Born: 15 August 1972
Birthplace: Berkeley, California
Best known as: Actor and co-writer of Good Will Hunting
Ben Affleck and his childhood friend
Matt Damon wrote and starred in the 1998 film Good Will Hunting. The resulting Oscar for best original screenplay catapulted both to stardom. Affleck has appeared in independent films such as Kevin Smith's Chasing Amy (1997) and Dogma (1999), but has also shown a taste for playing heroes in big-budget action movies such as Armageddon (1998, with Bruce Willis), Pearl Harbor (2001, with Josh Hartnett) and Daredevil (2003, with his future wife Jennifer Garner). In 2002 Affleck starred in The Sum of All Fears, becoming the third star to play Tom Clancy hero Jack Ryan; the CIA superstud was played by Harrison Ford and Alec Baldwin in previous films. He also starred in Paycheck, the 2003 sci-fi adventure based on a story by Philip K. Dick. Affleck married Jennifer Garner on 29 June 2005; the couple's first child, a daughter, was born on 1 December 2005. In 2006 he played actor George Reeves in the movie Hollywoodland, part of an all-star cast that included Diane Lane and Adrien Brody.
Extra credit: Affleck became engaged to singer and actress Jennifer Lopez in 2002. The couple were dubbed "Bennifer" by tabloids, but broke up in January 2004... Affleck previously was known for his extended sometimes-romantic friendship with actress Gwyneth Paltrow... His brother Casey Affleck is also an actor... In August of 2001, Ben Affleck announced he had checked himself into a Malibu alcohol rehabilitation clinic, where he joined comedian Paula Poundstone and actor Robert Downey, Jr.
