Ben Affleck.

Benjamin Geza Affleck Boldt

Ben Affleck — Actor

Born 15 Aug 1972 Berkeley, United States

Citizenship United States

Age 53 yr Today

18 min read

Reading time

3,438

Words

Mar 17, 2026

Published

135

Film credits

2

Books

9

Awards

TL;DR

Ben Affleck co-wrote and starred in Good Will Hunting 1997, winning the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay at age 25. He later directed and starred in Argo 2012, which won the Academy Award for Best Picture. Affleck also portrayed Bruce Wayne/Batman in several superhero films. He has received multiple awards including Golden Globes and BAFTAs.

Identity & family.

KIN · 8

Names, aliases, and relatives of Ben Affleck — birth name, kin, and personal ties.

Birth Name Benjamin Geza Affleck Boldt

Nicknames Ben

Aliases Affleck

PARENTS: Christine Anne Boldt Timothy Byers Affleck
SPOUSES: Jennifer Lopez Jennifer Garner
CHILDREN: Violet Affleck Seraphina Affleck Sam Affleck
SIBLINGS: Casey Affleck

At a glance.

STATS

Ben Affleck by the numbers — life, work, and family.

53 Age

135 Film credits

2 Books

9 Awards

2 Marriages

3 Children

Who is Ben Affleck?

BIOGRAPHY

Ben Affleck — early life, career, personal life, and legacy.

Early life

Ben Affleck’s first acting experience was for a Burger King commercial, but his first significant role came in the 1984 PBS mini-series The Voyage of the Mimi. He was born on August 15, 1972 in Berkeley, California and raised in Cambridge, Massachusetts. His mother Christine Anne Boldt was a school teacher and his father Timothy Byers Affleck worked as a social worker. He has a younger brother, actor Casey Affleck. Affleck attended Cambridge Rindge and Latin School where he met lifelong friend Matt Damon in drama classes.

Career

In 1993, Affleck made his feature film debut in Dazed and Confused. He then appeared in independent films like Kevin Smith’s Mallrats 1995 and Chasing Amy 1997. Frustrated by lack of leading roles, he co-wrote Good Will Hunting 1997 with Matt Damon, which brought him the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay at age 25. He followed with blockbusters Armageddon 1998, Pearl Harbor 2001, and Daredevil 2003. After a career downturn, he directed Gone Baby Gone 2007 and The Town 2010. His film Argo 2012 won the Academy Award for Best Picture, and he received Golden Globe and BAFTA awards for Best Director. He played Batman in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice 2016, Suicide Squad 2016, and Justice League 2017. He later starred in The Way Back 2020, The Last Duel 2021, also co-writer, and The Tender Bar 2021.

Personal life

He married actress Jennifer Garner on June 29, 2005. They have three children: daughters Violet b. 2005 and Seraphina b. 2009, and son Samuel b. 2012. The couple divorced in October 2018. He later rekindled a relationship with singer Jennifer Lopez, marrying her on July 16, 2022; they divorced in February 2025. He is close friends with Matt Damon, and the two shared a bank account while struggling actors. He has been open about his struggles with alcohol, entering rehab in 2001 and 2018.

Legacy

Ben Affleck is one of the few individuals to win an Academy Award for both writing and producing. His directorial debut Gone Baby Gone earned critical acclaim, and Argo made him the first director to win all major precursor awards without an Oscar nomination for directing. He is also the oldest actor to play Batman, and his portrayal brought a new depth to the character. His work with longtime collaborator Matt Damon raised the bar for actor-writer partnerships. He will be remembered for his versatility, from indie dramas to superhero blockbusters, and for his comeback as a director.

Filmography.

FILMS · 135

Browse the complete filmography of Ben Affleck — every film, TV show, and documentary credit, ranked by popularity.

TV

NCIS

2003
TV

The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon

2014
TV

The Daily Show

1996
TV

The Graham Norton Show

2007
TV

The Kelly Clarkson Show

2019
TV

Saturday Night Live

1975
TV

The Late Late Show with James Corden

2015
TV

Real Time with Bill Maher

2003
Movie

The Rip

2026
TV

Golden Globe Awards

1944
TV

Jimmy Kimmel Live!

2003
TV

The Ellen DeGeneres Show

2003
TV

El Hormiguero

2006
TV

LIVE with Kelly and Mark

1988

Could not load more credits.

Awards & honors.

AWARDS · 9

Every award, honor, and recognition received by Ben Affleck — Grammys, hall-of-fame inductions, civic honors, lifetime achievements.

Directors Guild of America Award
Academy Award for Best Writing, Original Screenplay
Academy Award for Best Picture
Golden Globe Award for Best Screenplay
Volpi Cup for Best Actor
César Award
BAFTA Award for Best Direction
Actor Awards
Saturn Awards

Bibliography.

BOOKS · 2

Ben Affleck's bibliography — every authored, edited, and co-written book, ranked by edition count.

Amazon

Chasing Amy

by Ben Affleck
Amazon

Few and Chosen

by Johnny Pesky et al.

Notable quotes.

QUOTES · 17

A wall of memorable lines from Ben Affleck — lyrics, interviews, and off-the-cuff remarks captured over a lifetime.

I Feel Like Fame Is Wasted on Me.
It’s Like Christmas: It’s All Advertising, and the First Rule of Selling Somebody Something Is to Make Them Seem Inadequate. Make Them Feel Like They Need It. Like Fabric Softener. Nobody Really Needs Fabric Softener and Yet, All of a Sudden, You Feel Like a Jackass If You Don’t Have Fabric Softener, so People Buy It. and That’s How Christmas Has Become, Because 50% of All Retail Sales Happen in December. You Are Bombarded with This Stuff Money Will Make You Happy, and Keeping up with the Joneses. Obviously That Stuff Doesn’t Make You Happy, Otherwise There Wouldn’t Be All These Unhappy Rich People. They’d All Be Happy in Their Jacuzzis and OK, Some of Them Are.
God Help Me If I Ever Do Another Movie with an Explosion in It. If You See Me in a Movie Where Stuff Is Exploding You’ll Know I’ve Lost All My Money.
Sure, I Suffered a Lot. but It’s Not Like the End of the World and It’s Not Who I Am. I Lead Quite a Pleasant Life and I’m Able to Divorce a Perceived Reality from My Actual Experience of Life.
I’ve Finally Learnt How to Say, No Comment. to Appear in the Tabloids Is a Real Learning Curve and a Steep One at That. You Had Better Learn Quick or You Get Burnt.
I’m Always Described as Cocksure or with a Swagger, and That Bears No Resemblance to Who I Feel Like Inside. I Feel Plagued by Insecurity.
I Remember Back When I Was a Kid There Was a Comic Strip Called Plastic Man. His Body Was Elastic and He Could Make His Extremities as Long as He Wanted. as a Youngster I Didn’t Fully Appreciate. but I’m Now Thinking Plastic Man Was Probably Pretty Popular with the Ladies.
I Hate the Whole Reluctant Sex Symbol Thing. It’s Such Bull. You See These Dudes Greased Up, in Their Underwear, Talking About How They Don’t Want to Be a Sex Symbol.
I Kinda See My Current Position Like This: Here’s Your Five Minutes in the Toy Store, so You Gotta Do All the Good Movies You Can Before Chuck Woolery Rings the Bell.
When I Look up at the Screen and See Myself I Always Have to Laugh. Not Because I Think I’m Doing a Horrible Job, Quite the Contrary, I Just Feel It’s so Surreal to Feel Like One Person Can Entertain so Many at One Time.
I Just Feel Like Sometimes I’m a Force to Be Dealt With. My Talents Are Sometimes Overused and Also Sometimes Underused. It’s Not Easy Being Me.
Newspapers Have Gotten Lazy and Gotten Nervous and Started Sourcing from Blogs, and That, I Think, Is Dangerous. Because You Could Pick Any Blog. I Could Start a Blog Tomorrow and Write, ‘I Heard That so and so Is an Alien’ a Lot of False Stories Got Started and Got Some Currency Because They Were Placed in Blogs.
Part of the Blogging Culture That’s Good Is It’s Made the Traditional Press Much More Nervous. They’ve Become More Accountable, Because They Are Sensitive to What the Bloggers Are Going to Say. Most Americans Don’t Spend the Day Waiting for What the Bloggers Are Going to Say. the Mainstream Media Sweats It, Because for the First Time They Are Actually Accountable to Someone Who Is Going to Write About Them and Their Work. Which Has a Real Strong Impact on the Mainstream Media and How They Work.
I Finally Decided to Quit Smoking When I Found Out I Was Going to Have a Child. That Was the Thing That Sort of Put It Over the Top for Me. I Decided to Go to a Hypnotist. You Sit in a Chair and the Hypnotist Sips Water and Just Talks to You for an Hour, and Explains How Nicotine Is Poison. All of a Sudden, I Thought, ‘This Is Asinine That I’ve Been Doing This to Myself for All These Years.’ My Last Cigarette Was on November 10Th, 2005, and I Feel a Huge Difference in My Health Now That I Don’t Smoke. I Feel Like I’m in Better Shape Than I Was Five Years Ago.
Having a Family Makes Things You Have That Much Richer. It’s Much Nicer to Share It with the People You Love.
I Went to Rehab When I Was 29 and Partying Too Much and Not Having a Lot of Boundaries and to Clear My Head and Try to Get Some Idea of Who I Wanted to Be, It Was More a ‘Let Me Get Myself Straight, Before It Became a Rite of Passage.
I Am Very Lucky in My Life in That I Have Benefited from Second Chances, and I Am Aware That Other People Don’t Even Get First Chances. I’ve Had Second Chances in My Career. I’ve Had Second Chances as a Human Being. Life Is Difficult, and We Are Always Failing and Hopefully Learning from Those Failures. the One Thing You Really Need to Avail Yourself of the Opportunities Provided from That Growth Is the Second Chance. I’ve Definitely Tried to Take Advantage of That. I Haven’t Always Been Successful, but in Cases in Which I Have, They’ve Turned Out to Be the Defining Aspects of My Life.

Did you know?

FACTS · 50

Little-known facts about Ben Affleck — origins, oddities, and behind-the-scenes details from a public life.

He and Matt Damon sold their Good Will Hunting 1997 script for $600,000.
Received a lifetime ban from playing blackjack at Las Vegas’ Hard Rock Casino due to his card counting skills.
He won $356,000 by winning the California State Poker Championships in June 2004, defeating some of the best poker players in the world.
Known for being a 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 almost every time he is a guest.
His father was at one time a janitor at Harvard University, the inspiration for Will Hunting’s job at MIT in Good Will Hunting 1997.
When he and best friend Matt Damon were struggling actors, they both shared a Boston bank account.
At forty years old, he is the oldest actor to play Bruce Wayne/Batman.
When he was little, he asked his mom for a dog, and she tested him by making him walk an imaginary dog for a week; Ben lasted only 5 days.
First director ever to win all precursor awards Golden Globe, BAFTA, Critics Choice, Directors Guild for Best Director after failing to earn an Oscar nomination for the same work, for Argo 2012.
Was an extra with friend Matt Damon in Field of Dreams 1989.
He has the distinction of being the only actor to wear both a Batman suit and Superman suit in two different films.
As a teenager, he lived in Mexico where he learned to speak Spanish.
Charlie Sheen drove him to Promises Rehabilitation Center in August 2001.
At age 25, he was the youngest person ever to win an Oscar for Best Original Screenplay; he went 15 years without another nomination until 2013, then won Best Picture for Argo 2012.
Majored in Middle Eastern affairs in college.
Was only five-foot-one when entering high school and describes himself as having been an awkward theater geek.
Began an intense two-hour a day workout regime the day after he was cast as Batman.
Has directed 3 actors in Oscar-nominated performances: Amy Ryan, Jeremy Renner, and Alan Arkin.
Quit smoking when Violet was born.
Growing up, the Marvel comic book character Daredevil was his hero; he got to play the character in the 2003 movie.
He is the tallest actor to play Bruce Wayne/Batman and is an inch and a half taller than the comics version at six feet two inches.
Claims that his hero is Harrison Ford.
In December 2007, ranked 50 in EW’s The 50 Smartest People In Hollywood.
Tenth cousin once removed of Matt Damon; both descendants of William Knowlton Jr., a bricklayer who came to the United States from England in the 1630s.
In 1999, nominated for the Razzie Award for Worst Screen Couple with Liv Tyler for Armageddon 1998; in 2004 won Worst Screen Couple with Jennifer Lopez for Gigli 2003; in 2005 nominated again with both actresses for Jersey Girl 2004.
Inspired to contribute to the Neil Bogart Memorial Fund for cancer research after meeting Molly Hanna, a student in his mother’s class who died of cancer in 2002.
In 2001, filmed four movies simultaneously: Pearl Harbor, Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back, Changing Lanes, and The Sum of All Fears.
Has three children with ex-wife Jennifer Garner: Violet b. December 1, 2005, Seraphina Rose Elizabeth b. January 6, 2009, and Samuel Garner b. February 27, 2012.
Is an avid fan of Robert Englund.
Of the first three actors to play Jack Ryan, he was Tom Clancy’s favorite.
Turned down the part of Bobby Mercer in Four Brothers 2005 as he found the script ultra-violent; the part went to Mark Wahlberg.
Accidentally knocked unconscious by football player Dana Stubblefield during filming of Reindeer Games 2000; taken to hospital and fully recovered.
With the exception of Clerks 1994, has appeared in all of Kevin Smith’s View Askewniverse films.
Prior to achieving leading man status, often cast as a bully.
Paid $1.5 million for doing commercials for L’Oreal Shampoo in 2003.
Friend of and frequent collaborator with actor Matt Damon.
Appeared in a prop photo used in the movie Mermaids 1990.
Auditioned for Corey Haim’s part in License to Drive 1988.
Has a Boston Celtics logo painted on the basketball court at his house.
At one point after Good Will Hunting was released, was writing a script with Matt Damon and brother Casey about teenagers in a halfway house; unknown if completed.
Dropped out of Occidental College after 1 year, where he studied Middle Eastern studies.
Had four different stunt men for Daredevil 2003, each with a different specialty; he tried to do as many stunts himself for credibility.
Since the Directors Guild started awarding its DGA award for Best Director in 1948, Affleck is only the third director to win this award while failing to be nominated for an Oscar as Best Director, joining Ron Howard for Apollo 13 1995 and Steven Spielberg for The Color Purple 1985.
He is the first actor to play Bruce Wayne/Batman under two different directors.
With his casting in Suicide Squad 2016, he became the first actor to play Batman in two different films released in the same year.
Appeared with ex-wife Jennifer Garner in Daredevil 2003 and Pearl Harbor 2001; his small scene in Elektra 2005 was cut.
He has played two comic book characters whose most famous story lines were written by Frank Miller: Batman and Daredevil.
Tom Clancy wrote a script for a new Jack Ryan film titled Red Rabbit with Affleck in mind, set in the early 1980s.
He is the third Academy Award winner to play Batman, after George Clooney and Christian Bale; he and Clooney are both two-time Oscar winners who won their second Oscar together as producers of Argo 2012.
Distantly related to sixteen U.S. presidents including Barack Obama, and to Princess Diana.

You wanted to know.

FAQ · 32

Quick answers to the questions readers ask most about Ben Affleck.

When was Ben Affleck born?

Ben Affleck was born on August 15, 1972 in Berkeley, California. He grew up in Cambridge, Massachusetts. His full birth name is Benjamin Geza Affleck Boldt.
Where was Ben Affleck born?

Ben Affleck was born in Berkeley, California, USA. He spent most of his childhood in Cambridge, Massachusetts. His middle name Geza honors a Hungarian family friend who was a Holocaust survivor.
How old is Ben Affleck?

As of 2025, Ben Affleck is 53 years old. He was born on August 15, 1972. He achieved his first Oscar win at 25 for Good Will Hunting.
What is Ben Affleck's real name?

Ben Affleck’s birth name is Benjamin Geza Affleck Boldt. He is commonly known as Ben Affleck. His middle name Geza comes from a Hungarian family friend.
What does Ben Affleck do for a living?

Ben Affleck is a producer, actor, and writer. He has also directed several acclaimed films. He won Oscars for both writing and producing.
What nationality is Ben Affleck?

Ben Affleck is American. He was born in Berkeley, California and holds United States citizenship. He is of English, Irish, German, and Scottish ancestry.
What language does Ben Affleck speak?

Ben Affleck’s native language is English. He also learned to speak Spanish while living in Mexico as a teenager. He studied Middle Eastern affairs in college.
Who are Ben Affleck's parents?

Ben Affleck’s parents are Christine Anne Boldt, a school teacher, and Timothy Byers Affleck, a social worker. His father once worked as a janitor at Harvard University, which inspired the setting of Good Will Hunting.
Who is Ben Affleck married to?

Ben Affleck was married to actress Jennifer Garner from 2005 to 2018. He later married singer Jennifer Lopez in 2022, and they divorced in 2025. He has been married twice.
Does Ben Affleck have children?

Yes, Ben Affleck has three children with ex-wife Jennifer Garner: daughters Violet born 2005 and Seraphina born 2009, and son Samuel born 2012. He also has stepchildren from his marriage to Jennifer Lopez.
Does Ben Affleck have any siblings?

Yes, Ben Affleck has one sibling, actor Casey Affleck, who is four years younger. Casey has appeared in several of Ben’s directorial projects, including Gone Baby Gone.
Where did Ben Affleck go to school?

Ben Affleck attended Cambridge Rindge and Latin School in Massachusetts. He briefly studied Middle Eastern affairs at Occidental College and also attended the University of Vermont before dropping out to pursue acting.
What awards has Ben Affleck won?

Ben Affleck has won two Academy Awards: Best Original Screenplay for Good Will Hunting and Best Picture for Argo. He also won Golden Globe, BAFTA, and Directors Guild awards for Argo, among many others.
How many awards has Ben Affleck won?

Throughout his career, Ben Affleck has won 76 awards. This includes Oscars, Golden Globes, BAFTAs, and Saturn Awards. He has received over 200 nominations.
How many award nominations has Ben Affleck received?

Ben Affleck has received 213 award nominations. This includes multiple Oscar, Golden Globe, and BAFTA nominations. He was notably snubbed for an Oscar nomination for directing Argo despite winning every precursor award.
What is Ben Affleck best known for?

Ben Affleck is best known for co-writing and starring in Good Will Hunting 1997, directing and starring in Argo 2012, and playing Batman in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice 2016 and subsequent DC films.
How tall is Ben Affleck?

Ben Affleck is 6 feet 3 inches 1.91 meters tall. His height made him the tallest actor to play Bruce Wayne/Batman. He began an intense workout regimen after being cast as Batman.
Why is Ben Affleck called Ben?

Ben Affleck’s nickname Ben is a simple shortening of his first name Benjamin. He has used it since childhood and is known professionally as Ben Affleck. His full first name is Benjamin.
What alias does Ben Affleck use?

Ben Affleck is sometimes credited simply as Affleck in film credits. This informal alias appears in some behind-the-scenes materials. He is also referred to by his initials in some contexts.
Who are Ben Affleck's relatives?

Ben Affleck’s brother is actor Casey Affleck. He is distantly related to Matt Damon tenth cousin once removed and to 16 U.S. presidents including Barack Obama. He also has a nephew named Atticus and a niece named Indiana.
Did Ben Affleck and Matt Damon grow up together?

Yes, Ben Affleck and Matt Damon grew up together in Cambridge, Massachusetts. They met as children playing little league and taking drama classes. They later shared a bank account while struggling actors.
How did Ben Affleck get his start in acting?

Ben Affleck’s first acting job was a Burger King commercial as a child. He then appeared in the PBS mini-series The Voyage of the Mimi 1984. His feature film debut was in Dazed and Confused 1993.
What was Ben Affleck's first Oscar win for?

Ben Affleck won his first Oscar for Best Original Screenplay for Good Will Hunting in 1998. He co-wrote the script with Matt Damon. At age 25, he became the youngest person to win that award.
How did Ben Affleck and Matt Damon sell their Good Will Hunting script?

Ben Affleck and Matt Damon sold their Good Will Hunting script for $600,000. The script was initially picked up by Castle Rock, but Kevin Smith helped get it to Miramax, giving them creative control.
Is Ben Affleck a good impressionist?

Yes, Ben Affleck is known for his impressions. He studies his costars and performs impressions on talk shows. While filming The Sum of All Fears, he did an impression of Morgan Freeman, who jokingly threatened him.
What did Ben Affleck study in college?

Ben Affleck studied Middle Eastern affairs at Occidental College. He dropped out after one year. He also attended the University of Vermont for a short time.
Has Ben Affleck played Batman?

Yes, Ben Affleck played Bruce Wayne/Batman in multiple DC films starting with Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice 2016. At 40, he was the oldest actor to debut as Batman. He is the tallest actor to play the role.
How many times has Ben Affleck been married?

Ben Affleck has been married twice: to Jennifer Garner from 2005 to 2018, and to Jennifer Lopez from 2022 to 2025. He has three children from his first marriage.
Did Ben Affleck direct any films?

Yes, Ben Affleck has directed several films, including Gone Baby Gone 2007, The Town 2010, and Argo 2012. Argo won the Academy Award for Best Picture.
What is Ben Affleck's relationship with Kevin Smith?

Ben Affleck has appeared in nearly all of Kevin Smith’s View Askewniverse films, starting with Mallrats 1995. Smith helped get Good Will Hunting to Miramax. Affleck has known Smith since the mid-1990s.
Did Ben Affleck win an Oscar for directing?

No, Ben Affleck was not nominated for an Oscar for directing Argo, despite winning the Golden Globe, BAFTA, and Directors Guild awards. He did win the Oscar for Best Picture as a producer of the film.
What are Ben Affleck's most famous movies?

Ben Affleck’s most famous movies include Good Will Hunting 1997, Armageddon 1998, Pearl Harbor 2001, Argo 2012, Gone Girl 2014, and his Batman films.

View all 32 questions View fewer questions

Audited & updated by

Michael is the last person to read a profile before it goes live, which makes him the one who catches what everyone else missed. 5 years as a copy editor has given him a sharp sense for what's off. A wrong year, a vague credit, a sentence that almost makes sense but doesn't quite. He's especially thorough with filmographies. He'll tell you that's where most of the errors hide. He's right.

Published on March 17, 2026

Report an issue

If something on this page looks off, we genuinely want to know about it. Send us a quick email with the celebrity's name, the detail that seems incorrect, and any sources you're referencing. We review every report and update the page as soon as we can.

Report an issue