Ben Affleck Biography
Benjamin Géza Affleck-Boldt was born on August 15, 1972, in Berkeley, California. Childhood friends with Matt Damon in Cambridge, MA, Affleck co-wrote Good Will Hunting and won his first Academy Award at just 25. After a mid-career slump, he staged a remarkable comeback as a director with Gone Baby Gone (2007), The Town (2010), and Argo (2012) — the last of which won Best Picture at the Oscars.
Personal Life
Who are Ben Affleck's parents?
Timothy Byers Affleck, Christopher Anne Boldt
Did Ben Affleck have siblings?
Yes — Casey Affleck.
Was Ben Affleck married?
| Name | Married | Divorced |
|---|---|---|
| Jennifer Garner | – | – |
| Jennifer Lopez | – | – |
Did Ben Affleck have children?
Ben Affleck had 3 children: Violet Anne Affleck (born 2005), Seraphina Rose Elizabeth Affleck (born 2009), Samuel Garner Affleck (born 2012).
What religion was Ben Affleck?
Ben Affleck was N/A.
What was Ben Affleck's ethnicity?
Ben Affleck was of English, German, Irish, French-Canadian, Scottish heritage.
Career Highlights
Movies
- Mallrats (1995)
- Chasing Amy (1997)
- Good Will Hunting (1997)
- Armageddon (1998)
- Shakespeare in Love (1998)
- Pearl Harbor (2001)
- The Sum of All Fears (2002)
- Daredevil (2003)
- Jersey Girl (2004)
- Hollywoodland (2006)
- Gone Baby Gone (2007)
- State of Play (2009)
- The Town (2010)
- Argo (2012)
- Gone Girl (2014)
- Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016)
- Justice League (2017)
- Triple Frontier (2019)
- The Way Back (2020)
- The Last Duel (2021)
- The Tender Bar (2021)
- Air (2023)
- Hypnotic (2023)
Awards
- Academy Award — Best Original Screenplay, Good Will Hunting (1998, with Matt Damon)
- Academy Award — Best Picture, Argo (2013, as producer)
- BAFTA Award — Best Film, Argo (2013)
- Directors Guild Award — Argo (2013)
- Golden Globe — Best Director, Argo (2013)
Facts About Ben Affleck
- Won two Academy Awards — one for writing (Good Will Hunting with Matt Damon) and one for producing Best Picture (Argo)
- Was not nominated for Best Director for Argo despite the film winning Best Picture — one of only 6 Best Picture winners with a non-nominated director
- His marriage to Jennifer Lopez — dubbed 'Bennifer' by tabloids — generated massive press attention both in 2002 and again when they reunited and married in 2022
- Directed Gone Baby Gone (2007), The Town (2010), and Argo (2012) — three well-received crime thrillers in a row
- Was cast as Batman in the DCEU despite significant public backlash when announced — critics later called his performance one of the best parts of the films
Ben Affleck Quotes
"I have a lot of love for my family. I'm not perfect. I wish I were."
"Failing is something I do a lot. Something that I probably do more than most people."
Legacy
Ben Affleck's career arc — from tabloid punchline to double Oscar winner — is one of Hollywood's most compelling comeback stories. As a director, his three Boston crime films rank among the finest in the genre.
Sources
Last verified: 2026-06-15