Ben Affleck | |
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Affleck at the 2016 San Diego Comic-Con International promoting Justice League
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Born |
Benjamin Geza Affleck-Boldt August 15, 1972 Berkeley, California, United States |
Residence | Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
Alma mater |
University of Vermont Occidental College |
Occupation |
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Years active | 1981–present |
Works | Filmography |
Political party | Democratic |
Spouse(s) | Jennifer Garner (m. 2005; separated 2015) |
Children | 3 |
Relatives | Casey Affleck (brother) |
Awards | Full list |
Benjamin Geza Affleck-Boldt (born August 15, 1972) is an American actor and filmmaker. He began his career as a child actor, starring in the PBS educational series The Voyage of the Mimi (1984, 1988). He later appeared in the coming-of-age comedy Dazed and Confused (1993) and various Kevin Smith films including Chasing Amy (1997) and Dogma (1999). Affleck gained fame when he and childhood friend Matt Damon won the Golden Globe and Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay for Good Will Hunting (1997). He then starred in high-profile films including Armageddon (1998), Shakespeare in Love (1998), Pearl Harbor (2001), Changing Lanes (2002), and The Sum of All Fears (2002). After a career downturn, during which he appeared in Daredevil and Gigli (both 2003), Affleck received a Golden Globe nomination for his performance in Hollywoodland (2006).
Affleck's directorial debut, Gone Baby Gone (2007), which he also co-wrote, was well received. He then directed, co-wrote, and starred in the crime drama The Town (2010). For the political thriller Argo (2012), which he directed and starred in, Affleck won the Golden Globe and BAFTA Award for Best Director, and the Golden Globe, BAFTA, and Academy Award for Best Picture. In 2014, he starred in the psychological thriller Gone Girl. In 2016, Affleck began playing Batman in the DC Extended Universe, and directed the gangster drama Live by Night, which he also wrote and starred in.