Born: Benjamin Geza Affleck-Boldt
Birth Date: August 15, 1972
Birth Place: Berkeley, California, USA
Ben Affleck has been recognized for his work as an actor, writer and director. He made his directorial debut in 2007 with the feature “Gone Baby Gone,” for which he won several critics groups’ awards, including the Best Directorial Debut Award from the National Board of Review. He also won the Breakthrough Director of the Year Award at the 2007 Hollywood Film Festival. Affleck also co-wrote the screenplay for the film, adapted from the Dennis Lehane novel.
In 2006, Affleck earned widespread praise for his portrayal of ill-fated actor George Reeves in the noir drama “Hollywoodland.” The film premiered at the Venice Film Festival, where Affleck won the coveted Volpi Award for Best Actor. He also received Golden Globe and Critics’ Choice Award nominations for Best Actor, as well as the Best Actor Award at the Hollywood Film Festival.
He more recently appeared in the ensemble casts of “Extract” and “He’s Just Not That Into You,” and starred in Kevin Macdonald’s crime thriller “State of Play,” alongside Russell Crowe, Helen Mirren and Rachel McAdams. In addition to “The Town,” he stars this fall in the indie feature “The Company Men,” with Kevin Costner, Chris Cooper and Tommy Lee Jones.
Affleck first came to prominence in 1997 with the acclaimed drama “Good Will Hunting,” which he starred in and co-wrote with Matt Damon. The two won numerous honors for the film’s original screenplay, including an Academy Award®, a Golden Globe Award and the Humanitas Prize. They also shared in a Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Award nomination for Outstanding Performance by a Motion Picture Cast.
Affleck went on to star in John Madden’s Academy Award-winning “Shakespeare in Love,” winning a SAG Award as part of the ensemble cast. His subsequent film credits include “Armageddon” and “Pearl Harbor,” both directed by Michael Bay; “Forces of Nature”; Ben Younger’s “Boiler Room”; Roger Michell’s “Changing Lanes”; Phil Alden Robinson’s “The Sum of All Fears,” based on the Tom Clancy novel; the screen adaptation of Marvel Comics’ “Daredevil”; Kevin Smith’s “Jersey Girl”; Mike Binder’s “Man About Town”; and Joe Carnahan’s stylish thriller “Smokin’ Aces.”
In 2000, Affleck partnered with Matt Damon, Chris Moore and Sean Bailey to form LivePlanet, Inc. Their first endeavor, “Project Greenlight,” aired on HBO and drew critical, audience and industry attention for its behind-the-scenes look at the challenges faced by a first-time filmmaker. The second season of “Project Greenlight” aired on HBO at the beginning of 2003, with a third season on Bravo. All three series were nominated for Emmy Awards.
In addition to his successful film career, Affleck is also a passionate advocate and philanthropist. In March 2010, he founded the Eastern Congo Initiative (ECI), with the mission of helping the Congolese people support local community-based approaches that create a sustainable and successful society in the long-troubled region. ECI is the first U.S.-based advocacy and grant-making initiative wholly focused on working with and for the people of eastern Congo. Affleck is also a longtime political activist and strong supporter of many charitable organizations, such as Feeding America, A-T Children’s Project, and The Jimmy Fund.
Views: 224
