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IMDbPro

Ben Affleck

  • Producer
  • Actor
  • Writer
IMDbProStarmeter
Top 5001
Ben Affleck
Take a closer look at the various roles Ben Affleck has played throughout his acting career.
Play clip2:05
Ben Affleck | Career Retrospective
99+ Videos
99+ Photos
Benjamin Géza "Ben" Affleck-Boldt was born on August 15, 1972 in Berkeley, California and raised in Cambridge, Massachusetts, to mother Chris Anne (Boldt), a school teacher, and father Timothy Byers "Tim" Affleck, a social worker. Ben has a younger brother, actor Casey Affleck, who was born in 1975. He is of mostly English, Irish, German, and Scottish ancestry. His middle name, Géza, is after a Hungarian family friend who was a Holocaust survivor.

Affleck wanted to be an actor ever since he could remember, and his first acting experience was for a Burger King commercial, when he was on the PBS mini-series, The Voyage of the Mimi (1984). It was also at that age when Ben met his lifelong friend and fellow actor, Matt Damon. They played little league together and took drama classes together. Ben's teen years consisted of mainly TV movies and small television appearances including Hands of a Stranger (1987) and The Second Voyage of the Mimi (1988). He made his big introduction into feature films in 1993 when he was cast in Dazed and Confused (1993). After that, he did mostly independent films like Kevin Smith's Mallrats (1995) and Chasing Amy (1997) which were great for Ben's career, receiving renowned appreciation for his works at the Sundance film festival. But the success he was having in independent films didn't last much longer and things got a little shaky for Ben. He was living in an apartment with his brother Casey and friend Matt, getting tired of being turned down for the big roles in films and being given the forgettable supporting ones. Since Matt was having the same trouble, they decided to write their own script, where they could call all the shots. So, after finishing the script for Good Will Hunting (1997), they gave it to their agent, Patrick Whitesell, who showed it to a few Hollywood studios, finally being accepted by Castle Rock. It was great news for the two, but Castle Rock wasn't willing to give Ben and Matt the control over the project they were hoping for. It was friend Kevin Smith who took it to the head of Miramax who bought the script giving Ben and Matt the control they wanted and, in December 5, 1997, Good Will Hunting (1997) was released, making the two unknown actors famous. The film was nominated for 9 Academy Awards and won two, including Best Original Screenplay for Ben and Matt. The film marked Ben's breakthrough role, in which he was given for the first time the chance to choose roles instead of having to go through grueling auditions constantly.

Affleck chose such roles in the blockbusters Armageddon (1998), Shakespeare in Love (1998), and Pearl Harbor (2001). In the early years of the 2000s, he also starred in the box office hits Changing Lanes (2002), The Sum of All Fears (2002), and Daredevil (2003), as well as the disappointing comedies Gigli (2003) and Surviving Christmas (2004). While the mid 2000s were considered a career downturn for Affleck, he received a Golden Globe nomination for his performance in Hollywoodland (2006). In the several years following, he played supporting roles, including in the films Smokin' Aces (2006), He's Just Not That Into You (2009), State of Play (2009), and Extract (2009). He ventured into directing in 2007, with the thriller Gone Baby Gone (2007), which starred his brother, Casey Affleck, and was well received. He then directed, co-wrote, and starred in The Town (2010), which was named to the National Board of Review Top Ten Films of the year. For the political thriller Argo (2012), which he directed and starred in, Affleck won the Golden Globe Award and BAFTA Award for Best Director, and the Academy Award, Golden Globe Award, and BAFTA Award for Best Picture (Affleck's second Oscar win).

In 2014, Affleck headlined the book adaptation thriller Gone Girl (2014). He starred as Bruce Wayne/Batman in the superhero film Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016), Suicide Squad (2016), and Justice League (2017). He reprised the role in Zack Snyder's Justice League (2021) which won an Oscar, and he will next appear as Batman in Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom (2023) and The Flash (2023).

Recently he has given praise-worthy performances in The Way Back (2020) as a recovering alcoholic, The Last Duel (2021) (notably he also co-wrote the script), and a scene-stealing golden globe nominated performance in The Tender Bar (2021).
BornAugust 15, 1972
  • More at IMDbPro
    • Contact info
    • Agent info
    • Resume
BornAugust 15, 1972
IMDbProStarmeter
Top 5001
  • View contact info at IMDbPro
  • Won 2 Oscars

Before They Were Famous: Actors' Early Roles

Before They Were Famous: Actors' Early Roles

See photos of celebrities like Jenna Ortega and Noah Centineo before they hit the big-time, and revisit some of their earliest onscreen roles.
See the full gallery
[object Object]
Photos

Photos1423

Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck in Jersey Girl (2004)
Jennifer Lopez, Ben Affleck, and Mel Bouzad in Gigli (2003)
Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck in Jersey Girl (2004)
Ben Affleck, Matt Damon, Brendan Fraser, Chris O'Donnell, Randall Batinkoff, Cole Hauser, Andrew Lowery, and Anthony Rapp in School Ties (1992)
Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck in Halftime (2022)
Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck in Jersey Girl (2004)
Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck in Jennifer Lopez & Maluma: Marry Me (Ballad) (2022)
Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck in Jennifer Lopez: Jenny from the Block (2002)
Ben Affleck in Daredevil (2003)
Jennifer Aniston and Ben Affleck in He's Just Not That Into You (2009)
Ben Affleck and Ana de Armas in Deep Water (2022)
Ben Affleck in Deep Water (2022)

Known for

Argo (2012)
Argo
7.7
  • Producer(produced by)
  • 2012
Ben Affleck in Gone Girl (2014)
Gone Girl
8.1
  • Nick Dunne
  • 2014
Ben Affleck, Rebecca Hall, Jon Hamm, Blake Lively, and Jeremy Renner in The Town (2010)
The Town
7.5
  • Doug MacRay
  • 2010
Robin Williams and Matt Damon in Good Will Hunting (1997)
Good Will Hunting
8.3
  • Chuckie
  • 1997

Credits

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IMDbPro

Producer

  • Air
    • Completed
  • For people in trouble
    • Post-production
  • Keeper of the Lost Cities
    • In Development
  • Apostle Paul
    • Pre-production
  • Thirst
    • In Development
  • Witness for the Prosecution
    • In Development
  • Kevin Bacon and Aldis Hodge in City on a Hill (2019)
    City on a Hill
  • Ben Affleck, Matt Damon, Jodie Comer, and Adam Driver in The Last Duel (2021)
    The Last Duel
    • (produced by, p.g.a.)
  • Ben Affleck, Henry Cavill, Jason Momoa, Gal Gadot, Ezra Miller, and Ray Fisher in Zack Snyder's Justice League (2021)
    Zack Snyder's Justice League
  • Ben Affleck, Jeremy Irons, Amy Adams, Henry Cavill, Jason Momoa, Gal Gadot, Ezra Miller, and Ray Fisher in Justice League (2017)
    Justice League
  • Sean Teale in Incorporated (2016)
    Incorporated
  • Bending the Arc (2017)
    Bending the Arc
  • Ben Affleck, Chris Cooper, Brendan Gleeson, Chris Messina, Zoe Saldana, Sienna Miller, and Elle Fanning in Live by Night (2016)
    Live by Night
    • (produced by)
  • The Runner (2016)
    The Runner
  • The Leisure Class (2015)
    The Leisure Class
  • Ben Affleck and Matt Damon in Project Greenlight (2001)
    Project Greenlight
  • More Time with Family
  • Ben Affleck on the Meaning of Life
  • Argo (2012)
    Argo
    • (produced by)
  • Reporter (2009)
    Reporter
  • Feast (2005)
    Feast

Actor

  • Air
    • Completed
  • The Flash
    • Post-production
  • Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom
    • Post-production
  • Hypnotic
    • Post-production
  • Witness for the Prosecution
    • In Development
  • Untitled Accountant Sequel
    • (rumored)
    • In Development
  • Kevin Smith, Jeff Anderson, Jason Mewes, and Brian O'Halloran in Clerks III (2022)
    Clerks III
  • Ben Affleck and Ana de Armas in Deep Water (2022)
    Deep Water
  • Ben Affleck and Daniel Ranieri in The Tender Bar (2021)
    The Tender Bar
  • Ben Affleck, Matt Damon, Jodie Comer, and Adam Driver in The Last Duel (2021)
    The Last Duel
  • Ben Affleck, Henry Cavill, Jason Momoa, Gal Gadot, Ezra Miller, and Ray Fisher in Zack Snyder's Justice League (2021)
    Zack Snyder's Justice League
  • Ben Affleck in The Way Back (2020)
    The Way Back
  • Ben Affleck, Willem Dafoe, Rosie Perez, and Anne Hathaway in The Last Thing He Wanted (2020)
    The Last Thing He Wanted
  • Val Kilmer, Ben Affleck, Matt Damon, Joey Lauren Adams, Tommy Chong, Shannon Elizabeth, Kevin Smith, James Van Der Beek, Jason Biggs, Jason Lee, Fred Armisen, Diedrich Bader, Rosario Dawson, Ralph Garman, Chris Jericho, Justin Long, Method Man, Joe Manganiello, Jason Mewes, Brian O'Halloran, Donnell Rawlings, Redman, Joseph D. Reitman, Jake Richardson, Craig Robinson, Jennifer Schwalbach Smith, Molly Shannon, Harley Quinn Smith, Chris Hemsworth, Frankie Shaw, Kate Micucci, Melissa Benoist, David Dastmalchian, Treshelle Edmond, Alice Wen, Aparna Brielle, and Mickey Gooch Jr. in Jay and Silent Bob Reboot (2019)
    Jay and Silent Bob Reboot
  • Ben Affleck, Pedro Pascal, Charlie Hunnam, Oscar Isaac, and Garrett Hedlund in Triple Frontier (2019)
    Triple Frontier
  • Jimmy Kimmel's the Terrific Ten (2017)
    Jimmy Kimmel's the Terrific Ten
  • Ben Affleck, Jeremy Irons, Amy Adams, Henry Cavill, Jason Momoa, Gal Gadot, Ezra Miller, and Ray Fisher in Justice League (2017)
    Justice League
  • Ben Affleck, Chris Cooper, Brendan Gleeson, Chris Messina, Zoe Saldana, Sienna Miller, and Elle Fanning in Live by Night (2016)
    Live by Night
  • Ben Affleck in The Accountant (2016)
    The Accountant
  • Will Smith, Jared Leto, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Adam Beach, Viola Davis, Jay Hernandez, Joel Kinnaman, Jai Courtney, Margot Robbie, Cara Delevingne, and Karen Fukuhara in Suicide Squad (2016)
    Suicide Squad
    • (uncredited)
  • Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (Ultimate Edition) (2016)
    Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (Ultimate Edition)

Writer

  • Keeper of the Lost Cities
    • In Development
  • Ben Affleck, Matt Damon, Jodie Comer, and Adam Driver in The Last Duel (2021)
    The Last Duel
  • Ben Affleck, Chris Cooper, Brendan Gleeson, Chris Messina, Zoe Saldana, Sienna Miller, and Elle Fanning in Live by Night (2016)
    Live by Night
  • Ben Affleck, Rebecca Hall, Jon Hamm, Blake Lively, and Jeremy Renner in The Town (2010)
    The Town
  • Casey Affleck in Gone Baby Gone (2007)
    Gone Baby Gone
  • Push, Nevada (2002)
    Push, Nevada
  • Robin Williams and Matt Damon in Good Will Hunting (1997)
    Good Will Hunting
  • In-development projects at IMDbPro

Star Siblings: Famous Brothers and Sisters

Star Siblings: Famous Brothers and Sisters

Take a look at some of our favorite celebrity siblings, including Toby Sebastian and Florence Pugh, and Bill and Alexander Skarsgård.
See the gallery
[object Object]
Photos

Videos113

Gone Girl
Full Episode 8:49
Gone Girl
Jodie Comer, Matt Damon, and Ben Affleck on Why 'Last Duel' Cast Was 'Locked-In'
Clip 2:54
Jodie Comer, Matt Damon, and Ben Affleck on Why 'Last Duel' Cast Was 'Locked-In'
Ben Affleck | Career Retrospective
Clip 2:05
Ben Affleck | Career Retrospective
What to Know Before Watching 'Zack Snyder's Justice League'
Clip 3:43
What to Know Before Watching 'Zack Snyder's Justice League'
The Batfleck Revealed
Clip 4:00
The Batfleck Revealed
Ben Affleck Reconnects With His Love of Acting in 'The Way Back'
Clip 3:12
Ben Affleck Reconnects With His Love of Acting in 'The Way Back'
Who Nearly Starred in 'Justice League?'
Clip 3:48
Who Nearly Starred in 'Justice League?'
State of Play (2009)
Clip 0:31
State of Play (2009)
'Triple Frontier' Alpha Males Are Buds in Real Life, Too
Interview 2:16
'Triple Frontier' Alpha Males Are Buds in Real Life, Too
Ben Affleck and Henry Cavill on How Superman and Batman Have Changed
Interview 2:47
Ben Affleck and Henry Cavill on How Superman and Batman Have Changed
Ultimate Edition Trailer
Trailer 1:39
Ultimate Edition Trailer
Official Trailer
Trailer 2:03
Official Trailer

Personal details

Edit
  • Official sites
    • Eastern Congo Initiative - co-founder and chairman
    • Facebook
    • August 15, 1972
    • Berkeley, California, USA
    • Jennifer LopezJuly 16, 2022 - present
    • Violet Affleck
    • Casey Affleck(Sibling)
  • Other works
    Radio commercial: Samuel Adams beer.
  • Publicity listings
    • 2 Biographical Movies
    • 1 Portrayal
    • 27 Interviews
    • 57 Articles
    • 12 Pictorials
    • 52 Magazine Cover Photos

Did you know

Edit
  • Trivia
    Is known for being a very good impressionist. He usually picks one of his costars while filming a movie and studies them. He displays his impressions on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno (1992) almost every time he is a guest. While filming The Sum of All Fears (2002), he chose to study co-star Morgan Freeman. When he showed Morgan his impression on set, it was so accurate Freeman told him, "You ever do that again, I'll kill you".
  • Quotes
    [on the celebrity women the tabloids falsely link him to] Sometimes it's Britney Spears, and sometimes it's Carrie Fisher. I can't tell if I have a Lolita complex or an Oedipus complex.
    • Frequently plays arrogant and ruthless characters
    • Hypnotic
      (2024)
      $55,000,000

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