Casey Affleck facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Casey Affleck
Affleck at the Manchester by the Sea premiere in 2016
Born	Caleb Casey McGuire Affleck-Boldt (1975-08-12) August 12, 1975 (age 49) Falmouth, Massachusetts, U.S.
Education	George Washington University Columbia University
Occupation	Actor filmmaker
Years active	1988–present
Spouse(s)	Summer Phoenix ​ ​ (m. 2006; div. 2017)​
Children	2
Relatives	Ben Affleck (brother)
Awards	Full list

Casey Affleck (born Caleb Casey McGuire Affleck-Boldt; August 12, 1975) is an American actor. He has won many important awards, including an Academy Award, a British Academy Film Award, and a Golden Globe Award. He is the younger brother of actor Ben Affleck.

Casey started acting when he was a child. His first role was in the TV movie Lemon Sky (1988). He later appeared in films like To Die For (1995) and Good Will Hunting (1997). He also starred in the Ocean's movies (2001–2007). His first main role was in the movie Lonesome Jim (2006).

In 2007, Casey became widely known. He was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role in The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford. He also starred in his brother's crime movie Gone Baby Gone. In 2010, he directed a film called I'm Still Here. He then acted in movies like Tower Heist (2011), ParaNorman (2012), and Interstellar (2014). People especially liked his acting in Ain't Them Bodies Saints (2013).

In 2016, Casey starred in the drama Manchester by the Sea. His performance as a man dealing with sadness won him the Academy Award for Best Actor. Since then, he has appeared in dramas like A Ghost Story (2017) and The Old Man & the Gun (2018). In 2023, he played Boris Pash in the movie Oppenheimer, which became his highest-earning film.

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Early Life and Education

Caleb Casey McGuire Affleck-Boldt was born on August 12, 1975. He was born in Falmouth, Massachusetts, in the United States. His parents are Christopher Anne "Chris" Boldt and Timothy Byers Affleck. His family name, Affleck, comes from Scotland. He also has roots from Ireland, Germany, England, and Switzerland.

Casey's mother was a teacher who studied at Radcliffe College and Harvard. His father worked many different jobs, like a car mechanic, a carpenter, and a janitor at Harvard. When Casey was a child, his father was also involved in theater.

When Casey was nine, his parents divorced. He and his older brother, Ben, lived with their mother. They visited their father every week. When he was ten, Casey spent a year traveling in Mexico with his mother and brother. During this time, he learned to speak Spanish. The two brothers were very close and spent a lot of time together. When Casey was fourteen, his father moved to Indio, California. He worked there as an addiction counselor. Casey got to know his father better during visits to California.

Casey grew up in Central Square, Cambridge, in a family that cared about art and politics. His mother often took them to the theater. She also encouraged them to make their own home movies. Sometimes, the brothers appeared in local TV commercials and as movie extras. This happened because their mother was friends with a casting director. Casey acted in many plays in high school at Cambridge Rindge and Latin School. He has said his high school theater teacher, Gerry Speca, inspired him to become an actor.

When he was eighteen, Casey moved to Los Angeles for a year. He wanted to start an acting career. He lived with his brother Ben and their childhood friend Matt Damon. Even though his first movie, To Die For, was a good experience, he spent much of that year working as a busboy. He then decided to move to Washington, D.C., to study politics at George Washington University. Later, he moved to Columbia University in New York City. He studied there for two years but did not finish his degree. He explained that acting opportunities kept coming up, which were hard to turn down.

Career Highlights

Early Acting Roles (1988–2006)

Casey Affleck started acting professionally as a child. This was thanks to his mother's friend, Patty Collinge, who was a casting director. He appeared in local TV commercials and as an extra in movies. He also played Kevin Bacon's brother in the TV movie Lemon Sky (1988). He was also a young Robert F. Kennedy in the TV show The Kennedys of Massachusetts (1990). At first, acting was just a way to get a day off from school. He only thought about acting as a career when he was in high school.

When he moved to Los Angeles to act, his first movie role was in To Die For (1995). He played a troubled teenager in this comedy. During filming, Casey became good friends with his co-star Joaquin Phoenix. Critics praised his acting, saying he captured the feelings of a teenager well. However, his next film, Race the Sun (1996), was not a good experience. After that, he went back to school.

While studying at Columbia, Casey had a role in Good Will Hunting (1997). This movie was written by his brother Ben and their friend Matt Damon. Casey was not sure about leaving college to act in the film. But he was convinced to play one of four friends in South Boston. He even made up many of his lines. Critics liked his performance, noting his emotional depth. After this movie's success, Casey's career did not immediately take off. His life also became more public.

Casey then had a period with many supporting roles in movies that were not very successful. He later said he learned to be more careful about the roles he chose. He appeared in Desert Blue (1998) and had a small role in American Pie (1999). He also played a punk rocker in 200 Cigarettes (1999). In Drowning Mona (2000), he played a shy gardener. He also had small roles in Attention Shoppers (2000) and Hamlet (2000). In Committed (2000), critics praised his "terrific" acting. He also appeared in American Pie 2 (2001) and Soul Survivors (2001). During this time, he learned a lot by working as an assistant on the film Finding Forrester (2000).

Casey found some success when he was cast in Ocean's Eleven (2001). This heist comedy starred George Clooney, Brad Pitt, and Matt Damon. Casey and Scott Caan played two brothers who are mechanics. They help to rob three casinos in Las Vegas. Casey later played the same role in Ocean's Twelve (2004) and Ocean's Thirteen (2007).

In 2002, Casey and Matt Damon starred in Gerry. This experimental drama was about two men who get lost while hiking. Casey, Matt, and the director wrote the story together. The movie had very little talking and received mixed reviews. Casey said it was an "incredible experience." Also in 2002, Casey acted in a play called This Is Our Youth with Matt Damon and his girlfriend at the time, Summer Phoenix.

Casey's first main role was in the independent comedy-drama Lonesome Jim (2006). He played a sad writer who moves back home with his parents. He starts a relationship with Liv Tyler's character. Critics had different opinions on his performance. Some said he was very authentic, while others felt he could have shown more emotion. Also in 2006, he had a supporting role in the romantic comedy The Last Kiss.

Rising to Fame (2007–2012)

Casey Affleck had a very successful year in 2007. Two of his films were released and received great reviews for his acting. The first was the Western drama The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford. In this movie, he played Robert Ford, who was with Brad Pitt's character, Jesse James. Casey worked hard to get the role. Critics called his performance a "revelation" and "wonderfully brave." They said he made a strong impression as the insecure character. For this role, Casey was nominated for several awards, including a Golden Globe Award, a Screen Actors Guild Award, and an Academy Award.

Affleck on the set of Gone Baby Gone in 2006

While filming The Assassination of Jesse James, Casey's brother Ben visited him. Ben offered Casey the main role in his first movie as a director, Gone Baby Gone (2007). This was a crime thriller set in Boston. Casey trusted his brother's project, even though Ben was a new director. Casey played an inexperienced private investigator looking for a missing child. His acting earned him more praise. Critics said he had become a "major talent" and a "leading man."

Even though one movie didn't make much money and the other was a moderate success, Casey's acting career was clearly improving.

Casey used his own money to make I'm Still Here. When he ran out of money, filming stopped for a month. During this break, he acted in Michael Winterbottom's crime drama The Killer Inside Me (2010). Critics found his performance "disturbingly brilliant" and "mesmeric." They noted his ability to show deep emotions without much expression. After this, Casey had a supporting role in the comedy Tower Heist (2011). He also voiced a character in the animated movie ParaNorman (2012).

Wider Recognition (2013–Present)

After spending a lot of time directing I'm Still Here, Casey returned to acting regularly in 2013. He said he remembered why he loved acting and missed it. In David Lowery's Ain't Them Bodies Saints (2013), Casey and Rooney Mara played outlaw lovers in Texas. Casey liked playing a character who was better than people thought. Critics called him the "standout actor" and praised his ability to capture the feelings of a romantic outlaw.

Acting with Christian Bale in the drama Out of the Furnace (2013) made Casey enjoy acting again. He played an Iraq War veteran dealing with posttraumatic stress disorder. Critics found his performance "completely captivating" and "searing." They noted the strong connection between him and Bale. In 2014, Casey and Jessica Chastain had supporting roles in Christopher Nolan's science fiction film Interstellar. Also in 2014, Casey started a production company called The Affleck/Middleton Project with John Powers Middleton.

Casey starred in three films in 2016. In the crime thriller Triple 9, he played an honest detective. Critics called him "one of the most persuasive leading men" and "Hollywood's best offbeat leading man." In Disney's disaster drama The Finest Hours, Casey played a quiet engineer on a sinking ship. Critics said he gave a thoughtful performance and made his quiet character compelling.

Affleck at the premiere of Manchester by the Sea in 2016

His last role in 2016 was in Manchester by the Sea. He played Lee Chandler, a man dealing with deep sadness. Matt Damon, one of the film's producers, was supposed to star in it. But due to scheduling issues, Damon suggested Casey for the role. The director, Kenneth Lonergan, agreed right away. Casey had a close relationship with both men and had given ideas for the script earlier. The movie was a success, and Casey's acting received widespread praise. Critics called it "one of the most fiercely disciplined screen performances" and "quietly volcanic." They said he showed the character's deep grief and emotional pain. Casey won many awards for this role, including the Golden Globe Award, BAFTA Award, and Academy Award for Best Actor.

After Manchester by the Sea, Casey worked with director David Lowery again. He starred with Rooney Mara in the experimental drama A Ghost Story (2017). In this film, Casey's character dies early on. He spends much of the movie covered by a white sheet, haunting his old home. Critics said his performance was powerful even with limited screen time. In 2018, Casey starred with Robert Redford in the drama The Old Man & the Gun. This was his third movie with director David Lowery.

In 2019, Casey directed, wrote, and starred in the survival drama Light of My Life. The movie received good reviews. Casey then starred in Our Friend (2019) with Dakota Johnson and Jason Segel. This film was based on a true story about a couple whose best friend moves in to support them during a difficult time. Casey also acted in and produced The World to Come (2020). In 2023, he played Boris Pash in Christopher Nolan's movie Oppenheimer.

Personal Life

Relationships and Family

Casey Affleck met actress Summer Phoenix through her brother, Joaquin, in the late 1990s. They started dating in 2000. They acted together in the 2000 film Committed and a 2002 play called This Is Our Youth. They got engaged in January 2004 and married on June 3, 2006. They have two sons, born in 2004 and 2007. In August 2017, Summer Phoenix filed for divorce, which was finalized later that year. Casey has said their divorce was friendly and they remain friends.

Since January 2021, he has been in a relationship with actress Caylee Cowan.

Political Views

In 2008, Casey Affleck filmed an episode of a documentary series called 4Real. He visited the Pawnee Nation of Oklahoma. He noted the progress they made due to their own hard work and determination. During the 2016 presidential campaign, Casey supported Hillary Clinton. In 2017, his production company made some financial contributions to Donald Trump. Casey stated he did not know about these contributions and would not have approved them. He said Trump's policies are against what he believes in.

Philanthropy

Casey Affleck has been a vegan since 1995. This means he does not eat animal products. He has worked with animal rights groups like People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) and Farm Sanctuary.

In 2017, Casey supported the 37th Annual National Veterans Wheelchair Games. These games are for veterans who use wheelchairs. In January 2019, he presented an award at the fourth annual Veterans Awards.

In June 2020, Casey and his mother, Christine, started a fundraising effort called Stories from Tomorrow. This project works with organizations like Room to Read, WriteGirl, and New Earth. Casey is a board member of New Earth. 'Stories from Tomorrow' connects original writings by children (ages 5–18) with celebrities. The celebrities read the children's work, which is then shown in videos. The money raised helps children around the world get education and food.

Filmography

Film

Television

Awards and Nominations

Images for kids

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  Affleck at the Manchester by the Sea premiere in 2016

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  Affleck on the set of Gone Baby Gone in 2006

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  Affleck at the premiere of Manchester by the Sea in 2016

See Also

In Spanish: Casey Affleck para niños

• List of actors with Academy Award nominations