Ben Affleck

Benjamin Géza Affleck (born August 15, 1972) is an American actor and filmmaker who has received two Academy Awards and three Golden Globe Awards. He began his career as a child actor in the PBS educational series *The Voyage of the Mimi* (1984, 1988). Later, he appeared in the independent coming-of-age comedy *Dazed and Confused* (1993) and in several films by Kevin Smith, including *Mallrats* (1995), *Chasing Amy* (1997), and *Dogma* (1999). Affleck gained wider recognition when he and his childhood friend Matt Damon won the Golden Globe and Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay for *Good Will Hunting* (1997), which they also starred in. He established himself as a leading man in studio films, including the disaster film *Armageddon* (1998), the war drama *Pearl Harbor* (2001), and the thrillers *The Sum of All Fears* and *Changing Lanes* (both 2002).

Following a career downturn, during which he appeared in *Daredevil* (2003) and *Gigli* (2003), Affleck received a Golden Globe nomination for his portrayal of George Reeves in the noir biopic *Hollywoodland* (2006). He made his directorial debut with *Gone Baby Gone* (2007), which he also co-wrote, and was well received. He later directed, co-wrote, and starred in the crime drama *The Town* (2010) and directed and starred in the political thriller *Argo* (2012); both were critical and commercial successes. For *Argo*, Affleck won the Golden Globe and BAFTA Award for Best Director, and the Golden Globe, BAFTA, and Academy Award for Best Picture. He has since starred in the psychological thriller *Gone Girl* (2014), the thriller *The Accountant* (2016), the action-adventure *Triple Frontier* (2019), and the sports drama *The Way Back* (2020). In 2016, he began portraying Batman in superhero films set in the DC Extended Universe.

Affleck is the co-founder of the Eastern Congo Initiative, a grantmaking and advocacy-based nonprofit organization. He is also a supporter of the Democratic Party. Affleck and Damon are co-owners of the production company Pearl Street Films.