Ben Affleck (born Benjamin Géza Affleck-Boldt; August 15, 1972) is an American actor, film director, writer, and producer. He became known with his performances in the Kevin Smith films Mallrats (1995) and Chasing Amy (1997). He won an Academy Award and a Golden Globe Award for his screenplay for Good Will Hunting (1997), written with Matt Damon. He has played the lead in such big-budget films such as Armageddon (1998), Pearl Harbor (2001), Changing Lanes (2002), The Sum of All Fears (2002), and Daredevil (2003).
Affleck is a critically acclaimed filmmaker. He directed Gone Baby Gone (2007) and The Town (2010). He played the lead in the latter. He has worked with his younger brother, actor Casey Affleck, on several projects, including Good Will Hunting and Gone Baby Gone.
Affleck has been married to Jennifer Garner since June 2005. They have two daughters, Violet Anne, born December 2005, and Seraphina Rose Elizabeth, born January 2009, and are currently expecting their third child. He dated the actress Gwyneth Paltrow in 1998. His relationship with actress/singer Jennifer Lopez attracted worldwide media attention, in which Affleck and Lopez were dubbed "Bennifer". The two broke up in 2004.
Affleck has been actively involved in politics and charitable causes. He and Matt Damon also founded the production company LivePlanet.
