for their writing. Ben was only 25, making him the youngest person to win that Oscar.
After this success, Ben became a leading actor in big studio films. These included the disaster movie Armageddon (1998) and the war drama Pearl Harbor (2001). He also starred in thrillers like The Sum of All Fears (2002).
After a few less successful movies, Ben earned a Golden Globe nomination for his role in Hollywoodland (2006).
Directing Successes
Ben's first movie as a director was Gone Baby Gone (2007), which he also helped write. It was very well-received. He then directed, co-wrote, and starred in the crime drama The Town (2010).
His movie Argo (2012) was a huge success. Ben directed and starred in it. For Argo, he won the Golden Globe and BAFTA Award for Best Director. The movie itself won the Golden Globe, BAFTA, and Academy Award for Best Picture.
He later starred in the thriller Gone Girl (2014). Ben also played the superhero Batman in the DC Extended Universe. He appeared as Batman in movies like Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016) and Justice League (2017).
More recently, Ben has taken on supporting roles in dramas like The Last Duel (2021) and The Tender Bar (2021).
New Projects and Company
In 2023, Ben directed and starred in the movie Air. This film is about how Nike signed Michael Jordan. It was praised by critics and featured actors like Matt Damon and Viola Davis.
Air was the first movie from Artists Equity, a new production company Ben co-founded with Matt Damon. This company aims to share profits with everyone involved in making the films. Ben is the CEO of Artists Equity and plans to focus his filmmaking work there.
In 2023, Ben also starred in the action thriller Hypnotic. He also made a cameo appearance as Batman in The Flash.
Ben Affleck's Work Helping Others
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After visiting the region several times, Ben Affleck co-founded the Eastern Congo Initiative (ECI) in 2010. ECI is a non-profit organization that helps local charities in the Congo. It provides training and resources to farmers and works with companies like Starbucks. ECI also tries to raise awareness and encourage policy changes in the United States.
Ben supports the A-T Children's Project. He became involved after meeting Joe Kindregan, a boy with a rare disease called ataxia-telangiectasia (A-T). Ben helped raise money and spoke to senators in 2001 to support medical research.
He also supports Paralyzed Veterans of America and is part of Feeding America's Entertainment Council. Ben is a strong supporter of Midnight Mission, a charity in Los Angeles that helps people experiencing homelessness. He has volunteered and donated to this charity.
Ben Affleck's Family Life
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Ben Affleck first dated singer and actress Jennifer Lopez from 2002 to 2004. Their relationship was very famous, and people called them "Bennifer." They got engaged but later called off their wedding due to too much media attention.
Ben married actress Jennifer Garner in 2005. They had become friends while working on movies like Pearl Harbor and Daredevil. They have three children together: daughters Violet (born 2005) and Seraphina (born 2009), and son Samuel (born 2012). They separated in 2015 and later divorced in 2018.
Ben and Jennifer Lopez started dating again in 2021. They got engaged a second time in 2022 and married in Las Vegas on July 16, 2022. Ben became a stepfather to Lopez's two children. The couple separated in 2024, and their divorce was finalized in 2025.
Ben Affleck's Ancestry
Ben Affleck's family background includes English, Irish, Scottish, and German roots. His great-great-grandfather, Heinrich Boldt, came from Prussia in the 1840s.
In 2014, Ben appeared on the TV show Finding Your Roots, which explores people's family histories. In 2009, it was discovered that Ben Affleck is an 11th cousin of the 44th U.S. President, Barack Obama.
Ben Affleck's Filmography and Awards
Ben Affleck has acted in over 50 films. He has won many awards as an actor, writer, and director. He first gained recognition for writing Good Will Hunting (1997) with Matt Damon, winning a Golden Globe and an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay. At 25, he was the youngest person to win the Best Original Screenplay Oscar.
As an actor, he received Golden Globe nominations for his roles in Hollywoodland (2006) and The Tender Bar (2021).
His film Argo (2012), which he directed, produced, and starred in, earned him many top awards. These include the Golden Globe Award, BAFTA, and Directors Guild Award for Best Director. Argo also won the Golden Globe Award, BAFTA, and the Academy Award for Best Picture.
Images for kids
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Affleck and Matt Damon attend a Camp David screening of Good Will Hunting with President Bill Clinton in 1998.
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Affleck visiting US Marines in Manama, Bahrain in 2003
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Affleck at the 2016 San Diego Comic-Con
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Affleck at the 2008 World Series of Poker in Las Vegas, Nevada
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Affleck with Russ Feingold and Secretary of State John Kerry in February 2014
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See also
In Spanish: Ben Affleck para niños
