Geza Benjamin "Ben" Affleck ( Berkeley , California , August 15, 1972 ) is an American actor , producer, writer and director . He became known with his performances in Kevin Smith films such as Chasing Amy (1997) and Dogma ( 1999). Affleck won an Oscar and a Golden Globe for the screenplay for Good Will Hunting (1997 ), which he co -wrote with Matt Damon, and has appeared in leading roles in popular hits as Armageddon (1998 ) , Pearl Harbor ( 2001) Changing Lanes (2002 ) , The Sum of All Fears ( 2002) , Daredevil (2003 ) , or more seriously themed films like Hollywoodland (2007 ) , State of Play (2009) and the Town ( 2010). Affleck is a filmmaker critical acclaim . He directed Gone Baby Gone ( 2007) , The Town ( 2010) and Argo (2012 ) will play the lead role in the last two. The direction and participation in Argo earned him an Oscar for Best Picture, 2 Golden Globes , 2 BAFTA Awards and the award for Best Director Directors Guild among other awards .
Affleck was born in Berkeley (California ), son of Christine Anne "Chris" Affleck , a teacher employed in the school district, and Timothy Byers Affleck, a social worker, drug counselor , janitor , mechanic , bartender , writer , director and actor Theater Company of Boston. His younger brother is actor Casey Affleck.
The surname " Affleck " is Scottish , and Ben has Irish, Scottish and German descent . Her family , mostly Episcopalian , he moved to Cambridge, people very close to Boston (Massachusetts) when he was very young, and her parents divorced in 1984.
At age eight , Affleck met Matt Damon , who was 10 years old and lived two blocks away , who still maintains a close and lasting friendship. Also, Damon is Affleck's tenth cousin through a common ancestor of New England.
Both studied at Cambridge Rindge and Latin School , although to different degrees . Later Affleck studied at Occidental College in Los Angeles and at the University of Vermont, where he specialized in Middle Eastern affairs , but abandoned his studies to try to succeed in Hollywood. At 13 , she moved to Mexico for a year , which allowed him to learn Spanish .
