A Boston boy through and through. Ben Affleck has been a Hollywood A-lister for more than two decades, but he’s never forgotten his New England roots (or his love of Dunkin’ coffee).
Born in Berkeley, California, the avid Red Sox fan moved to Massachusetts with his family when he was just 3 years old. He got his first professional acting gig at 7, and by the time he was in high school, he was ready to start pursuing it as a career along with his friend and fellow student Matt Damon.
“Before Matt, I was by myself,” the Deep Water star told Parade in 2007. “Acting was a solo activity where I’d just go off and do something, act in a little TV show or something, and no one understood it. None of the other kids knew what it was I did, how it worked, or anything. All of a sudden, I had this friend, Matt, and he gets it and wants to do it and thinks it’s interesting and wants to talk about it.”
Though he starred in a handful of cult classics in the early to mid-’90s, Affleck’s big break came in 1997, when he and Damon cowrote the screenplay for Good Will Hunting. The movie was a critical and commercial success, and the following year, it earned the childhood pals an Oscar for Best Original Screenplay.
After that, Affleck continued his rise to stardom as he landed roles in several blockbusters, including Shakespeare in Love, Armageddon and Pearl Harbor. He still maintained his interest in smaller films, starring in Dogma, 200 Cigarettes and Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back.
In 2002, however, he experienced a new kind of fame when his personal life became as exciting as his professional achievements. While working on the notorious box-office bomb Gigli, he met Jennifer Lopez, who was already a superstar.
The pair quickly sparked a whirlwind romance, with Affleck starring in the Bronx-born singer’s “Jenny From the Block” video. They got engaged in November 2002, but when their planned wedding date arrived the following year, they called it off before ending their relationship entirely months later.
The Way Back actor went on to date his Daredevil costar Jennifer Garner, whom he married in June 2005. Their daughter Violet arrived in December 2005, followed by second daughter Seraphina in January 2009 and son Samuel in February 2012.
In 2017, they jointly filed for divorce, which was finalized in 2018. After relationships with Lindsay Shookus and Ana de Armas, Affleck eventually moved on with someone from his past: Lopez, whom he started dating again in 2021 after her split from Alex Rodriguez.
Keep scrolling for a look at Affleck through the years:
The New Englander scored one of his first notable roles in Richard Linklater's Dazed and Confused, which also starred Matthew McConaughey and Parker Posey. He played Fred O'Bannion, the bully at a Texas high school. Universal/Gramercy/Kobal/Shutterstock
Affleck began his first high-profile relationship in 1997 with his future Shakespeare in Love costar Gwyneth Paltrow. They dated on and off until 2000. Bei/Shutterstock
"I just said to Matt, 'Losing would suck and winning would be really scary,'" Affleck said during his acceptance speech at the 1998 Academy Awards. "It's really, really scary." Susan Sterner/AP/Shutterstock
The newly minted Oscar winners reunited as costars in the Kevin Smith comedy Dogma. Miramax/Kobal/Shutterstock
Affleck and Lopez met on the set of Gigli, which also starred Al Pacino. They later appeared together in 2004's Jersey Girl. Columbia/Revolution Studios/Kobal/Shutterstock
The couple made a splash on the red carpet at the Oscars, where the "Get Right" singer wore a mint green gown by Valentino. Alex Berliner/BEI/Shutterstock
Just over one year after his split from Lopez, Affleck wed Garner in an intimate ceremony in Turks and Caicos. Six months later, the duo welcomed their first child, daughter Violet. Broadimage/Shutterstock
The Bounce star made his directorial debut with Gone Baby Gone. He also cowrote the screenplay for the film, which starred his brother, Casey Affleck. Miramax Films/Kobal/Shutterstock
Garner and Affleck welcomed their second daughter, Seraphina, in January. Cj Gunther/EPA/Shutterstock
Four became five in February, when the couple's first son, Samuel, arrived. Broadimage/Shutterstock
The Justice League star won his second Oscar as a producer of Argo, which he also directed and starred in. During his acceptance speech, he famously thanked Garner for "working" on their relationship. “I want to thank you for working on our marriage for 10 Christmases,” he said. “It’s good. It is work, but it’s the best kind of work. And there’s no one I’d rather work with!” Paul Buck/EPA/Shutterstock
Affleck showed off his darker side as Nick Dunne in Gone Girl, based on Gillian Flynn's novel of the same name. Merrick Morton/20th Century Fox/Regency/Kobal/Shutterstock
More than a decade after he played blind superhero Daredevil, the actor returned to the world of masked crusaders as Batman in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. He later reprised the role in Justice League and 2016's Suicide Squad. Moviestore/Shutterstock
Affleck began and Saturday Night Live producer Shookus went public with their relationship in the summer. They split briefly in 2018 and called it quits for good in 2019. FZS/MEGA
After meeting on the set of Deep Water, Affleck began dating costar de Armas. They were first spotted together in March after taking a trip to the actress' native Cuba. In January 2021, they split after nearly a year together. Broadimage/Shutterstock
Affleck and his former fiancée made headlines when they reunited in April, shortly after Lopez's split from Rodriguez. In May, a source told Us Weekly they were "full-on dating." Two months later, they sent "Jenny From the Block" fans into overdrive when they recreated some of the music video's scenes on a yacht they rented to celebrate Lopez's 52nd birthday. CelebCandidly/MEGA
The Argo director and the Second Act star walked the red carpet together at the Venice International Film Festival premiere of his The Last Duel film in September. The pair’s appearance marked the first time in 18 years that they’ve walked the red carpet together since rekindling their romance earlier that year. The couple later attended the U.S. premiere together one month later. Matt Baron/Shutterstock
Affleck popped the question to Lopez for the second time in April, one year after the duo rekindled their romance. Three months later, the pair tied the knot in an intimate ceremony held in Las Vegas. The Marry Me actress confirmed the news in a July edition of her "On the J Lo" newsletter, writing: "We did it. Love is beautiful. Love is kind. And it turns out love is patient. Twenty years patient." An insider told Us that the twosome plan to have a larger celebration with friends and family later on. “Jen and Ben have talked about eloping for months now and it felt right for them,” the source added. “Jen and Ben have both already had big weddings beforehand, so the pageantry isn’t as important to them as it once was.” Lionel Urman/SIPA/Shutterstock
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