Ben Affleck – biography, photos, facts, family, wife and kids, height and weight 2020

Ben Affleck Biography

Benjamin Géza Affleck is an American actor, director, filmmaker and «Oscar» award winner. He received an award for «Special Achievement in Filmmaking» for his performance in «Good Will Hunting». Benjamin is an older brother of Casey Affleck.

Ben Affleck is an idol for millions of his fans

Early life

Benjamin Affleck was born on August, 15, 1972, in Berkeley, California in an Irish-Scottish family. His mother, Christopher Ann (nee Boldt) was a school teacher and father, Timothy Byers Affleck was as aspiring actor who used to perform in one of the Boston theatres. His father`s acting career never really blossomed but he managed to make friends with Dustin Hoffman and Blythe Danner (Gwyneth Paltrow`s mother).

Since the early childhood Ben Affleck stood out with his expressive looks

After the departure from the theatre Timothy tried to make a living as a janitor, social worker, bartender and auto mechanic. He was not satisfied with his life in Boston, so he moved to the California where he became pharmacological sales representative.

In 1981 8 years old Ben got his first acting appearance in a social drama film «Dark Side of the Street». Just three years later, in 1984 Affleck`s parents divorced and his mother took him and his younger brother Casey and moved to Massachusetts. She got a job at the local school and Affleck family started to settle down in a new place.

Benjamin Affleck with his mother and younger brother

Right after the moving, Chris, thanks to her friends, managed to get her son a role in an educational series called «The Voyage of the Mimi» This small role was enough to set young Ben on an acting path.

Ben Affleck`s first serious role in «The Voyage of the Mimi»

Meeting Matt Damon

While living in Cambridge Ben became friends with Matt Damon. They were living in a couple of blocks apart from each other, were studying in one school (with Damon being two years older) and visiting theatre school together. According to Damon, their acting teacher Gerry Speca always gave Affleck the most important roles and monologues. Matt was a frequent guest in Affleck`s house, where they, thanks to the liberal family values, could drink beer and smoke weed freely.

Ben Affleck was quite a hothead in his youth

Once, during one of their meetings, two friends firmly decided to become professional actors and started to attend to the castings, but the only roles they`ve got were crowd scene roles in middling movies like «Wanted: A Perfect Man», «hands of a Stranger» and «The Second Voyage of the Mimi».

The friendship between Affleck and Damon was tested by the time

In 1989 Ben Affleck had an appearance in Burger King fast food TV commercial. At that time he was already 17 years old and had to think about choosing his future profession. He applied to the University of Vermont, but only because of his unanswered love to a girl who didn`t even studied in this university but in a school right nearby. Unsurprisingly, he dropped out from the university right after the first semester and ventured to conquer Hollywood with his friend Matt Damon.

Ben Affleck in Burger King TV commercial

Ben Affleck in Hollywood

Affleck`s mother was devastated by his decision. For her Hollywood was a city full of vice and temptation. She was afraid that her son, who was always a fool for a lavish lifestyle, will spend his remaining years in some rehab. She was partially right though, since her Ben and Matt, barely 20 years old, were renting a house in a middle of a city, throwing gigantic parties and wasting few money they had on booze and drugs, periodically visiting castings and trials.

Affleck and Damon conquering the Hollywood

Hollywood really tested the mettle of young actors, offering them only minor and crowd scene roles. In 1992 both actors got their chance in «School Ties» movie. The film covered the problems and hardships that shape lives of students from different backgrounds and started careers of many now famous actors such as Chris O`Donnel, Brendon Fraser and Amy Locane.

The stars in the making. Shot from «School Ties» movie

When friends received the money for the movie (40 thousand dollar for each of them) they decided to celebrate it big and rented a cottage on Pacific Ocean shore and throw up a party for 800 people. They started to literary burn money left and right. Affleck even spent some of his money on short film called «I Killed My Lesbian Wife, Hung Her on a Meat Hook, and Now I Have a Three-Picture Deal at Disney».

Ben Affleck`s directorial debut

Only when they ran out of money they found out that they have an enormous 15 thousand dollars tax debt. In order to save some money they had to move out of city centre and settle in Eagle Rock settlement near Los Angeles.

Eagle Rock Residence of Affleck and Damon

During this time Affleck decided to make a second attempt to get a degree and applied to humanitarian Occidental College in Los Angeles. For some time he was able to successfully juggle his study and acting career. He was able to grab an episodic role in «Buffy the Vampire Slayer» series and was invited to perform in «Dazed and Confused» where he first met and befriended Matthew McConaughey.

One day, creative writing professor tasked Affleck`s university group to write a short story on a free topic. Ben and Matt spent few evenings composing it down, but teacher only laughed in actor`s face and stated that no one in their right mind would ever read his dribble. Angered by her attitude Ben left the university.

Ben Affleck got his university degree only in 2013

Career Take-off

In 1995 two actors were noticed by Kevin Smith, aspiring director and screenwriter. He set his eyes on them during the filming of «Mallrats» and from that day, despite movie`s failures, Affleck-Damon duo appeared in almost every Smith`s comedy such as «Chasing Amy», «Dogma», «Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back» and «Jersey Girl».

Smith also was a co-producer of 1997 «Good Will Hunting» movie which skyrocketed Affleck`s and Damon`s careers and brought them overwhelming popularity. Film starred Damon as Will Hunting, young boy with genius IQ working as janitor and Affleck as his best friend. This movie was based on notorious 20 page story written by actors as a home task and laughed at by Occidental University teacher.

«Good Will Hunting» was based on a script that Affleck and Damon wrote together

Movie managed to gross over 225 million dollars from a 10 million budget and brought 2 Oscars in such nominations as «Best Original Screenplay» for Affleck and Damon and «Best Supporting Actor» for Robin Williams). In the same year two friends won «Golden Globe» award for «Best Screenplay» nomination, and received National Board of Review award «Special Achievement in Filmmaking».

Affleck and Damon receiving Oscar for «Good Will Hunting»

Young actor was showered with many movie offers: from «Shakespeare in love», where Affleck`s character was a witness to a love triangle between Gwyneth Paltrow, Joseph Fiennes and Colin Firth, to disaster-film «Armageddon». During the filming of Michael Bay`s blockbuster Ben was surrounded by Hollywood superstars. His partners were Bruce Willis, Steve Buscemi and Billy Bob Tornton, and wonderful Liv Tyler as his on-screen lover.

Ben Affleck and Bruce Willis in «Armageddon»

In 2001 Affleck reunited with Michael Bay for war drama «Pearl Harbor», which quickly became a worldwide bestseller. This time Affleck teamed up with Josh Hartnett and Kate Beckinsale.

Ben Affleck as Captain Rafe McCawley in «Pearl Harbor»

In 2003 Ben starred in «Daredevil» movie based on the comics with the same name, one of Affleck`s personal favorites. «Daredevil» was a commercial success unlike some of the next Ben`s movies such as «Gigli» and «Surviving Christmas» both of which bombed at box office. His duo with Jennifer Lopez in «Gigli» was considered the worst acting tandem in the history of moviemaking.

Affleck and Lopez movie romance was shredded by the critics

However even two universally panned movies were not able to bring Ben`s popularity down. In 2006 Affleck and Adrien Brody has starred in «Hollywoodland». This biographic mystery film presented as a fictionalized speculation on the mysterious death of actor George Reeves and scored a number of awards and nominations. Ben Affleck himself was awarded with «Golden Globe» and «Volpi Cup».

In 2006 Ben took part in «Smokin» Aces» movie as bail-bondsman Jack Dupree. Movie also starred Ryan Reynolds, preforming a role of special agent Richard Messner.

Ben Affleck in «Smokin» Aces»

After the «Aces» Affleck decided to tone his acting a bit down to focus on his own projects where he could work on scriptwriting and being a film director.

Ben Affleck as a producer, director and lead actor in «Argo»

One of his projects took form of based on a true story political thriller «Argo». Film`s plot was based on evacuation of USA diplomats from captivity in Teheran in 1979. Brad Pitt was supposed to appear in the movie as CIA agent Tony Mende, but had to bail out because of his inability to commit to such ambitious project due to his schedule, so Ben Affleck had to star in a movie he was directing. «Breaking Bad» star Brian Cranston, however, managed to leave join Affleck as Mendez` boss Jack O`Donnell.

Affleck`s free interpretation of historical circumstances was initially attacked by the critics, but he, despite their ravings, succeeded in taking three «Oscar» prizes, including the most prestigious «Best Picture» award.

Ben Affleck receives «Oscar» for his work on «Argo»

In 2009 he appeared on screen as a lover of charming Jennifer Aniston in «He`s Just Not That into You» comedy film. In 2014 viewers around the world had pleasure to enjoy the unraveling of a brilliant and mysterious plot of «Gone Girl», detective thriller starring incredible Rosamund Pike.

Personal Life

Cheyenne Rothman, the same girl who inspired Ben Affleck to get into the hated Vermont University, was the actor`s first love. However she was not really impressed with his heroic and nipped his attempts to become her boyfriend in the bud. 10 years after Affleck admitted that being denied by Cheyenne was the «biggest disappointment in his life».

Ben Affleck and Gwyneth Paltrow were considered a perfect match

In 1997 Ben started a romance with Gwyneth Paltrow, who just ended here relationship with Brad Pitt. For a long time they were considered to be the most perfect pair in whole Hollywood. On her 24th birthday he gifted her with a pair of diamond earrings and agreed to join her in uncharacteristic for him film called «Shakespeare in love». This movie would prove fatal to their relationship.

The relationship of Affleck and Paltrow is under threat

Not only Paltrow decided not to use a double in erotic scenes with Joseph Fiennes, but had a nerve to constantly praise him, saying: «Fiennes is such a good actor, what a talent!». Once, just after the screening, Ben found two actors in a passionate embrace and, despite Paltrow`s attempts to make it slide as just a repetition before the act, it was the end of their relationship.

For the next four years Ben`s personal life became the hottest talking point in Hollywood. There were rumors about his romances with Nicole Kidman, Sandra Bullock and even the «ex enemy of James Bond» – Netherland actress Famke Janssen, but Affleck never confirmed or denied any of this claims..

Affleck and Bullock were often seen together

In 2002, during the filming of «Gigle», Ben started a romance with Jennifer Lopez. The marriage already looked like a done deal; fans even gave Ben a nickname «Mister Lopez». He even bought a wedding ring with incredible rare rose diamond and all the newspapers were ready to savor all the smallest details of the wedding but just 4 days before the ceremony Lopez agent announced that actors are no longer together. After the fact Ben admitted that relationship with Jennifer exhausted him so much that he struggled to find energy to act in movies.

J Lo and Affleck always looked reserved in public

Right after the break up with Lopez Ben appeared in public with his ex-partner form «Pearl Harbor» and «Daredevil» actress, Jennifer Garner.

The couple secretly married in 2005 on a small Caribbean isle. On December, 2005 Jennifer gave birth to their first daughter Violet Ann Affleck, with another daughter Seraphina and son Samuel few years after.

In 2015, just a day after their 10 year anniversary couple announced their intention to divorce. The exact reasoning behind their decision remains unclear but insider, who wanted to remain unknown, reported that the relations between pair was so bad that even family councilor was not able to help them make amends. At some point, furious wife even drove Afleck from the house and he had to live in hotels. The divorce was later conducted but ex-couple decided to live together ro give enough attention to their kids.

Affleck and Garner children – a charming trio

Ben Affleck Now

Ben Affleck remains one of the most popular actors in Hollywood. In 2016 he appeared on screen as a Batman\Bruce Wayne in «Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice» blockbuster and only a year later in «Justice League», establishing himself as a cornerstone in future DC comics franchise. He also appeared in the same role in «Suicide Squad» starring Margot Robbie, allowing viewers to take a peek at another side of eternal good versus evil conflict.

At the same time, Ben constantly struggles with chronic depression, often looking for an answer at the bottom of a bottle. In 2007 he completed a residential rehabilitation program, stating that he feels himself as he was a completely new man after the treatment. In August, 2018 he had to enter another residential rehabilitation program. Due to his addiction, the insurance company has increased the price of his life insurance. This caused a significant increase in cost of all DC studios projects that involve Affleck.