View source for Ben Affleck

{{Short description|American actor and filmmaker (born 1972)}}
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{{Featured article}}
{{Use American English|date=August 2024}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2024}}
{{Infobox person
| name               = Ben Affleck
| image              = Ben Affleck on the Red Carpet, SXSW 2023 (cropped).jpg
| alt                = Photograph of Ben Affleck wearing a suit
| caption            = Affleck in 2023
| birthname          = Benjamin Geza Affleck-Boldt{{Efn|Naming laws in California do not allow special letters with accents (é).}}
| birth_date         = {{Birth date and age|1972|8|15}}
| birth_place        = [[Berkeley, California]], U.S.
| education          = [[University of Vermont]]<br>[[Occidental College]]
| occupation         = {{Hlist|Actor|film director|producer|screenwriter}}
| years_active       = 1981–present
| spouse             = {{Plain list|
* {{Marriage|[[Jennifer Garner]]|2005|2018|end=divorced}}
* {{Marriage|[[Jennifer Lopez]]<br />|2022|2025|end=divorced}}
}}
| partner            = <!--partner parameter is for unmarried life partners only not dating or fiancés-->
| children           = 3, including [[Violet Affleck|Violet]]
| relations          = [[Casey Affleck]] (brother)
| works              = [[Ben Affleck filmography|Full list]]
| awards             = [[List of awards and nominations received by Ben Affleck|Full list]]
}}

'''Benjamin Géza Affleck'''{{Efn|Affleck was born with the surname Affleck-Boldt but has since removed Boldt from his official surname.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/general-news/jennifer-lopez-ben-affleck-married-in-las-vegas-1235181743/|title=Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck Announce Marriage|work=The Hollywood Reporter|last=White|first=Abbey|date=July 17, 2022|access-date=July 19, 2022|archive-date=July 19, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220719205844/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/general-news/jennifer-lopez-ben-affleck-married-in-las-vegas-1235181743/|url-status=live}}</ref>}} (born August 15, 1972) is an American actor and filmmaker. [[List of awards and nominations received by Ben Affleck|His accolades]] include two [[Academy Awards]], two [[BAFTA Awards]], and three [[Golden Globes]]. Affleck began his career as a child when he starred in the [[PBS]] educational series ''[[The Voyage of the Mimi]]'' (1984–1988). He later appeared in the independent comedy ''[[Dazed and Confused (film)|Dazed and Confused]]'' (1993) and several [[Kevin Smith]] comedies, including ''[[Chasing Amy]]'' (1997).

Affleck gained wider recognition when he and [[Matt Damon]] won the [[Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay]] for writing ''[[Good Will Hunting]]'' (1997), which they also starred in. He established himself as a leading man in studio films, including the disaster film ''[[Armageddon (1998 film)|Armageddon]]'' (1998), the action crime thriller ''[[Reindeer Games]]'' (2000), the war drama ''[[Pearl Harbor (film)|Pearl Harbor]]'' (2001), and the thriller ''[[The Sum of All Fears (film)|The Sum of All Fears]]'' (2002). After a career downturn, Affleck made a comeback by portraying [[George Reeves]] in the biopic ''[[Hollywoodland]]'' (2006), winning the [[Volpi Cup for Best Actor]].

His directorial debut, ''[[Gone Baby Gone]]'' (2007), which he also co-wrote, was well received. He then directed and starred in the crime drama ''[[The Town (2010 film)|The Town]]'' (2010) and the political thriller ''[[Argo (2012 film)|Argo]]'' (2012), both of which were critical and commercial successes. For the latter, Affleck won the [[BAFTA Award for Best Director]], and the [[BAFTA Award for Best Film|BAFTA]] and [[Academy Award for Best Picture]]. Affleck then starred in the psychological thriller ''[[Gone Girl (film)|Gone Girl]]'' (2014) and played the superhero [[Bruce Wayne (DC Extended Universe)|Batman]] in the [[DC Extended Universe]] (2016–2023). He starred in the thriller ''[[The Accountant (2016 film)|The Accountant]]'' (2016) and the sports drama ''[[The Way Back (2020 film)|The Way Back]]'' (2020). Affleck had supporting roles in the dramas ''[[The Last Duel (2021 film)|The Last Duel]]'' (2021), ''[[The Tender Bar (film)|The Tender Bar]]'' (2021) and ''[[Air (2023 American film)|Air]]'' (2023), the third of which he also directed.

Affleck is the co-founder of the [[Eastern Congo Initiative]], a [[grantmaking]] and advocacy-based nonprofit organization. He is a supporter of the [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic Party]]. Affleck and Damon are co-owners of the production company [[Artists Equity]] and were also co-owners of [[Pearl Street Films]].

==Early life==
Affleck was born Benjamin Géza Affleck-Boldt on August 15, 1972, in [[Berkeley, California]].<ref name=fullname>{{Cite web|url=http://www.glamour.com/entertainment/blogs/obsessed/2015/02/shonda-rhimes-scandal-quotes|title=You Won't Believe Shonda Rhime's Method for Knowing Whether a Story Works| first=Jessica|last=Radloff|work=[[Glamour (magazine)|Glamour]]| date=February 15, 2015|access-date=March 27, 2015 | archive-date=May 2, 2015| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20150502102530/http://www.glamour.com/entertainment/blogs/obsessed/2015/02/shonda-rhimes-scandal-quotes | url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last1=Casey|first1=Nora Sørena|title=Ben Affleck – American actor, writer, and director| url= https://www.britannica.com/biography/Ben-Affleck|website=[[Encyclopædia Britannica]]|access-date=August 23, 2017|language=en|url-status=live |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20170823173733/https://www.britannica.com/biography/Ben-Affleck|archive-date=August 23, 2017}}</ref> His family moved to Massachusetts when he was three,<ref name="viewaskew1">{{Cite web| last1=McCarthy |first1=Kevin |title= Cinezine – Frank Discussions With Ben Affleck |url=http://viewaskew.com/chasingamy/benview.html |publisher=[[View Askew Productions]] |year=1997 |access-date=April 11, 2017 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304054026/http://viewaskew.com/chasingamy/benview.html |archive-date=March 4, 2016}}</ref> living in [[Falmouth, Massachusetts|Falmouth]], where his brother [[Casey Affleck|Casey]] was born, before settling in [[Cambridge, Massachusetts|Cambridge]].<ref name="Morris full">{{Cite news|url=https://www.boston.com/yourtown/boston/northend/articles/2010/09/15/with_new_film_affleck_ties_boston_knot_tighter/?page=full |title=With New Film, Affleck Ties Boston Knot Tighter |work=[[Boston Globe]] |date=September 15, 2010 |access-date=June 29, 2014 |first=Wesley |last=Morris |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140714224355/http://www.boston.com/yourtown/boston/northend/articles/2010/09/15/with_new_film_affleck_ties_boston_knot_tighter/?page=full |archive-date=July 14, 2014 }}</ref> His mother, <!--- spelling is correct, it is "Christopher", not "Christine" --->Christopher<!--- spelling is correct, it is "Christopher", not "Christine" ---> Anne "Chris" Boldt,<ref>{{Cite news|title=Tidbits, One Ringtailed |url=http://harvardmagazine.com/2010/03/tidbits-one-ringtailed |work=[[Harvard Magazine]] |access-date=April 11, 2017 |date=March 1, 2010 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170702140941/http://harvardmagazine.com/2010/03/tidbits-one-ringtailed |archive-date=July 2, 2017}}</ref> was a [[Harvard University|Harvard]]-educated elementary school teacher.<ref name="auto">{{Cite news| url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/ben-affleck-thr-cover-argo-oscar-377611/ |title= Confessions of Ben Affleck |work=[[The Hollywood Reporter]] |date= November 17, 2011 |access-date=March 9, 2022 |first=Stephen |last=Galloway |url-status=live |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20121014011947/http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/ben-affleck-thr-cover-argo-oscar-377611 |archive-date= October 14, 2012 }}</ref><ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Christopher Anne Affleck – Events – 20th Anniversary Luminaries |url= http://www.breakthroughgreaterboston.org/christopher-anne-affleck.htm |work=[[Breakthrough Collaborative|Breakthrough Greater Boston]] |access-date=April 11, 2017 |url-status=dead |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20170628062041/http://www.breakthroughgreaterboston.org/christopher-anne-affleck.htm |archive-date=June 28, 2017 }}</ref> His father, Timothy Byers Affleck,<ref name="nytimes2000">{{Cite news|last1=Lidz |first1=Franz |title=I Bargained With Devil for Fame |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2000/09/10/movies/film-ben-affleck-shocker-i-bargained-with-devil-for-fame.html |work=[[The New York Times]] |access-date=April 11, 2017 |date=September 10, 2000 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170518202112/http://www.nytimes.com/2000/09/10/movies/film-ben-affleck-shocker-i-bargained-with-devil-for-fame.html |archive-date=May 18, 2017 }}</ref> was an aspiring playwright<ref name="nytimes2000" /> who was "mostly unemployed".<ref>{{Cite news |title='Awards Chatter' Podcast – Ben Affleck ('The Way Back') |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/awards-chatter-podcast-ben-affleck-the-way-back-4115884/ |access-date=March 9, 2022 |work=The Hollywood Reporter |date=January 14, 2021 |archive-date=May 14, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220514211140/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/awards-chatter-podcast-ben-affleck-the-way-back-4115884/ |url-status=live }}</ref> He worked sporadically as a carpenter,<ref name="highbeam1">{{Cite news |title=Playboy Interview: Ben Affleck| last1= Weinraub|first1=Bernard|date=December 1, 1999|work=[[Playboy]]}}</ref> auto mechanic,<ref name="viewaskew1"/> [[bookmaker|bookie]],<ref name= "kinja1">{{Cite web| url= http://playboysfw.kinja.com/ben-affleck-on-argo-his-distaste-for-politics-and-the-1508624335 |title=Ben Affleck on Argo, His Distaste For Politics and the Batman Backlash |first=Michael |last=Fleming |work= Playboy |access-date=June 5, 2014 |date=January 27, 2014 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140702140423/http://playboysfw.kinja.com/ben-affleck-on-argo-his-distaste-for-politics-and-the-1508624335 |archive-date=July 2, 2014}}</ref> electrician,<ref name="washingtonpost1">{{Cite news|last1=Leiby |first1=Richard |title=The 'Sum' and The Substance |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A30687-2002May29.html |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |access-date=April 11, 2017 |date=May 10, 2002 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170412064334/http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A30687-2002May29.html |archive-date=April 12, 2017 }}</ref> bartender,<ref name="bostonmagazine2006">{{Cite news|last1=Atkinson |first1=Kim |title=Casey, the Other Affleck |url=http://www.bostonmagazine.com/2006/05/the-other-affleck/ |work=[[Boston (magazine)|Boston]] |access-date=April 12, 2017 |date=May 15, 2006 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170228044621/http://www.bostonmagazine.com/2006/05/the-other-affleck/ |archive-date=February 28, 2017}}</ref> and janitor at Harvard.<ref name="harvard">{{Cite web|last1=Powell|first1=Alvin|title=Damon, Affleck Rally to Living Wage Cause| url=http://www.news.harvard.edu/gazette/2000/05.11/rally.html|work=[[Harvard Gazette]]|access-date=April 12, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050313234404/http://www.news.harvard.edu/gazette/2000/05.11/rally.html|archive-date=March 13, 2005|date=May 11, 2000}}</ref> In the mid-1960s, he had been an actor and stage manager with the [[Theater Company of Boston]].<ref>{{Cite web|last1=Sorbello |first1=Donna |title=Father Of The Boston Theatre Scene |url= http://www.actorsequity.org/Newsmedia/news2012/jan17.DavidWheeler.asp |work=[[Actors' Equity Association]] |access-date=April 11, 2017 |date= January 27, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140527214431/http://www.actorsequity.org/Newsmedia/news2012/jan17.DavidWheeler.asp |archive-date=May 27, 2014 }}</ref>

During Affleck's childhood, his father had a self-described "severe, chronic problem with alcoholism",<ref name="people1">{{Cite magazine |last1=Schneider |first1=Karen |title= Cover Story: Good Time Hunting | volume= 53 | number= 7 |url= http://people.com/archive/cover-story-good-time-hunting-vol-53-no-7/ |magazine=[[People (magazine)|People]] |access-date=April 12, 2017 |date= February 21, 2000 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170412144219/http://people.com/archive/cover-story-good-time-hunting-vol-53-no-7/ |archive-date=April 12, 2017}}</ref> and Affleck has recalled him drinking "all day ... every day".<ref>{{Cite news|last1=Shanahan |first1=Mark |title=Ben Affleck has Struggled with Alcohol for a Long Time |date=March 15, 2017 |url=https://www.bostonglobe.com/lifestyle/names/2017/03/15/ben-affleck-has-struggled-with-alcohol-for-long-time/L7QELVyVHZqOXpbLWMAk6H/story.html |work=[[The Boston Globe]] |access-date=April 11, 2017 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170412062105/https://www.bostonglobe.com/lifestyle/names/2017/03/15/ben-affleck-has-struggled-with-alcohol-for-long-time/L7QELVyVHZqOXpbLWMAk6H/story.html |archive-date=April 12, 2017}}</ref> His father was "very difficult",<ref>{{Cite news |last1=Spencer |first1=Amy |title=Ben Affleck Talks Raising Kids With His Ex, Facing His Demons and Tackling His Most Personal Movie Role Yet |url=https://parade.com/1001118/amyspencer/ben-affleck-the-way-back/ |access-date=February 29, 2020 |work=Parade |date=February 28, 2020 |language=en |archive-date=December 23, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211223085523/https://parade.com/1001118/amyspencer/ben-affleck-the-way-back/ |url-status=live }}</ref> and Affleck felt a sense of "relief" at the age of 11 when his parents divorced,<ref>{{Cite news |last1=Drysdale |first1=Jennifer |title=Ben Affleck's History With Alcohol Addiction: A Timeline |url=https://www.etonline.com/news/212943_ben_affleck_history_with_alcohol_addiction_a_timeline_of_the_actor_struggles_and_road_to_recovery |access-date=November 6, 2019 |work=[[Entertainment Tonight]] |archive-date=October 30, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191030122502/https://www.etonline.com/news/212943_ben_affleck_history_with_alcohol_addiction_a_timeline_of_the_actor_struggles_and_road_to_recovery |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name=mosaic>{{Cite news |title=An Interview With Erwin McManus and Ben Affleck |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5a7jG-ATTYs | archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211114/5a7jG-ATTYs| archive-date=November 14, 2021 | url-status=live|access-date=March 11, 2020}}{{Cbignore}}</ref> and his father exited the family home.<ref name= "people1"/><ref name= "nytimes2000"/> His father continued to drink heavily<ref name="auto"/> and eventually became homeless, spending two years living on the streets of Cambridge.<ref name="kinja1"/><ref>{{Cite web|title=Interview: Ben Affleck, Actor |url= http://www.scotsman.com/lifestyle/interview-ben-affleck-actor-1-478196 |work=[[The Scotsman]] |access-date=April 10, 2017 |date=September 19, 2010 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170401233332/http://www.scotsman.com/lifestyle/interview-ben-affleck-actor-1-478196 |archive-date=April 1, 2017}}</ref> When Affleck was 16, his father entered a rehabilitation facility in [[Indio, California]]. He lived at the facility for 12 years to maintain his sobriety<ref name=wtf>{{Cite web |title=Episode 767 – Casey Affleck |url=http://www.wtfpod.com/podcast/episode-767-casey-affleck |access-date=August 26, 2018 |work=WTF with Marc Maron Podcast |date=December 12, 2016}}</ref> and worked there as an addiction counselor.<ref name="auto"/><ref>{{Cite web| last1= McGinty| first1=Kate|title=Palm Springs Film Festival: Ben Affleck Spit on Me| url=http://blogs.mydesert.com/2013/01/05/palm-springs-film-festival-ben-affleck-spit-on-me/|work=[[The Desert Sun]] |access-date=April 12, 2017| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20140527215548/http://blogs.mydesert.com/2013/01/05/palm-springs-film-festival-ben-affleck-spit-on-me/|archive-date=May 27, 2014|date=January 5, 2013}}</ref>

Affleck was raised in a politically active, liberal household.<ref name="kinja1"/><ref name= "salon.com">{{Cite web| url= http://www.salon.com/2000/11/08/reacts_ny/ |title=Ben Affleck: "I Hope Nader Can Still Sleep" |work=[[Salon (website)|Salon]] |first=Amy |last=Reiter |page=6(7), 36–100 |date=November 8, 2000 |access-date=August 27, 2014 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140819085546/http://www.salon.com/2000/11/08/reacts_ny/ |archive-date= August 19, 2014}}</ref> He and his brother, Casey, were surrounded by people who worked in the arts;<ref>{{Cite magazine| last1=Berk| first1= Sheryl |pages=36–100|title=Ben Affleck on Stardom, Settling Down, and Working with Best Buddy Matt Damon| magazine=Biography Magazine| date= July 2002}}</ref> the boys regularly attended theater performances with their mother<ref>{{Cite web| last1= Roberts |first1=Sheila |title=Casey Affleck Talks Ain't Them Bodies Saints, Working with Rooney Mara, His Relationship with His Brother, I'm Still Here, and More |url=https://collider.com/casey-affleck-aint-them-bodies-saints-interview/ |work=[[Collider (website)|Collider]] |access-date=April 11, 2017 |date=August 12, 2013 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170623200528/http://collider.com/casey-affleck-aint-them-bodies-saints-interview/ |archive-date=June 23, 2017 }}</ref> and were encouraged to make their own [[home movies]].<ref>{{Cite news|last1=Stern |first1=Marlow |title= Casey Affleck, Star of 'Out of the Furnace,' on His Hollywood Struggles |url=http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2013/12/02/casey-affleck-star-of-out-of-the-furnace-on-his-hollywood-struggles.html |work=[[The Daily Beast]] |access-date=April 11, 2017 |date=December 2, 2013 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170314123334/http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2013/12/02/casey-affleck-star-of-out-of-the-furnace-on-his-hollywood-struggles.html |archive-date=March 14, 2017}}</ref> [[David Wheeler (stage director)|David Wheeler]], a family friend, later remembered Affleck as a "very bright and intensely curious" child.<ref name="people2"/> The brothers auditioned for roles in local commercials and film productions because of their mother's friendship with a Cambridge-area casting director,<ref name="bostonmagazine2006"/> and Affleck first acted professionally at the age of seven.<ref name= "people2">{{Cite magazine |last1=Miller |first1=Samantha |title=Cover Story: Sexiest Man Alive...Ben Affleck | volume= 58 |number= 23 |url= http://people.com/archive/cover-story-sexiest-man-alive-ben-affleck-vol-58-no-23/ |magazine=People |access-date= April 12, 2017 |date=December 2, 2002 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170412224408/http://people.com/archive/cover-story-sexiest-man-alive-ben-affleck-vol-58-no-23/ |archive-date=April 12, 2017 }}</ref> His mother saved his wages in a college trust fund<ref name="nytimes2000"/> and hoped her son would ultimately become a teacher, worrying that acting was an insecure and "frivolous" profession.<ref name="Los Angeles Times">{{Cite news|url=https://articles.latimes.com/1999/mar/07/entertainment/ca-14633/3 |title=Opportunity Knocked at Every Turn |first=Amy |last=Wallace |work=[[Los Angeles Times]] |date=March 7, 1999 |access-date=March 27, 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150208004536/http://articles.latimes.com/1999/mar/07/entertainment/ca-14633/3 |archive-date=February 8, 2015}}</ref> When Affleck was 13, he filmed a children's television program in Mexico. He learned to speak Spanish during a year spent traveling around the country with his mother and brother.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.miamiherald.com/miami-com/miami-com-news/article240470801.html|title=Ben Affleck just spoke perfect Spanish in Miami and now your single tía wants an intro|date=February 20, 2020|first=Madeleine|last=Marr|work=[[Miami Herald]]|access-date=February 28, 2020|archive-date=August 21, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240821051506/https://www.miamiherald.com/miami-com/miami-com-news/article240470801.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news| last1=Garratt |first1=Sheryl |title=Casey Affleck's Time to Shine |url= https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/film/3673779/Casey-Afflecks-time-to-shine.html |work=[[The Daily Telegraph]] |access-date=April 11, 2017 |date=May 30, 2008 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160110004137/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/film/3673779/Casey-Afflecks-time-to-shine.html |archive-date=January 10, 2016}}</ref>

As a [[Cambridge Rindge and Latin School|Cambridge Rindge and Latin]] high school student, Affleck acted in theater productions and was inspired by drama teacher Gerry Speca.<ref>{{Cite news|last1=Booth |first1=William |title=Bond of Brothers |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/10/16/AR2007101602302.html?noredirect=on| newspaper=The Washington Post |access-date=April 11, 2017 |date=October 17, 2007 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170412064253/http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/10/16/AR2007101602302.html |archive-date=April 12, 2017 }}</ref><ref name="cbsnews1">{{Cite news|last1=Mitchell |first1=Russ |title=Ben Affleck: Insecurity, Fear Good Motivators |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/ben-affleck-insecurity-fear-good-motivators/ |work=[[CBS News]] |access-date=April 11, 2017 |date=September 12, 2010 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170620034700/http://www.cbsnews.com/news/ben-affleck-insecurity-fear-good-motivators/ |archive-date=June 20, 2017}}</ref> He became close friends with fellow student [[Matt Damon]], whom he had known since the age of eight.<ref name="interviewmagazine1">{{Cite web|last1=Sischy |first1=Ingrid |title=New Again: Ben Affleck |url=http://www.interviewmagazine.com/film/new-again-ben-affleck/ |work=[[Interview (magazine)|Interview]] |access-date=April 11, 2017 |date=April 16, 2014 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170619233859/http://www.interviewmagazine.com/film/new-again-ben-affleck/ |archive-date=June 19, 2017}}</ref> Although Damon was two years older, the pair had "identical interests" and both wanted to pursue acting careers.<ref name="interviewmagazine1"/> They traveled to New York together for acting auditions<ref name="Parade">{{Cite news|last1=Rader|first1=Dotson|title=Ben Affleck: 'I Have a Strong Sense of Where I Want to Go'| url= http://entertainment.msn.com/news/article.aspx?news=279087|work=[[Parade (magazine)|Parade Magazine]]| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080411040258/http://entertainment.msn.com/news/article.aspx?news=279087| date=October 10, 2007|archive-date= April 11, 2008|access-date=April 12, 2017}}</ref> and saved money for train and airline tickets in a joint bank account.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Interview With 'The Adjustment Bureau' Star Matt Damon |url=http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/1103/03/pmt.01.html |publisher=[[CNN]] |access-date=April 12, 2017 |date=March 3, 2011 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304191024/http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/1103/03/pmt.01.html |archive-date=March 4, 2016}}</ref> While Affleck had high [[SAT]] scores,<ref name="nytimes2000"/> he was largely an unfocused student with poor attendance.<ref name="auto"/><ref>{{Cite news| url= https://abcnews.go.com/Primetime/story?id=132331&page=1&singlePage=true |title=PrimeTime: The Real Ben Affleck |work= abcnews.go.com | publisher=[[ABC News (United States)|ABC News]] |access-date=August 27, 2014 |date=November 16, 2002 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140821175727/http://abcnews.go.com/Primetime/story?id=132331&page=1&singlePage=true |archive-date=August 21, 2014}}</ref> He spent a few months studying Spanish at the [[University of Vermont]], chosen because of its proximity to his then-girlfriend,<ref name="washingtonpost1" /> but he left after fracturing his hip while playing basketball.<ref name="Parade"/> At 18, Affleck moved to Los Angeles,<ref name="Los Angeles Times"/> studying Middle Eastern affairs at [[Occidental College]] for a year and a half.<ref>{{Cite magazine| last1= Edwards |first1=Sian |title=Enter Ben's World |url=http://global-citizen.com/enter-bens-world/ |magazine=Global Citizen Magazine| access-date=April 11, 2017 |date=October 29, 2012 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161120112110/http://global-citizen.com/enter-bens-world/ |archive-date=November 20, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last1=Singh |first1=Ajay |title=Did Ben Affleck Major in Middle Eastern Studies From Oxy? |url=https://patch.com/california/eaglerock/did-ben-affleck-major-in-middle-eastern-studies-from-oxy |work= Eagle Rock Patch| publisher= [[Patch Media]] |access-date=April 12, 2017 |date= January 15, 2013 |url-status=live |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20170413070712/https://patch.com/california/eaglerock/did-ben-affleck-major-in-middle-eastern-studies-from-oxy |archive-date=April 13, 2017}}</ref>

==Career==

===1981–1997: Child acting and ''Good Will Hunting''===
{{Anchor|1984–97: Child actor and ''Good Will Hunting''}}
Affleck acted professionally throughout his childhood but, in his own words, "not in the sense that I had a mom that wanted to take me to Hollywood or a family that wanted to make money from me ... I kind of chanced into something."<ref name="ReferenceA">{{Cite web|last=Riley |first=Jenelle |url=http://www.backstage.com/interview/ben-affleck-knows-his-way-around-the-town/ |title=Ben Affleck Knows His Way Around the 'Town' |work=[[Backstage (magazine)|Backstage]] |date=December 23, 2010 |access-date=August 27, 2014 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140714223717/http://www.backstage.com/interview/ben-affleck-knows-his-way-around-the-town/ |archive-date=July 14, 2014}}</ref> He first appeared, at the age of seven, in an independent film, ''[[The Dark End of the Street (1981 film)|The Dark End of the Street]]'' (1981), directed by a family friend.<ref>{{Cite book |last1= Sherman |first1=Paul |publisher=Black Bars Publishing |url= https://archive.org/details/bigscreenbostonf00paul |title=Big Screen Boston: From Mystery Street to The Departed and Beyond |isbn=978-0977639748 |access-date=April 11, 2017 |date=May 1, 2008 |url-access=registration}}</ref> His biggest success as a child actor was as the star of the [[PBS]] children's series ''[[The Voyage of the Mimi]]'' (1984) and ''[[The Second Voyage of the Mimi]]'' (1988), produced for sixth-grade science classes. Affleck worked "sporadically" on ''Mimi'' from the age of eight to fifteen in both Massachusetts and Mexico.<ref name="ReferenceA"/> As a teenager, he appeared in the [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]] [[after school special]] ''Wanted: A Perfect Man'' (1986),<ref>{{Cite news|title=Profiles of Ex-Couple Ben Affleck, Jennifer Lopez |url= http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0401/24/cnnitm.00.html |work= CNN.com |access-date=April 12, 2017 |date=January 24, 2004 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160305012628/http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0401/24/cnnitm.00.html |archive-date=March 5, 2016}}</ref> the television film ''Hands of a Stranger'' (1987),<ref name= "ReferenceA"/> and a 1989 [[Burger King]] commercial.<ref name= "cbsnews1"/>

After high school, Affleck moved briefly to New York in search of acting work.<ref name="ReferenceA"/> Later, while studying at Occidental College in Los Angeles, Affleck directed [[I Killed My Lesbian Wife, Hung Her on a Meat Hook, and Now I Have a Three-Picture Deal at Disney|student films]].<ref name="kinja1" /><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/watch-ben-afflecks-directorial-debut-i-killed-my-lesbian-wife-ung-er-on-a-eathook-ow-i-have-a-three-picture-deal-with-disney-short-film-20130218 |last1=Davis |first1=Edward |title=Watch: Ben Affleck's Directorial Debut 'I Killed My Lesbian Wife, Ηung Ηer On A Μeathook & Νow I Have A Three-Picture Deal With Disney' [Short Film] |date=February 18, 2013 |work=[[IndieWire]] |access-date=August 27, 2014 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140714230519/http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/watch-ben-afflecks-directorial-debut-i-killed-my-lesbian-wife-ung-er-on-a-eathook-ow-i-have-a-three-picture-deal-with-disney-short-film-20130218 |archive-date=July 14, 2014}}</ref> As an actor, he had a series of "knock-around parts, one to the next".<ref name="ReferenceA"/> He played [[Patrick Duffy]]'s son in the television film ''[[Daddy (1991 film)|Daddy]]'' (1991), made an uncredited appearance as a basketball player in the ''[[Buffy the Vampire Slayer (film)|Buffy the Vampire Slayer]]'' film (1992), and had a supporting role as a prep school student in ''[[School Ties]]'' (1992).<ref>{{Cite magazine|url=https://www.ew.com/ew/gallery/0,,20471622_20008007_20005834,00.html |title=School Ties, Ben Affleck |date=January 14, 2007 |magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]] |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141008013245/http://www.ew.com/ew/gallery/0%2C%2C20471622_20008007_20005834%2C00.html |archive-date=October 8, 2014 |access-date=April 12, 2017}}</ref> He played a high school quarterback in the [[NBC]] television series ''[[Against the Grain (TV series)|Against the Grain]]'' (1993), and a steroid-abusing high school football player in ''[[Lifestories: Families in Crisis|''Body to Die For: The Aaron Henry Story'']]'' (1994). Affleck's most notable role during this period was as a high school bully in [[Richard Linklater]]'s cult classic ''[[Dazed and Confused (film)|Dazed and Confused]]'' (1993).<ref>{{Cite news|last=Stern |first=Marlow |date=September 24, 2013 |url=http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2013/09/24/dazed-and-confused-20th-anniversary-20-craziest-facts-about-the-cult-classic.html |title='Dazed and Confused' 20th Anniversary: 20 Craziest Facts About the Cult Classic |work=The Daily Beast |access-date=June 29, 2014 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140714161914/http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2013/09/24/dazed-and-confused-20th-anniversary-20-craziest-facts-about-the-cult-classic.html |archive-date=July 14, 2014}}</ref> Linklater wanted a likable actor for the villainous role, and, while Affleck was "big and imposing", he was "so smart and full of life ... I just liked him."<ref>{{Cite news|last=Stern |first=Marlow |date=September 24, 2013 |url=http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2013/09/24/dazed-and-confused-director-richard-linklater-on-its-20th-anniversary.html |title='Dazed and Confused' Director Richard Linklater on Its 20th Anniversary |newspaper=The Daily Beast |access-date=August 27, 2014 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141006102349/http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2013/09/24/dazed-and-confused-director-richard-linklater-on-its-20th-anniversary.html |archive-date=October 6, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.maxim.com/movies/oral-history-dazed-and-confused |title=An Oral History of 'Dazed and Confused' |work=[[Maxim (magazine)|Maxim]] |last1=Spitz |first1=Marc |date=December 27, 2013 |access-date=August 27, 2014 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141224131129/http://www.maxim.com/movies/oral-history-dazed-and-confused |archive-date=December 24, 2014}}</ref> Affleck later said Linklater was instrumental in demystifying the filmmaking process for him.<ref name="kinja1"/>

Affleck's first starring film role was as an aimless art student in the college drama ''[[Glory Daze (film)|Glory Daze]]'' (1995), with Stephen Holden of ''The New York Times'' remarking that his "affably mopey performance finds just the right balance between obnoxious and sad sack".<ref>{{Cite news|last=Holden |first=Stephen |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1996/09/27/movies/a-major-in-parties-and-a-minor-in-art.html |title=A Major in Parties and a Minor in Art |work=The New York Times |date=September 27, 1996 |access-date=August 27, 2014 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140726131824/http://www.nytimes.com/1996/09/27/movies/a-major-in-parties-and-a-minor-in-art.html |archive-date=July 26, 2014}}</ref> He then played a bully in filmmaker [[Kevin Smith]]'s comedy ''[[Mallrats]]'' (1995) and became friends with Smith during the filming. Affleck had begun to worry that he would be relegated to a career of "throwing people into their lockers",<ref name="ReferenceA"/> but Smith wrote him a lead role in the romantic comedy ''[[Chasing Amy]]'' (1997).<ref name="viewaskew1"/><ref name="ReferenceA"/> The film was Affleck's breakthrough.<ref name="ReferenceA"/> [[Janet Maslin]] of ''The New York Times'' praised Affleck's "wonderful ease" playing the role, combining "suave good looks with cool comic timing".<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=9401E4D9153DF937A35757C0A961958260 |title=Chasing Amy (1997) |work=The New York Times |date=April 4, 1997 |first=Janet |last=Maslin |access-date=October 7, 2014 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141006073730/http://www.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=9401E4D9153DF937A35757C0A961958260 |archive-date=October 6, 2014}}</ref> Owen Gleiberman of ''Entertainment Weekly'' described it as a "wholesome and quick-witted" performance.<ref>{{Cite magazine|url=https://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,287334,00.html |title=Movie Review: 'Chasing Amy' (1997) |magazine=Entertainment Weekly |date=April 4, 1997 |first=Owen |last=Gleiberman |access-date=October 7, 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141006131149/http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0%2C%2C287334%2C00.html |archive-date=October 6, 2014}}</ref> When Affleck starred as a recently returned Korean War veteran in the coming-of-age drama ''[[Going All the Way]]'' (1997), Todd McCarthy of ''Variety'' found him "excellent",<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://variety.com/1997/film/reviews/going-all-the-way-1117432751/ |title=Review: Going All the Way |first=Todd |last=McCarthy |work=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] |date=January 30, 1997 |access-date=March 27, 2015 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141226055251/http://variety.com/1997/film/reviews/going-all-the-way-1117432751/ |archive-date=December 26, 2014}}</ref> while Janet Maslin of ''The New York Times'' noted that his "flair for comic self-doubt made a strong impression."<ref>{{Cite news|first=Janet |last=Maslin |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1997/01/27/movies/independent-films-have-their-sundance-night.html |title=Independent Films Have Their Sundance Night |work=The New York Times |date=January 27, 1997 |access-date=August 27, 2014 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141006175841/http://www.nytimes.com/1997/01/27/movies/independent-films-have-their-sundance-night.html |archive-date=October 6, 2014}}</ref>

[[File:CampDavid.jpg|thumb|left|Affleck and Matt Damon attend a [[Camp David]] screening of ''Good Will Hunting'' with President [[Bill Clinton]] in January 1998.|alt= Bill Clinton, Ben Affleck, and Matt Damon sit on two sofas while looking towards a television screen]]
The success of 1997's ''[[Good Will Hunting]]'', which Affleck co-wrote and acted in, marked a turning point in his career. The screenplay originated in 1992 when Damon wrote a 40-page script for a playwriting class at Harvard University.<ref name="bostonmag-history">{{Cite news|url=http://www.bostonmagazine.com/2013/01/good-will-hunting-oral-history/ |title=Good Will Hunting: An Oral History |first=Janelle |last=Nanos |work=Boston Magazine |date=January 2013 |access-date=June 5, 2014 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140715034905/http://www.bostonmagazine.com/2013/01/good-will-hunting-oral-history/ |archive-date=July 15, 2014}}</ref> He asked Affleck to act out the scenes with him in front of the class and, when Damon later moved into Affleck's Los Angeles apartment, they began working on the script in earnest.<ref name="interviewmagazine1"/> The film, which they wrote mainly during improvisation sessions, was set partly in their hometown of Cambridge and drew from their own experiences.<ref name="bostonmag-history" /><ref>{{Cite news|last1=Shone|first1=Tom|title=The Double Life of Matt Damon|url=https://www.thetimes.com/culture/tv-radio/article/the-double-life-of-matt-damon-9mspqql8h8j|work=[[The Times]]|access-date=August 16, 2017|date=February 26, 2011|language=en|archive-date=October 5, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181005071754/https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/the-double-life-of-matt-damon-9mspqql8h8j|url-status=live}}</ref> The screenplay was borne of their desire to create "an acting reel" for themselves.<ref name=keegan>{{cite web |last1=Keegan |first1=Rebecca |title=Ben Affleck on 'Air,' New CEO Gig and Those Memes: "I Am Who I Am" |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-features/ben-affleck-air-production-company-grammys-memes-justice-league-1235353301/ |website=The Hollywood Reporter |access-date=March 16, 2023 |date=March 16, 2023 |archive-date=March 16, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230316152828/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-features/ben-affleck-air-production-company-grammys-memes-justice-league-1235353301/ |url-status=live }}</ref> They sold the screenplay to [[Castle Rock Entertainment|Castle Rock]] in 1994 when Affleck was 22 years old. During the development process, they received notes from industry figures, including [[Rob Reiner]] and [[William Goldman]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/4720603/Good-Will-Hunting-the-truth.html |last=Goldman |first=William |title=Good Will Hunting: the Truth |work=The Telegraph |date=May 2, 2000 |access-date=March 27, 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924151342/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/4720603/Good-Will-Hunting-the-truth.html |archive-date=September 24, 2015}}</ref> Following a lengthy dispute with Castle Rock about a suitable director, Affleck and Damon persuaded [[Miramax]] to purchase the screenplay.<ref name="highbeam1"/> The two friends moved back to Boston for a year before the film finally went into production, directed by [[Gus Van Sant]], and co-starring Damon, Affleck, [[Minnie Driver]], and [[Robin Williams]].<ref name="bostonmag-history" />

On its release, Janet Maslin of ''The New York Times'' praised the "smart and touching screenplay",<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=9C00EFD7123DF936A35751C1A961958260 |title=Good Will Hunting: Logarithms and Biorhythms Test a Young Janitor |first=Janet |last=Maslin |work=The New York Times |date=December 5, 1997 |access-date=March 27, 2015 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141214110201/http://www.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=9C00EFD7123DF936A35751C1A961958260 |archive-date=December 14, 2014}}</ref> while Emanuel Levy of ''Variety'' found it "funny, nonchalant, moving and angry".<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://variety.com/1997/film/reviews/good-will-hunting-3-1200452429/ |title=Review: Good Will Hunting |first=Emanuel |last=Levy |work=Variety |date=November 30, 1997 |access-date=March 27, 2015 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141226120724/http://variety.com/1997/film/reviews/good-will-hunting-3-1200452429/ |archive-date=December 26, 2014 }}</ref> Jay Carr of ''The Boston Globe'' wrote that Affleck brought "a beautifully nuanced tenderness" to his role as the working-class friend of Damon's mathematical prodigy character.<ref>{{Cite news|last1=Carr |first1=Jay |title='Will' Has its Way |url=http://cache.boston.com/globe/living/moviereviews/carr_reviews/Good_Will_Hunting.htm |work=[[The Boston Globe]] |access-date=April 12, 2017 |date=December 25, 1997 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160410143401/http://cache.boston.com/globe/living/moviereviews/carr_reviews/Good_Will_Hunting.htm |archive-date=April 10, 2016}}</ref> Affleck and Damon eventually won the [[Academy Award for Writing Original Screenplay|Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay]].<ref name="kinja1" /> Affleck has described this period of his life as "dreamlike": "It was like one of those scenes in an old movie when a newspaper comes spinning out of the black on to the screen. You know, '$100 Million Box Office! Awards!{{'"}}<ref name=Parade /> He remains the youngest writer (at age 25) ever to win an Oscar for screenwriting.<ref name="bostonmag-history" /><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/arts/awards-and-festivals/film-awards/what-makes-a-great-script-reviewing-the-nominees-for-best-original-screenplay/article28927744/|title=What Makes a Great Script? The Oscar Nominees for Best Original Screenplay|last=Malla|first=Pasha|date=February 26, 2016|work=[[The Globe and Mail]]|access-date=July 22, 2017|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160227114743/http://www.theglobeandmail.com/arts/awards-and-festivals/film-awards/what-makes-a-great-script-reviewing-the-nominees-for-best-original-screenplay/article28927744/|archive-date=February 27, 2016}}</ref>

===1998–2002: Leading man status===
[[File:Bay Affleck Tyler at JFK Space Center Armageddon premiere (cropped).jpg|alt=Ben Affleck, Michael Bay and Liv Tyler posing on the red carpet|thumb|Affleck with [[Michael Bay]] and [[Liv Tyler]] at the ''[[Armageddon (1998 film)|Armageddon]]'' premiere in June 1998]]
''[[Armageddon (1998 film)|Armageddon]]'', released in 1998, established Affleck as a viable leading man for Hollywood studio films. ''Good Will Hunting'' had not yet been released during the casting process and, after Affleck's [[screen test]], director [[Michael Bay]] dismissed him as "a geek". Producer [[Jerry Bruckheimer]] convinced Bay that Affleck would be a star,<ref name="Los Angeles Times"/> but he was required to lose weight, become tanned, and get his teeth capped before filming began.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.gq.com/story/michael-bay-oral-history |title=An Oral History of Transformers Director Michael Bay |first=Sean |last=Fennessey |date=June 27, 2011 |work=[[GQ]] |access-date=April 12, 2017 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170214225007/http://www.gq.com/story/michael-bay-oral-history |archive-date=February 14, 2017}}</ref> The film, where he starred opposite [[Bruce Willis]] as a blue-collar driller tasked by [[NASA]] with stopping an asteroid from colliding with Earth, was a box office success.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=armageddon.htm |title=Armageddon (1998) – Box Office Mojo |website=[[Box Office Mojo]] |access-date=April 12, 2017 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170420060608/http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=armageddon.htm |archive-date=April 20, 2017}}</ref> Daphne Merkin of ''The New Yorker'' remarked: "Affleck demonstrates a sexy [[Paul Newman]]ish charm and is clearly bound for stardom."<ref>{{Cite magazine|last1=Merkin|first1=Daphne|title=The Film File: Armageddon|url=https://www.newyorker.com/arts/reviews/film/armageddon_bay|magazine=[[The New Yorker]]|access-date=April 12, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080105084505/http://www.newyorker.com/arts/reviews/film/armageddon_bay|archive-date=January 5, 2008|date=July 20, 1998}}</ref>

Later in 1998, Affleck had a supporting role as an arrogant English actor in the period romantic comedy ''[[Shakespeare in Love]]'', starring his then-girlfriend [[Gwyneth Paltrow]]. Lael Loewenstein of ''Variety'' remarked that Affleck "does some of his very best work, suggesting that comedy may be his true calling,"<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://variety.com/1998/film/reviews/shakespeare-in-love-1200456294/ |title=Review: 'Shakespeare in Love' |work=Variety |date=December 6, 1998 |first=Lael |last=Loewenstein |access-date=October 7, 2014 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140907173156/http://variety.com/1998/film/reviews/shakespeare-in-love-1200456294/ |archive-date=September 7, 2014 }}</ref> while Janet Maslin of ''The New York Times'' found him "very funny".<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=9B05E4D9103AF932A25751C1A96E958260 |title=Shakespeare in Love (1998) |work=The New York Times |date=December 11, 1998 |first=Janet |last=Maslin |access-date=October 7, 2014 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141015035733/http://www.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=9B05E4D9103AF932A25751C1A96E958260 |archive-date=October 15, 2014}}</ref> ''Shakespeare in Love'' won seven [[Academy Awards]], including [[Academy Award for Best Picture|Best Picture]], while the cast won the [[Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture|Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast]]. Affleck then appeared as a small-town sheriff in the supernatural horror film ''[[Phantoms (film)|Phantoms]]''.<ref name="ReferenceA"/> Stephen Holden of ''The New York Times'' wondered why actors like Affleck and [[Peter O'Toole]] had agreed to appear in the "junky" film: "Affleck's thudding performance suggests he is reading his dialogue for the first time, directly from cue cards."<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=9B06EFD8163BF930A15752C0A96E958260 |title=Phantoms: A Monster Hungry for Attention |work=The New York Times |first=Stephen |last=Holden |date=January 23, 1998 |access-date=March 27, 2015 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141223235610/http://www.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=9B06EFD8163BF930A15752C0A96E958260 |archive-date=December 23, 2014}}</ref>

Affleck and Damon had an on-screen reunion in Kevin Smith's religious satire ''[[Dogma (film)|Dogma]]'', which premiered at the [[1999 Cannes Film Festival]]. Janet Maslin of ''The New York Times'' remarked that the pair, playing fallen angels, "bring great, understandable enthusiasm to Mr. Smith's smart talk and wild imaginings".<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=9507E4D81E3EF937A35753C1A96F958260 |title=Dogma: There's Devilment Afoot: 2 Fallen Angels Want Back In |first=Janet |last=Maslin |work=The New York Times |date=October 4, 1999 |access-date=March 27, 2015 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141006184448/http://www.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=9507E4D81E3EF937A35753C1A96F958260 |archive-date=October 6, 2014}}</ref> Affleck starred opposite [[Sandra Bullock]] in the romantic comedy ''[[Forces of Nature (1999 film)|Forces of Nature]]'' (1999), playing a groom whose attempts to get to his wedding are complicated by his free-spirited traveling companion. [[Joe Leydon]] of ''Variety'' praised "his winning ability to play against his good looks in a self-effacing comic turn".<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://variety.com/1999/film/reviews/forces-of-nature-1200457002/ |title=Review: 'Forces of Nature' |work=Variety |date=March 14, 1999 |first=Joe |last=Leydon |access-date=October 7, 2014 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140904182546/http://variety.com/1999/film/reviews/forces-of-nature-1200457002/ |archive-date=September 4, 2014}}</ref> Affleck then appeared opposite [[Courtney Love]] in the little-seen ensemble comedy ''[[200 Cigarettes]]'' (1999).<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/200_cigarettes/reviews/ |title=200 Cigarettes |work=[[Rotten Tomatoes]] |access-date=March 27, 2015 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150303205157/http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/200_cigarettes/reviews/ |archive-date=March 3, 2015}}</ref>

Interested in a directorial career, Affleck shadowed [[John Frankenheimer]] throughout pre-production of the action thriller ''[[Reindeer Games]]'' (2000).<ref name="Los Angeles Times"/><ref name="ReferenceB">{{Cite magazine|url=https://ew.com/article/2010/09/09/ben-affleck-calls-shots/ |title=Ben Affleck Calls The Shots |magazine=Entertainment Weekly |date=September 9, 2010 |first=Chris |last=Nashawaty |access-date=October 7, 2014 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141012211505/http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0%2C%2C20419881%2C00.html |archive-date=October 12, 2014}}</ref> Frankenheimer, directing his last feature film, described Affleck as having "a very winning, likable quality about him. I've been doing this for a long time and he's really one of the nicest."<ref>{{Cite news|last1=Peretz|first1=Evgenia|page=262|title=Let's Try It Ben's Way|issue=October 1999|work=[[Vanity Fair (magazine)|Vanity Fair]]}}</ref> He starred opposite [[Charlize Theron]] as a hardened criminal, with Elvis Mitchell of ''The New York Times'' enjoying the unexpected casting choice: "Affleck often suggests one of the [[Kennedy family|Kennedys]] playing [[Clark Kent]] ... He looks as if he has never missed a party or a night's sleep. He's game, though, and his slight dislocation works to the advantage of ''Reindeer Games''."<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=9D00EEDF1E30F936A15751C0A9669C8B63 |title=Reindeer Games: Santa Would Surely Be Useful Right Now |first=Elvis |last=Mitchell |work=The New York Times |date=February 25, 2000 |access-date=March 27, 2015 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141226150511/http://www.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=9D00EEDF1E30F936A15751C0A9669C8B63 |archive-date=December 26, 2014}}</ref> He then had a supporting role as a ruthless stockbroker in the crime drama ''[[Boiler Room (film)|Boiler Room]]'' (2000).<ref name="ReferenceB"/> [[A.O. Scott]] of ''The New York Times'' felt Affleck had merely "traced over" [[Alec Baldwin]]'s performance in ''[[Glengarry Glen Ross]]'',<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=9E04E2DD1131F93BA25751C0A9669C8B63 |title=Boiler Room (2000) |work=The New York Times |date=February 18, 2000 |first=A.O. |last=Scott |access-date=October 7, 2014 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141015035753/http://www.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=9E04E2DD1131F93BA25751C0A9669C8B63 |archive-date=October 15, 2014}}</ref> while Peter Rainer of ''New York Magazine'' said he "does a series of riffs on Baldwin's aria, and each one is funnier and crueler than the next".<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://nymag.com/nymetro/movies/reviews/2212/ |title=Perfect Pitch |work=[[New York (magazine)|New York]] |date=February 28, 2000 |first=Peter |last=Rainer |access-date=October 7, 2014 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141012193055/http://nymag.com/nymetro/movies/reviews/2212/ |archive-date=October 12, 2014}}</ref> He provided the voice of Joseph in the animated ''[[Joseph: King of Dreams]]''.<ref>{{Cite news|last1=Leydon |first1=Joe |title=Review: 'Joseph: King of Dreams' |url=https://variety.com/2000/film/reviews/joseph-king-of-dreams-1200465581/ |work=Variety |date=November 6, 2000 |access-date=April 8, 2017 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170409110808/http://variety.com/2000/film/reviews/joseph-king-of-dreams-1200465581/ |archive-date=April 9, 2017}}</ref> In his last film role of 2000, Affleck starred opposite his girlfriend Paltrow in the romantic drama ''[[Bounce (film)|Bounce]]''. Stephen Holden of ''The New York Times'' praised the "understated intensity and exquisite detail" of his performance: "His portrait of a young, sarcastically self-defined 'people person' who isn't half as confident as he would like to appear is close to definitive."<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=9803E0D9153BF934A25752C1A9669C8B63 |title=Bounce (2000) |work=The New York Times |date=November 17, 2000 |first=Stephen |last=Holden |access-date=October 7, 2014 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141015035756/http://www.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=9803E0D9153BF934A25752C1A9669C8B63 |archive-date=October 15, 2014}}</ref>

Affleck reunited with director Michael Bay for the critically derided war drama ''[[Pearl Harbor (film)|Pearl Harbor]]'' (2001).<ref name="telegraph.co.uk">{{Cite news|last=Shone |first=Tom |date=November 6, 2012 |access-date=April 12, 2017 |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/film/9646122/Ben-Affleck-talks-about-his-new-film-Argo.html |title=Ben Affleck Talks About His New Film, Argo |work=The Telegraph |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170201070115/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/film/9646122/Ben-Affleck-talks-about-his-new-film-Argo.html |archive-date=February 1, 2017}}</ref> Todd McCarthy of ''Variety'' wrote "the blandly handsome Affleck couldn't convince that he'd ever so much as been turned down for a date, much less lost the love of his life to his best friend".<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://variety.com/2001/film/reviews/pearl-harbor-2-1200468183/ |title=Review:Pearl Harbor |first=Todd |last=McCarthy |work=Variety |date=May 23, 2001 |access-date=March 27, 2015 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150111213322/http://variety.com/2001/film/reviews/pearl-harbor-2-1200468183/ |archive-date=January 11, 2015}}</ref> Affleck then parodied ''Good Will Hunting'' with Damon and Van Sant in Kevin Smith's ''[[Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back]]'' (2001),<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=9500E1D71531F937A1575BC0A9679C8B63 |title=Jay And Silent Bob Strike Back: Hitchhiking in a Hurry: What Does That Tell You? |first=Elvis |last=Mitchell |work=The New York Times |date=August 24, 2001 |access-date=March 27, 2015 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141226211737/http://www.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=9500E1D71531F937A1575BC0A9679C8B63 |archive-date=December 26, 2014}}</ref> made a cameo in the comedy ''[[Daddy and Them]]'' (2001),<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://variety.com/2001/film/reviews/daddy-and-them-1200469312/ |title=Review: Daddy and Them |work=Variety |first=Eddie |last=Cockrell |date=August 28, 2001 |access-date=March 27, 2015 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150111213416/http://variety.com/2001/film/reviews/daddy-and-them-1200469312/ |archive-date=January 11, 2015}}</ref> and had a supporting role in the little-seen ''[[The Third Wheel (film)|The Third Wheel]]'' (2002).<ref name="people2"/> He portrayed the [[CIA]] analyst [[Jack Ryan (Tom Clancy)|Jack Ryan]] in the thriller ''[[The Sum of All Fears (film)|The Sum of All Fears]]'' (2002). Stephen Holden of ''The New York Times'' felt he was miscast in a role previously played by both [[Harrison Ford]] and Alec Baldwin: "Although Mr. Affleck can be appealing when playing earnest young men groping toward maturity, he simply lacks the gravitas for the role."<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=9D05E6DF163AF932A05756C0A9649C8B63 |title=The Sum of all Fears: Terrorism That's All Too Real |first=Stephen |last=Holden |work=The New York Times |date=May 31, 2002 |access-date=March 27, 2015 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141227120202/http://www.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=9D05E6DF163AF932A05756C0A9649C8B63 |archive-date=December 27, 2014}}</ref> Affleck had an "amazing experience" making the thriller ''[[Changing Lanes]]'' (2002),<ref name="ReferenceA"/> and later cited [[Roger Michell]] as someone he learned from as a director.<ref name="ReferenceB"/><ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.emirates247.com/entertainment/films-music/interview-out-on-the-town-with-ben-affleck-2010-12-27-1.334550 |title=Interview: Out on The Town with Ben Affleck |agency=[[Reuters]] |publisher=[[Emirates 24/7]] |date=December 27, 2010 |access-date=April 12, 2017 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161219062707/http://www.emirates247.com/entertainment/films-music/interview-out-on-the-town-with-ben-affleck-2010-12-27-1.334550 |archive-date=December 19, 2016}}</ref> Robert Koehler of ''Variety'' described it as one of his "most thoroughly wrought" performances: "The journey into a moral fog compels him to play more inwardly and thoughtfully than he ever has before."<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://variety.com/2002/film/reviews/changing-lanes-1200550432/ |title=Review: 'Changing Lanes' |work=Variety |date=April 5, 2002 |first=Robert |last=Koehler |access-date=October 7, 2014 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140914135035/http://variety.com/2002/film/reviews/changing-lanes-1200550432/ |archive-date=September 14, 2014}}</ref>

Affleck became more involved with television and film production in the early 2000s. He and Damon had set up [[Pearl Street Films]] in 1998,<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://variety.com/1998/film/news/pearl-street-taps-kubena-1117478813/ |title=Pearl Street Taps Kubena |first=Chris |last=Petrikin |date=July 27, 1998 |work=Variety |access-date=April 12, 2017 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160505060747/http://variety.com/1998/film/news/pearl-street-taps-kubena-1117478813/ |archive-date=May 5, 2016}}</ref> named after the street that ran between their childhood homes.<ref name="lauraholson">{{Cite news|first=Laura M. |last=Holson |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2001/05/27/arts/television-radio-bidding-to-be-moguls-of-a-risky-business.html |title=Bidding To Be Moguls Of a Risky Business- Page 2 |work=The New York Times |access-date=June 29, 2014 |date=May 27, 2001 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140715184522/http://www.nytimes.com/2001/05/27/arts/television-radio-bidding-to-be-moguls-of-a-risky-business.html |archive-date=July 15, 2014}}</ref> Their next production company [[LivePlanet]], co-founded in 2000 with [[Sean Bailey]] and [[Chris Moore (film producer)|Chris Moore]], sought to integrate the Internet into mainstream television and film production.<ref name="lauraholson"/><ref name="Laura M. Holson">{{Cite news|last=Holson |first=Laura |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2002/08/05/business/affleck-and-damon-find-real-life-obstacles-to-their-media-venture.html |title=Affleck and Damon Find Real-Life Obstacles to Their Media Venture |work=The New York Times |date=August 5, 2002 |access-date=June 29, 2014 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140714114434/http://www.nytimes.com/2002/08/05/business/affleck-and-damon-find-real-life-obstacles-to-their-media-venture.html |archive-date=July 14, 2014}}</ref> LivePlanet's biggest success was the documentary series ''[[Project Greenlight]]'', aired on [[HBO]] and later [[Bravo (U.S. TV network)|Bravo]], which focused on first-time filmmakers being given the chance to direct a feature film. ''Project Greenlight'' was nominated for the [[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Reality Program]] in 2002, 2004 and 2005.<ref>{{Cite news|first=Louise A. |last=Barile |url=https://people.com/celebrity/ben-matt-to-give-second-greenlight/|title=Ben & Matt To Give Second 'Greenlight' |access-date=June 9, 2008 |date=August 21, 2002 |work=People |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080417034733/http://www.people.com/people/article/0%2C%2C624578%2C00.html |archive-date=April 17, 2008}}</ref> ''[[Push, Nevada]]'' (2002), created, written and produced by Affleck and Bailey,<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://variety.com/2002/tv/features/push-nevada-1200546284/ |title=Review: 'Push, Nevada' |first=Phil |last=Gallo |date=September 11, 2002 |access-date=April 12, 2017 |work=Variety |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161022223621/http://variety.com/2002/tv/features/push-nevada-1200546284/ |archive-date=October 22, 2016}}</ref> was an [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]] mystery drama series that placed a viewer-participation game within the frame of the show.<ref>{{Cite magazine|url=https://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,363522,00.html |title=Ben Affleck & Matt Damon |date=October 10, 2002 |magazine=Entertainment Weekly |access-date=June 4, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090618013042/http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0%2C%2C363522%2C00.html |archive-date=June 18, 2009 |url-status=dead|first=Kelly |last=Connolly}}</ref> [[Caryn James]] of ''The New York Times'' praised the show's "nerve, imagination and clever writing",<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2002/09/17/arts/television/17JAME.html |title=Sex in Unison: Just One Quirk Among Many |first=Caryn |last=James |date=September 17, 2002 |access-date=April 12, 2017 |work=The New York Times |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160508164850/http://www.nytimes.com/2002/09/17/arts/television/17JAME.html |archive-date=May 8, 2016}}</ref> but Robert Bianco of ''USA Today'' described it as a "knock-off" of ''[[Twin Peaks]]''.<ref>{{Cite news|url= http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/life/television/reviews/2002-09-16-push-nevada_x.htm |last=Bianco |first= Robert |date= September 16, 2002 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20160508175655/http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/life/television/reviews/2002-09-16-push-nevada_x.htm |access-date=April 12, 2017 |archive-date= May 8, 2016|title=Quirky 'Push' is Truly a Mystery Within a Mystery |work=[[USA Today]]}}</ref> The show was canceled by ABC after seven episodes due to low ratings.<ref>{{Cite web|last1=Friedman |first1=Wayne |title=Cancellation of Push, Nevada Miffs Marketers |url=http://adage.com/article/news/cancellation-push-nevada-miffs-marketers/36012/ |website=[[Advertising Age]] |access-date=April 15, 2017 |date=October 14, 2002 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170416125727/http://adage.com/article/news/cancellation-push-nevada-miffs-marketers/36012/ |archive-date=April 16, 2017}}</ref> Over time, LivePlanet's focus shifted from multimedia projects to more traditional film production.<ref name="Laura M. Holson"/> Affleck and his partners signed a film production deal with [[The Walt Disney Company|Disney]] in 2002; it expired in 2007.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://variety.com/2002/film/markets-festivals/planet-in-disney-pic-prod-n-orbit-1117870767/ |title=Planet in Disney Pic Prod'n Orbit |first=Michael |last=Fleming |date=August 5, 2002 |work=Variety |access-date=April 12, 2017 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160505073230/http://variety.com/2002/film/markets-festivals/planet-in-disney-pic-prod-n-orbit-1117870767/ |archive-date=May 5, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://variety.com/2008/film/markets-festivals/liveplanet-film-unit-takes-final-bow-1117979856/ |title=LivePlanet Film Unit Takes Final Bow |first=Michael |last=Fleming |date=January 30, 2008 |access-date=April 12, 2017 |work=Variety |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170522200137/http://variety.com/2008/film/markets-festivals/liveplanet-film-unit-takes-final-bow-1117979856/ |archive-date=May 22, 2017}}</ref>

===2003–2005: Career downturn and tabloid notoriety===
While Affleck had been a tabloid figure for much of his career,<ref name="people2"/> he was the subject of increased media attention in 2003 because of his relationship with Jennifer Lopez. By the end of the year, Affleck had become, in the words of ''GQ'', the "world's most over-exposed actor".<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.gq.com/entertainment/movies-and-tv/201304/verge-letter-ben-affleck-april-2004|title=The Verge: Building a New Ben |work=GQ |date=January 4, 2014 |access-date=June 19, 2014 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140714162743/http://www.gq.com/entertainment/movies-and-tv/201304/verge-letter-ben-affleck-april-2004?changecurrentdate=true&date=2013%2F04%2F11&save_in_session=true |archive-date=July 14, 2014}}</ref> His tabloid fame coincided with a series of poorly received films.

[[File:Benafflecknavy1.jpg|thumb|upright|alt=Ben Affleck, with a trim goatee and moustache, is surrounded by hands reaching out to him.|Affleck visiting US Marines in [[Manama, Bahrain]] in 2003]]

The first of these was ''[[Daredevil (film)|Daredevil]]'' (2003), in which Affleck starred as the [[Daredevil (Marvel Comics character)|blind superhero]]. Affleck was a longtime comic book fan, and, in 1999, had written a foreword for Kevin Smith's ''[[Guardian Devil]]'' about his love for the character of Daredevil.<ref>{{Cite web|first=Ryan J. |last=Downey |date=June 24, 2002 |url=http://www.mtv.com/news/1455368/affleck-garner-open-up-about-daredevil/ |title=Affleck, Garner Open Up About 'Daredevil' |publisher=[[MTV]] |access-date=April 27, 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150822033506/http://www.mtv.com/news/1455368/affleck-garner-open-up-about-daredevil/ |archive-date=August 22, 2015}}</ref> The film was a commercial success,<ref name="earnings">{{Cite web|url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/people/chart/?view=Actor&id=benaffleck.htm|title=Ben Affleck Movie Box Office Results|website=Box Office Mojo|access-date=April 27, 2009| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20090508083945/http://boxofficemojo.com/people/chart/?view=Actor&id=benaffleck.htm| archive-date= May 8, 2009 | url-status=live}}</ref> but received a mixed response from critics. Elvis Mitchell of ''The New York Times'' said Affleck was "lost" in the role: "Affleck is shriveled by the one-dimensional role ... [Only his scenes with [[Jon Favreau]] have] a playful side that allows Mr. Affleck to show his generosity as an actor."<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=9400E0D7143AF937A25751C0A9659C8B63 |title=Daredevil: Blind Lawyer As Hero In Red |first=Elvis |last=Mitchell |work=The New York Times |date=February 14, 2003 |access-date=March 27, 2015 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150121051708/http://www.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=9400E0D7143AF937A25751C0A9659C8B63 |archive-date=January 21, 2015}}</ref> In 2014, Affleck described ''Daredevil'' as the only film he regretted making.<ref name="kinja1"/> He next appeared as a low-ranking mobster in the romantic comedy ''[[Gigli (film)|Gigli]]'' (2003), co-starring Lopez. The film was almost uniformly panned,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/gigli/ |title=Gigli (2003) |website=Rotten Tomatoes |date=August 2003 |access-date=July 7, 2017 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170520151906/https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/gigli/ |archive-date=May 20, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2021/jan/25/why-gigli-isnt-a-bad-movie-hear-me-out|title=Hear me out: why Gigli isn't a bad movie|work=Guardian|first=Jason|last=Bailey|date=January 25, 2021|access-date=June 15, 2022|archive-date=July 4, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220704224823/https://www.theguardian.com/film/2021/jan/25/why-gigli-isnt-a-bad-movie-hear-me-out|url-status=live}}</ref> with [[Manohla Dargis]] of the ''Los Angeles Times'' remarking that "Affleck doesn't have the chops or the charm to maneuver around (or past) bad material."<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2003-aug-01-et-dargis1-story.html |title=Gigli's Faults: More Than a Couple |first=Manohla |last=Dargis |work=Los Angeles Times |date=August 1, 2003 |access-date=March 27, 2015 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150121062722/http://articles.latimes.com/2003/aug/01/entertainment/et-dargis1 |archive-date=January 21, 2015}}</ref> Rex Reed of ''[[observer.com|The Observer]]'' criticized the co-stars, writing that the film reminds the world how "pathetically incompetent they both are in the only two things that matter in career longevity - craft and talent."<ref>{{cite news |title=This Smash-Up Is Just Smashing! |url=https://observer.com/2003/08/this-smashup-is-just-smashing/ |access-date=October 6, 2021 |work=Observer |date=August 11, 2003}}</ref> Yet Affleck has repeatedly defended director [[Martin Brest]] since the film's release, describing him as "one of the really great directors".<ref name="ReferenceB"/><ref>{{Cite news|last=Shone |first=Tom |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/film/9646122/Ben-Affleck-talks-about-his-new-film-Argo.html |title=Ben Affleck Talks About His New Film, Argo |work=The Telegraph |access-date=June 29, 2014 |date=November 6, 2012 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140602123820/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/film/9646122/Ben-Affleck-talks-about-his-new-film-Argo.html |archive-date=June 2, 2014}}</ref> In his last film role of 2003, Affleck starred as a [[Reverse engineering|reverse engineer]] in the sci-fi thriller ''[[Paycheck (film)|Paycheck]]'' (2003). Peter Bradshaw of ''The Guardian'' remarked on Affleck's "self-deprecating charm" and wondered why he could not find better scripts.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2004/jan/16/dvdreviews.shopping4 |title=Paycheck |first=Peter |last=Bradshaw |work=The Guardian |date=January 15, 2004 |access-date=March 27, 2015 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150121055529/http://www.theguardian.com/film/2004/jan/16/dvdreviews.shopping4 |archive-date=January 21, 2015}}</ref> Manohla Dargis of the ''Los Angeles Times'' found it "almost unfair" to critique Affleck, given that he "had such a rough year".<ref>{{Cite news|last1=Dargis |first1=Manohla |title=Director Woo Falls Down on the Job with 'Paycheck' |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2003-dec-24-et-manohla24-story.html |work=Los Angeles Times |date=December 24, 2003 |access-date=April 10, 2017 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170411135058/http://articles.latimes.com/2003/dec/24/entertainment/et-manohla24 |archive-date=April 11, 2017}}</ref>

Affleck's poor critical notices continued in 2004 when he starred as a bereaved husband in the romantic comedy ''[[Jersey Girl (2004 film)|Jersey Girl]]'', directed by longtime collaborator Smith. Stephen Holden of ''The New York Times'' described Affleck as an actor "whose talent has curdled as his tabloid notoriety has spread."<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2004/03/26/movies/26JERS.html |title=How to End a Career: Take a Baby to a News Conference |work=The New York Times |date=March 26, 2004 |access-date=March 27, 2015 |first=Stephen |last=Holden |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141106025904/http://www.nytimes.com/2004/03/26/movies/26JERS.html |archive-date=November 6, 2014}}</ref> Later that year, he starred opposite [[James Gandolfini]] in the holiday comedy ''[[Surviving Christmas]]''. Holden noted in ''The New York Times'' that the film "found a clever way to use Ben Affleck's disagreeable qualities. The actor's shark-like grin, cocky petulance and bullying frat-boy swagger befit his character."<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2004/10/22/movies/22surv.html |title=You Can't Go Home, or Perhaps You Just Shouldn't |first=Stephen |last=Holden |work=The New York Times |date=October 22, 2004 |access-date=March 27, 2015 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150528063821/http://www.nytimes.com/2004/10/22/movies/22surv.html |archive-date=May 28, 2015}}</ref> At this point, the quality of scripts offered to Affleck "was just getting worse and worse", the negative press coverage "really started to affect" him,<ref>{{cite news |title=Ben Affleck is done worrying about what other people think |url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/movies/story/2022-01-07/ben-affleck-tender-bar-amazon |access-date=March 18, 2023 |work=Los Angeles Times |date=January 7, 2022 |archive-date=January 7, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220107225112/https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/movies/story/2022-01-07/ben-affleck-tender-bar-amazon |url-status=live }}</ref> and he decided to take a career break.<ref>{{Cite news|last1=Silverman |first1=Stephen M. |title=Ben Affleck: 'I Would Love' More Kids |url=http://people.com/celebrity/ben-affleck-i-would-love-more-kids/ |work=People |access-date=April 12, 2017 |date=November 29, 2006 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170413072041/http://people.com/celebrity/ben-affleck-i-would-love-more-kids/ |archive-date=April 13, 2017}}</ref> The ''Los Angeles Times'' published a piece on the downfall of Affleck's career in late 2004. The article noted that, unlike film critics and tabloid journalists, "few industry professionals seem to be gloating over Affleck's travails".<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2004-oct-27-et-affleck27-story.html |title=Ben's Big Fall |work=Los Angeles Times |date=October 27, 2004 |first=Kim |last=Masters |access-date=March 9, 2022 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141021034949/http://articles.latimes.com/2004/oct/27/entertainment/et-affleck27 |archive-date=October 21, 2014}}</ref>

===2006–2015: Emergence as a director===
Affleck began a career comeback in 2006 with his acclaimed performance as [[Superman]] actor [[George Reeves]] in the noir biopic ''[[Hollywoodland]]''. [[Peter Travers]] of ''[[Rolling Stone]]'' praised "an award-caliber performance ... This is feeling, nuanced work from an actor some of us had prematurely written off."<ref name="stone">{{Cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/movies/movie-reviews/hollywoodland-252052/|title=Hollywoodland|last=Travers |first=Peter |date=September 7, 2006 |magazine=[[Rolling Stone]] |access-date=March 9, 2022 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110628214622/http://www.rollingstone.com/movies/reviews/hollywoodland-20060908 |archive-date=June 28, 2011}}</ref> Geoffrey Macnab of ''The Guardian'' said he "beautifully" captured "the character's curious mix of charm, vulnerability and fatalism".<ref>{{Cite news|last=Macnab |first=Geoffrey |url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2006/nov/07/features.features11 |title=Come Fly With Me |work=The Guardian |date=November 7, 2006 |access-date=October 7, 2014 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141015011333/http://www.theguardian.com/film/2006/nov/07/features.features11 |archive-date=October 15, 2014}}</ref> He was awarded the [[Volpi Cup]] at the [[Venice Film Festival]] and was nominated for a [[Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture|Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actor]].<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.goldenglobes.org/browse/member/28400 |title=HFPA – Awards Search |access-date=June 10, 2008 |publisher=[[Hollywood Foreign Press Association]] |url-status=bot: unknown |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120801143024/http://www.goldenglobes.org/browse/member/28400 |archive-date=August 1, 2012 }}</ref> Also in 2006, he made a cameo in Smith's ''[[Clerks II]]'',<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/life/movies/reviews/2006-07-20-clerks-review_x.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150208001438/http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/life/movies/reviews/2006-07-20-clerks-review_x.htm|archive-date=February 8, 2015|title=Inspired Moments are Too Few in Clerks II|first=Scott|last=Bowles|work=USA Today|date=July 21, 2006|access-date=March 27, 2015}}</ref> starred in the little-seen ''[[Man About Town (2006 film)|Man About Town]]'' and had a minor role in the crime drama ''[[Smokin' Aces]]''.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Man About Town – Box Office Mojo|url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/release/rl3495986689/|website=[[Box Office Mojo]]|access-date=March 9, 2022|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170819060533/http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=manabouttown.htm|archive-date=August 19, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|last1=Siegel|first1=Tatiana|title=Chris Pine Reveals His Politics Amid High-Risk 'Jack Ryan' Play|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/general-news/chris-pine-reveals-his-politics-668160/|access-date=March 9, 2022|work=The Hollywood Reporter|date=January 2, 2014|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170817145054/http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/chris-pine-reveals-his-politics-668160|archive-date=August 17, 2017}}</ref>

In 2007, Affleck made his feature film directorial debut with ''[[Gone Baby Gone]]'', a crime drama set in a working-class Boston neighborhood, starring his brother Casey as a private investigator searching for a young abductee. Affleck co‑wrote the screenplay, based on the [[Gone, Baby, Gone (novel)|book]] by [[Dennis Lehane]], with childhood friend Aaron Stockard, having first mentioned his intention to adapt the story in 2003.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://variety.com/2003/film/columns/lopez-flies-to-affleck-during-life-breaks-1117885433/ |title=Lopez Flies to Affleck During 'Life' Breaks |first=Army |last=Archerd |date=May 1, 2003 |access-date=April 12, 2017 |work=Variety |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160509054425/http://variety.com/2003/film/columns/lopez-flies-to-affleck-during-life-breaks-1117885433/ |archive-date=May 9, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.comingsoon.net/extras/features/2711-interviews-ben-affleck-talks-paycheck |title=Interviews: Ben Affleck Talks Paycheck |date=December 15, 2003 |access-date=April 12, 2017 |work=[[CraveOnline|ComingSoon]] |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161220095442/http://www.comingsoon.net/extras/features/2711-interviews-ben-affleck-talks-paycheck |archive-date=December 20, 2016}}</ref> It opened to enthusiastic reviews.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/gone_baby_gone/ |title=Gone Baby Gone (2007) |website=Rotten Tomatoes|date=October 19, 2007 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150817101856/http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/gone_baby_gone/ |archive-date=August 17, 2015|access-date=April 12, 2017}}</ref> Manohla Dargis of ''The New York Times'' praised the film's "sensitivity to real struggle",<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/19/movies/19gone.html |title=Human Frailty and Pain on Boston's Mean Streets |work=The New York Times |date=October 19, 2007 |first=Manohla |last=Dargis |access-date=October 7, 2014 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150605072139/http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/19/movies/19gone.html |archive-date=June 5, 2015}}</ref> while Stephen Farber of ''[[The Hollywood Reporter]]'' described it as "thoughtful, deeply poignant, [and] splendidly executed".<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/gone-baby-gone-158168/ |title=Gone Baby Gone |work=The Hollywood Reporter |date=September 4, 2007 |first=Stephen |last=Farber |access-date=March 9, 2022 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141013050419/http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/review/gone-baby-gone-158168 |archive-date=October 13, 2014}}</ref>

While Affleck intended to "keep a primary emphasis on directing" going forward in his career,<ref>{{Cite news|last=Stein |first=Ruthe |url=http://www.sfgate.com/entertainment/article/Ben-Affleck-behind-the-camera-in-Gone-Baby-Gone-2536579.php |title=Ben Affleck Behind the Camera in 'Gone Baby Gone' |work=[[San Francisco Chronicle]] |date=October 5, 2007 |access-date=April 12, 2017 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160509185332/http://www.sfgate.com/entertainment/article/Ben-Affleck-behind-the-camera-in-Gone-Baby-Gone-2536579.php |archive-date=May 9, 2016}}</ref> he acted in three films in 2009. In the ensemble romantic comedy ''[[He's Just Not That Into You (film)|He's Just Not That Into You]]'', the chemistry between Affleck and [[Jennifer Aniston]] was praised.<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Gleiberman |first=Owen |url=https://www.ew.com/article/2009/02/04/hes-just-not-you |title=He's Just Not That Into You |magazine=Entertainment Weekly |date=February 4, 2009 |access-date=April 12, 2017 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161107210402/http://www.ew.com/article/2009/02/04/hes-just-not-you |archive-date=November 7, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|last=Burr |first=Ty |url=http://archive.boston.com/ae/movies/articles/2009/02/06/when_will_she_be_loved_1233858484/ |title=Love and Star Power Mingle in 'He's Just Not That Into You' |work=[[The Boston Globe]] |date=February 6, 2009 |access-date=April 12, 2017 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160605051740/http://archive.boston.com/ae/movies/articles/2009/02/06/when_will_she_be_loved_1233858484/ |archive-date=June 5, 2016}}</ref> Affleck played a congressman in the political thriller ''[[State of Play (film)|State of Play]]''. Wesley Morris of ''The Boston Globe'' found him "very good in the film's silliest role,"<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://archive.boston.com/ae/movies/articles/2009/04/17/state_of_play/?page=2 |last=Morris |first=Wesley |title='State of Play' Chases Juicy Story and Lionizes Print Reporters |work=[[The Boston Globe]] |date=April 17, 2009 |access-date=April 12, 2017 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160605042913/http://archive.boston.com/ae/movies/articles/2009/04/17/state_of_play/?page=2 |archive-date=June 5, 2016}}</ref> but David Edelstein of ''New York Magazine'' remarked of Affleck: "He might be smart and thoughtful in life [but] as an actor his wheels turn too slowly."<ref>{{Cite news|last=Edelstein |first=David |url=https://nymag.com/listings/movie/state-of-play/ |title=State of Play |work=New York |date=April 17, 2009 |access-date=April 12, 2017 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161221114614/http://nymag.com/listings/movie/state-of-play/ |archive-date=December 21, 2016}}</ref> He had a supporting role as a bartender in the little-seen comedy film ''[[Extract (film)|Extract]]''.<ref>{{Cite news|first=Christy |last=Lemire |url=http://www.salon.com/2009/09/04/extract/ |title=Review: 'Extract' Tastes Too Bland |access-date=December 28, 2009 |date=August 31, 2009 |work=Salon |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160807133940/http://www.salon.com/2009/09/04/extract/ |archive-date=August 7, 2016}}</ref> Peter Travers of ''Rolling Stone'' described his performance as "a goofball delight",<ref>{{Cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/movies/reviews/extract-20090903 |title=Extract |first=Peter |last=Travers |magazine=Rolling Stone |date=September 3, 2009 |access-date=March 27, 2015 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150308090011/http://www.rollingstone.com/movies/reviews/extract-20090903 |archive-date=March 8, 2015}}</ref> while Manohla Dargis of ''The New York Times'' declared it "a real performance".<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/04/movies/04extract.html |title=Working in the Salt Mines: The Boss's View |work=The New York Times |date=September 3, 2009 |first=Manohla |last=Dargis |access-date=October 7, 2014 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151010095957/http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/04/movies/04extract.html |archive-date=October 10, 2015}}</ref> In 2010, Affleck starred in ''[[The Company Men]]'' as a mid-level sales executive who is made redundant during the [[2008 financial crisis]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.npr.org/2010/12/21/132225128/Ben-Afflect-Deals-With-Jobless-In-Company-Men |title=Affleck: When 'Company Men' Lose A Firm Footing |publisher=[[NPR]] |date=December 21, 2010 |access-date=October 7, 2014 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141006080211/http://www.npr.org/2010/12/21/132225128/Ben-Afflect-Deals-With-Jobless-In-Company-Men |archive-date=October 6, 2014}}</ref> David Denby of ''The New Yorker'' declared that Affleck "gives his best performance yet",<ref>{{Cite magazine|url=https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2010/12/20/roundup-4 |title=Roundup |magazine=The New Yorker |first=David |last=Denby |date=December 20, 2010 |access-date=October 7, 2014 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141018125037/http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2010/12/20/roundup-4 |archive-date=October 18, 2014}}</ref> while Richard Corliss of ''Time'' found he "nails Bobby's plunge from hubris to humiliation".<ref>{{Cite magazine|url=http://content.time.com/time/arts/article/0,8599,2036615,00.html |title=The Company Men: You're Hired! |magazine=[[Time (magazine)|Time]] |date=January 22, 2011 |first=Richard |last=Corliss |access-date=October 7, 2014 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141028062759/http://content.time.com/time/arts/article/0%2C8599%2C2036615%2C00.html |archive-date=October 28, 2014}}</ref>

[[File:The town affleck.jpg|thumb|upright|right|alt=Ben Affleck, wearing a tracksuit top, smiles|Affleck on the set of {{Nowrap|''[[The Town (2010 film)|The Town]]''}} in 2010]]

Following the modest commercial success of ''Gone Baby Gone'', [[Warner Bros.]] developed a close working relationship with Affleck and offered him his choice of the studio's scripts.<ref name="auto"/> He decided to direct the crime drama ''[[The Town (2010 film)|The Town]]'' (2010), an adaptation of [[Chuck Hogan]]'s novel ''Prince of Thieves''. He also re-wrote the screenplay and starred in the film as a bank robber. The film became a surprise box office hit, and gained further critical acclaim for Affleck.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2010/09/first-box-office-ben-afflecks-the-town-surprises-for-1-easy-a-2-devil-3-alpha-omega-5-68227/ |title=Ben Affleck's 'The Town' Surprises For #1; 'Easy A' #2, 'Devil' #3, 'Alpha & Omega' #5 |first=Nikki |last=Finke |date=September 19, 2010 |website=[[Deadline Hollywood]] |access-date=April 12, 2017 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170108224644/http://deadline.com/2010/09/first-box-office-ben-afflecks-the-town-surprises-for-1-easy-a-2-devil-3-alpha-omega-5-68227/ |archive-date=January 8, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_town |title=The Town (2010) |website=Rotten Tomatoes |date=September 17, 2010 |access-date=July 7, 2017 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161212090019/https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_town/ |archive-date=December 12, 2016}}</ref> A.O. Scott of ''The New York Times'' praised his "skill and self-confidence as a serious director,"<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/17/movies/17town.html |title=Bunker Hill to Fenway: A Crook's Freedom Trail |work=The New York Times |date=September 16, 2010 |first=A.O. |last=Scott |access-date=October 7, 2014 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150913014704/http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/17/movies/17town.html |archive-date=September 13, 2015}}</ref> while Roger Ebert of the ''Chicago Sun-Times'' noted: "Affleck has the stuff of a real director. Everything is here. It's an effective thriller, he works closely with actors, he has a feel for pacing."<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/the-town-2010 |title=The Town |work=[[Chicago Sun-Times]] |date=September 15, 2010 |first=Roger |last=Ebert |access-date=October 7, 2014 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141012074739/http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/the-town-2010 |archive-date=October 12, 2014}}</ref> Also in 2010, Affleck and Damon's production company, Pearl Street Films, signed a [[first look deal|first-look producing deal]] at Warner Bros.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://variety.com/2010/film/news/affleck-damon-in-talks-with-warner-bros-1118015392/ |title=Affleck, Damon in Talks with Warner Bros. |first=Dave |last=McNary |work=Variety |date=February 17, 2010 |access-date=April 12, 2017 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160505071352/http://variety.com/2010/film/news/affleck-damon-in-talks-with-warner-bros-1118015392/ |archive-date=May 5, 2016}}</ref>

Affleck soon began work on his next directorial project, ''[[Argo (2012 film)|Argo]]'' (2012), for Warner Bros. Written by [[Chris Terrio]] and starring Affleck as a CIA operative, the film tells the story of the CIA plan to save six U.S. diplomats during the 1979 [[Iran hostage crisis]] by faking a production for a large-scale science fiction film. Anthony Lane of ''The New Yorker'' said the film offered "further proof that we were wrong about Ben Affleck".<ref>{{Cite magazine|url=https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2012/10/15/film-within-a-film |title=Film Within a Film |magazine=The New Yorker |date=October 15, 2012 |first=Anthony |last=Lane |access-date=October 7, 2014 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141018130546/http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2012/10/15/film-within-a-film |archive-date=October 18, 2014}}</ref> Peter Travers of ''Rolling Stone'' remarked: "Affleck takes the next step in what looks like a major directing career ... He directs the hell out of it, nailing the quickening pace, the wayward humor, the nerve-frying suspense."<ref>{{Cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/movies/reviews/argo-20121011 |title=Argo |magazine=Rolling Stone |date=October 11, 2012 |first=Peter |last=Travers |access-date=October 7, 2014 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141015223210/http://www.rollingstone.com/movies/reviews/argo-20121011 |archive-date=October 15, 2014}}</ref> A major critical and commercial success,<ref>{{Cite news|last=McClintock |first=Pamela |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/box-office-milestone-ben-afflecks-420721/ |title=Box Office Milestone: Ben Affleck's 'Argo' Hitting $200 Million Worldwide |work=The Hollywood Reporter |date=November 2, 2013 |access-date=March 9, 2022 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161221055350/http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/box-office-milestone-ben-afflecks-420721 |archive-date=December 21, 2016}}</ref> ''Argo'' won the [[Academy Award for Best Picture|Academy Award]], [[Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture – Drama|Golden Globe Award]], and [[BAFTA Award for Best Film|BAFTA Award]] for Best Picture.<ref name=argo>{{Cite web|last=Thompson |first=Anne |url=https://www.indiewire.com/2013/01/sag-awards-with-critics-choice-globes-pga-and-sag-wins-argo-now-challenges-lincoln-video-199828/ |title=SAG Awards: With Critics Choice, Globes, PGA and SAG Wins, 'Argo' Now Challenges 'Lincoln' |work=IndieWire |date=January 27, 2013 |access-date=March 9, 2022 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130131051720/http://blogs.indiewire.com/thompsononhollywood/sag-awards-with-critics-choice-golden-globes-pga-and-sag-wins-argo-now-challenges-lincoln-video |archive-date=January 31, 2013}}</ref> The cast won the [[Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture|Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast]]. Affleck himself won the [[Golden Globe Award for Best Director|Golden Globe Award]], [[Directors Guild of America Award for Outstanding Directing – Feature Film|Directors Guild of America Award]], and [[BAFTA Award for Best Direction|BAFTA Award]] for Best Director, becoming the first director to win these awards without a nomination for the [[Academy Award for Best Director]].<ref>{{Cite news|last=Feinberg |first=Scott |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/argo-director-ben-afflecks-oscar-412794/ |title=How to Fix Oscar's Baffling Snub of Ben Affleck (Analysis) |work=The Hollywood Reporter |date=January 16, 2013 |access-date=March 9, 2022 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170502134239/http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/race/argo-director-ben-afflecks-oscar-412794 |archive-date=May 2, 2017}}</ref>

The following year, Affleck played a romantic lead in [[Terrence Malick]]'s experimental drama ''[[To the Wonder]]''. Malick, a close friend of Affleck's godfather, first met Affleck in the 1990s to offer advice about the plot of ''Good Will Hunting''.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.indiewire.com/2011/01/how-do-you-like-that-terrence-malick-gave-ben-affleck-matt-damon-notes-on-good-will-hunting-121047/ |title=How Do You Like That? Terrence Malick Gave Ben Affleck & Matt Damon Notes On 'Good Will Hunting' |first=Oliver |last=Lyttelton |work=IndieWire |date=January 6, 2011 |access-date=April 12, 2017 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170710153848/http://www.indiewire.com/2011/01/how-do-you-like-that-terrence-malick-gave-ben-affleck-matt-damon-notes-on-good-will-hunting-121047/ |archive-date=July 10, 2017}}</ref> Peter Bradshaw of ''The Guardian'' enjoyed "a performance of dignity and sensitivity,"<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2013/feb/21/to-the-wonder-review |title=To the Wonder |first=Peter |last=Bradshaw |work=The Guardian |date=February 21, 2013 |access-date=March 27, 2015 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402225730/http://www.theguardian.com/film/2013/feb/21/to-the-wonder-review |archive-date=April 2, 2015}}</ref> while ''The New Yorker''{{'}}s Richard Brody described Affleck as "a solid and muscular performer" who "conveys a sense of thoughtful and willful individuality".<ref>{{Cite magazine|url=https://www.newyorker.com/culture/richard-brody/the-cinematic-miracle-of-to-the-wonder |title=The Cinematic Miracle of 'To The Wonder' |first=Richard |last=Brody |magazine=The New Yorker |date=April 10, 2013 |access-date=March 27, 2015 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150313043744/http://www.newyorker.com/culture/richard-brody/the-cinematic-miracle-of-to-the-wonder |archive-date=March 13, 2015}}</ref> Affleck's performance as a poker boss was considered a highlight of the poorly reviewed thriller ''[[Runner Runner (film)|Runner Runner]]'' (2013).<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/goingoutguide/movies/runner-runner-review-talented-cast-director-deal-a-weak-hand/2013/10/03/e93a29a8-2c4e-11e3-8ade-a1f23cda135e_story.html |title=Runner Runner Review: Talented Cast, Director Deal a Weak Hand |first=Ann |last=Hornaday |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=October 3, 2013 |access-date=March 27, 2015 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402160057/http://www.washingtonpost.com/goingoutguide/movies/runner-runner-review-talented-cast-director-deal-a-weak-hand/2013/10/03/e93a29a8-2c4e-11e3-8ade-a1f23cda135e_story.html |archive-date=April 2, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://variety.com/2013/film/reviews/runner-runner-film-review-1200665983/ |title=Film Review: Runner Runner |first=Andrew |last=Barker |work=Variety |date=September 25, 2013 |access-date=March 27, 2015 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140911221751/http://variety.com/2013/film/reviews/runner-runner-film-review-1200665983/ |archive-date=September 11, 2014}}</ref> Betsy Sharkey of the ''Los Angeles Times'' remarked that it was "one killer of a character, and Affleck plays him like a [[Johann Sebastian Bach|Bach]] concerto&nbsp;– every note perfectly played."<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/moviesnow/la-et-mn-runner-runner-20131004-story.html |title='Runner Runner' Runs Hot, Cold with Ben Affleck, Justin Timberlake |first=Betsy |last=Sharkey |work=Los Angeles Times |date=October 3, 2013 |access-date=March 27, 2015 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150410052250/http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/moviesnow/la-et-mn-runner-runner-20131004-story.html |archive-date=April 10, 2015}}</ref>

He then pushed back production on his own directorial project to star as a husband accused of murder in [[David Fincher]]'s psychological thriller ''[[Gone Girl (film)|Gone Girl]]'' (2014).<ref>{{Cite news|last=Pierce |first=Nev |url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2014/sep/27/david-fincher-gone-girl-ben-affleck |title=David Fincher on Gone Girl: 'Bad Things Happen in This Movie...' |work=The Guardian |date=September 27, 2014 |access-date=April 12, 2017 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170417034104/https://www.theguardian.com/film/2014/sep/27/david-fincher-gone-girl-ben-affleck |archive-date=April 17, 2017}}</ref> Fincher cast him partly because he understood what it felt like to be misrepresented by tabloid media: "What many people don't know is that he's crazy smart, but since he doesn't want that to get awkward, he downplays it. I think he learned how to skate on charm."<ref>{{Cite magazine|url=https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2014/09/david-fincher-googled-ben-afflecks-smile-gone-girl |title=Gone Girl Director David Fincher Cast Ben Affleck After Googling His Nervous Smile |last=Robinson |first=Joanna |magazine=Vanity Fair |date=September 18, 2014 |access-date=April 12, 2017 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161025055747/http://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2014/09/david-fincher-googled-ben-afflecks-smile-gone-girl |archive-date=October 25, 2016}}</ref> David Edelstein of ''New York Magazine'' noted that Fincher's controlled style of directing had a "remarkable" effect on Affleck's acting: "I never thought I'd write these words, but he carries the movie. He's terrific."<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.vulture.com/2014/09/movie-review-gone-girl.html |title=David Fincher Puts Ben Affleck's Evasiveness to Good Use in Gone Girl |work=New York |date=October 1, 2014 |first=David |last=Edelstein |access-date=October 7, 2014 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141007015350/http://www.vulture.com/2014/09/movie-review-gone-girl.html |archive-date=October 7, 2014}}</ref> Justin Chang of ''Variety'' found Affleck "perfectly cast": "It's a tricky turn, requiring a measure of careful underplaying and emotional aloofness, and he nails it completely."<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://variety.com/2014/film/reviews/film-review-gone-girl-1201308847/ |title=Film Review: 'Gone Girl' |work=Variety |date=September 21, 2014 |first=Justin |last=Chang |access-date=October 7, 2014 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141007015350/http://variety.com/2014/film/reviews/film-review-gone-girl-1201308847/ |archive-date=October 7, 2014}}</ref> In 2015, Affleck and Damon's ''Project Greenlight'' was resurrected by HBO for one season.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://blogs.indiewire.com/thompsononhollywood/the-unsinkable-effie-brown-makes-hbos-project-greenlight-a-must-see-im-not-his-favorite-person-20151012 |title=The Unsinkable Effie Brown Makes HBO's 'Project Greenlight' a Must-See: "I'm not his favorite person" |first=Anne |last=Thompson |date=October 12, 2015 |work=IndieWire |access-date=April 12, 2017 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160507091303/http://blogs.indiewire.com/thompsononhollywood/the-unsinkable-effie-brown-makes-hbos-project-greenlight-a-must-see-im-not-his-favorite-person-20151012 |archive-date=May 7, 2016}}</ref>

===2016–2019: Batman and continued directing===
[[File:Ben Affleck by Gage Skidmore 2.jpg|thumb|upright|Affleck at the 2016 [[San Diego Comic-Con]]]]
Given Affleck's growing reputation as a filmmaker, his decision to star as [[Bruce Wayne (DC Extended Universe)|Batman]] in the 2016 superhero film ''[[Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice]]'' was regarded by Dave Itzkoff of ''The New York Times'' as "a somewhat bewildering choice".<ref>{{Cite news|last1=Itzkoff |first1=Dave |title=Ben Affleck's 'Broken' Batman |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/03/20/movies/ben-affleck-batman-v-superman-dawn-of-justice-interview.html |work=The New York Times |access-date=April 16, 2017 |date=March 14, 2016 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170112045054/https://www.nytimes.com/2016/03/20/movies/ben-affleck-batman-v-superman-dawn-of-justice-interview.html |archive-date=January 12, 2017}}</ref> Affleck reprised his role as Batman later that year, making a brief cameo appearance in ''[[Suicide Squad (2016 film)|Suicide Squad]]'' (2016).<ref>{{Cite magazine|last1=Berman|first1=Eliza|title=Does Suicide Squad Really Need That Post-Credits Scene?|magazine=Time|date=August 5, 2016|url=https://time.com/4435399/suicide-squad-post-credits-scene-dc-comics/|access-date=August 21, 2017|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170726200538/http://time.com/4435399/suicide-squad-post-credits-scene-dc-comics/|archive-date=July 26, 2017}}</ref> He starred as an [[Autism|autistic]] accountant in the action thriller ''[[The Accountant (2016 film)|The Accountant]]'' (2016), which was an unexpected commercial success.<ref name="accountanthit">{{Cite news|last1=Lincoln |first1=Kevin |title=The Accountant Is a Hit, and Ben Affleck Is Truly a Movie Star Again |url=https://www.vulture.com/2016/10/account-and-affleck-win-at-the-box-office.html |access-date=March 18, 2017 |work=New York |date=October 16, 2016 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161219160012/http://www.vulture.com/2016/10/account-and-affleck-win-at-the-box-office.html |archive-date=December 19, 2016}}</ref> Peter Debruge of ''Variety'' felt Affleck's "boy-next-door" demeanor&nbsp;– "so normal and non-actorly that most of his performances feel like watching one of your buddies up on screen"&nbsp;– was "a terrific fit" for the role.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://variety.com/2016/film/reviews/the-accountant-review-ben-affleck-1201883932/ |title=Film Review: 'The Accountant' |first=Peter |last=Debruge |date=October 12, 2016 |access-date=April 12, 2017 |work=Variety |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170429201657/http://variety.com/2016/film/reviews/the-accountant-review-ben-affleck-1201883932/ |archive-date=April 29, 2017}}</ref> Stephen Holden of ''The New York Times'' wondered why Affleck, "looking appropriately dead-eyed and miserable," committed himself to the film.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Holden |first=Stephen |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/10/14/movies/review-in-the-accountant-a-savant-with-daddy-issues-has-a-dark-secret.html |title=Review: In 'The Accountant,' Ben Affleck Plays a Savant With a Dark Secret |date=October 13, 2016 |access-date=April 12, 2017 |work=The New York Times |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170406173027/https://www.nytimes.com/2016/10/14/movies/review-in-the-accountant-a-savant-with-daddy-issues-has-a-dark-secret.html |archive-date=April 6, 2017}}</ref>

''[[Live by Night (film)|Live by Night]]'', which Affleck wrote, directed, co-produced, and starred in, was released in late 2016.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2016/06/lego-movie-live-by-night-bastards-geostorm-warner-bros-release-dates-shifted-1201774989/ |title=Warner Bros Pushes 'Lego Movie 2' Release To 2019 |first=Ross A. |last=Lincoln |date=June 18, 2016 |access-date=April 12, 2017 |website=Deadline Hollywood |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170205034952/http://deadline.com/2016/06/lego-movie-live-by-night-bastards-geostorm-warner-bros-release-dates-shifted-1201774989/ |archive-date=February 5, 2017}}</ref> Adapted from [[Dennis Lehane]]'s [[Live by Night|novel of the same name]], the [[Prohibition in the United States|Prohibition]]-era gangster drama received largely unenthusiastic reviews and failed to recoup its $65 million production budget.<ref>{{Cite news|last=McClintock |first=Pamela |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/box-office-why-ben-afflecks-live-by-night-martin-scorseses-silence-fared-poorly-964185/ |title=Box Office: Why Ben Affleck's 'Live by Night' and Martin Scorsese's 'Silence' Fared So Poorly |work=The Hollywood Reporter |date=January 14, 2017 |access-date=March 9, 2022 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170116155113/http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/box-office-why-ben-afflecks-live-by-night-martin-scorseses-silence-fared-poorly-964185 |archive-date=January 16, 2017}}</ref> David Sims of ''The Atlantic'' described it as "a fascinating mess of a movie" and criticized Affleck's "stiff, uncomfortable" performance. He noted that one of the last action scenes "is so wonderfully staged, its action crisp and easy to follow, that it reminds you what skill Affleck has with the camera".<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2017/01/ben-affleck-live-by-night-review/512972/ |title='Live by Night' Is Too Epic for Its Own Good |first=David |last=Sims |work=[[The Atlantic]] |date=January 13, 2017 |access-date=April 12, 2017 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170403221605/https://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2017/01/ben-affleck-live-by-night-review/512972/ |archive-date=April 3, 2017}}</ref> In October 2016, Affleck and Damon made a one-off stage appearance for a live reading of the ''Good Will Hunting'' screenplay at New York's [[Skirball Center for the Performing Arts|Skirball Theater]].<ref>{{Cite news|last1=Owen |first1=Paul |title=Matt Damon and Ben Affleck Surprise Fans with Good Will Hunting Reading |url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2016/oct/08/matt-damon-ben-affleck-good-will-hunting-screenplay-reading |work=The Guardian |access-date=April 16, 2017 |date=October 8, 2016 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170416012704/https://www.theguardian.com/film/2016/oct/08/matt-damon-ben-affleck-good-will-hunting-screenplay-reading |archive-date=April 16, 2017}}</ref> The superhero film ''[[Justice League (film)|Justice League]]'', in which Affleck returned as Batman, was released in 2017.<ref name=DCEU2017>{{Cite news|last1=Child|first1=Ben|title=Five tasks Justice League must complete to save the DC universe|url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2017/nov/01/five-tasks-justice-league-must-complete-to-save-the-dc-universe|access-date=December 13, 2017|newspaper=The Guardian|date=November 1, 2017|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171214124456/https://www.theguardian.com/film/2017/nov/01/five-tasks-justice-league-must-complete-to-save-the-dc-universe|archive-date=December 14, 2017}}</ref> He later described it as a "difficult" on-set experience.<ref>{{Cite news |last1=Guerrasio |first1=Jason |title=Ben Affleck says reprising his Batman role in 'The Flash' was fun after a 'difficult' shoot on 'Justice League' |url=https://www.insider.com/ben-affleck-justice-league-shoot-difficult-2021-10 |work=Insider |access-date=October 16, 2021 |archive-date=June 6, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230606065212/https://www.insider.com/ben-affleck-justice-league-shoot-difficult-2021-10 |url-status=live }}</ref> [[Zack Snyder]] stepped down during filming due to the death of his daughter,<ref>{{Cite news |last1=Kit |first1=Borys |title=Zack Snyder Steps Down From 'Justice League' to Deal With Family Tragedy |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/zack-snyder-steps-down-justice-league-deal-family-tragedy-1006455/ |access-date=October 16, 2021 |work=The Hollywood Reporter |date=May 22, 2017 |archive-date=October 19, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211019051714/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/zack-snyder-steps-down-justice-league-deal-family-tragedy-1006455/ |url-status=live }}</ref> the replacement director [[Joss Whedon]]'s treatment of actors was the subject of complaints,<ref>{{Cite news |last1=Walsh |first1=Savannah |title=Gal Gadot Says Joss Whedon "Threatened" Her Career on the Set of Justice League |url=https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2021/05/gal-gadot-claims-joss-whedon-threatened-her-career-on-the-set-of-justice-league |access-date=October 16, 2021 |work=Vanity Fair Blogs |date=May 10, 2021 |archive-date=August 5, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220805234932/https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2021/05/gal-gadot-claims-joss-whedon-threatened-her-career-on-the-set-of-justice-league |url-status=live }}</ref> and Affleck himself was struggling with addiction issues.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Ben Affleck Talks Alcohol Abuse During 'Justice League' & Why The "Suffering" Was All Worth It |url=https://theplaylist.net/ben-affleck-justice-league-alcohol-abuse-20210114/ |access-date=October 16, 2021 |work=theplaylist.net |archive-date=August 6, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220806002647/https://theplaylist.net/ben-affleck-justice-league-alcohol-abuse-20210114/ |url-status=live }}</ref> The film drew mixed opinions from critics; Todd McCarthy of ''The Hollywood Reporter'' wrote that Affleck "looks like he'd rather be almost anywhere else but here."<ref>{{Cite web|title=Justice League Reviews|url=https://www.metacritic.com/movie/justice-league|website=[[Metacritic]]|access-date=January 3, 2018|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171117133710/http://www.metacritic.com/movie/justice-league|archive-date=November 17, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last1=McCarthy|first1=Todd|title='Justice League': Film Review|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/justice-league-review-1057114/|website=[[The Hollywood Reporter]]|access-date=March 9, 2022|date=November 14, 2017|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171229044921/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/review/justice-league-review-1057114|archive-date=December 29, 2017}}</ref>

Amidst an alcoholism relapse, Affleck did not work in 2017.<ref name=tf>{{Cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2018/03/triple-frontier-movie-ben-affleck-oscar-isaac-pedro-pascal-charlie-hunnam-garrett-hedlund-adria-arjona-jc-chandor-netflix-1202345230/|title='Triple Frontier' Finally Going: Affleck, Isaac, Pascal, Hunnam, Hedlund, Arjona In JC Chandor's Lineup|last=Fleming|first=Mike Jr.|date=March 19, 2018|work=[[Deadline Hollywood]]|access-date=March 26, 2018|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180324191245/https://deadline.com/2018/03/triple-frontier-movie-ben-affleck-oscar-isaac-pedro-pascal-charlie-hunnam-garrett-hedlund-adria-arjona-jc-chandor-netflix-1202345230/|archive-date=March 24, 2018}}</ref> He stepped down as director, writer and, ultimately, as the star of ''[[The Batman (film)|The Batman]]'',<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://variety.com/2017/film/news/ben-affleck-the-batman-will-not-direct-1201971566/ |title=Ben Affleck Will Not Direct 'The Batman' (EXCLUSIVE) |work=Variety |first=Justin |last=Kroll |date=January 30, 2017 |access-date=January 30, 2017 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170131021051/http://variety.com/2017/film/news/ben-affleck-the-batman-will-not-direct-1201971566/ |archive-date=January 31, 2017}}</ref> saying he "couldn't crack it"<ref>{{Cite web|last=Sippell|first=Margeaux|date=February 15, 2019|title=Ben Affleck Explains Why He's Done Playing Batman: 'I Couldn't Crack It'|url=https://variety.com/2019/film/news/ben-affleck-leaving-batman-explanation-1203141328/|access-date=July 3, 2020|website=Variety|language=en|archive-date=August 21, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240821051551/https://variety.com/2019/film/news/ben-affleck-leaving-batman-explanation-1203141328/|url-status=live}}</ref> and no longer felt "passionate" about the story.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Ben Affleck on the pain and catharsis of 'The Way Back' |url=https://apnews.com/article/us-news-ap-top-news-basketball-movies-celebrities-9b204efedba90768b43ff2655d5955e3 |access-date=May 16, 2021 |work=AP NEWS |date=April 20, 2021 |archive-date=August 8, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220808013244/https://apnews.com/article/us-news-ap-top-news-basketball-movies-celebrities-9b204efedba90768b43ff2655d5955e3 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last1=Barnes |first1=Brooks |title=Ben Affleck Tried to Drink Away the Pain. Now He's Trying Honesty. |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/18/movies/ben-affleck.html |access-date=December 2, 2020 |work=The New York Times |date=February 18, 2020 |archive-date=February 21, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200221004501/https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/18/movies/ben-affleck.html |url-status=live }}</ref> Filming of&nbsp;the drug-trafficking thriller ''[[Triple Frontier (film)|Triple Frontier]]'' was postponed by six months in order to accommodate his treatment for "health issues".<ref>{{Cite news |title=Ben Affleck's 'Health Issues' Delayed Triple Frontier by 6 Months, Says Director: 'Was Worth It' |url=https://people.com/movies/ben-affleck-health-issues-delayed-triple-frontier-director/ |access-date=March 15, 2019 |work=People |language=en |archive-date=August 8, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220808015745/https://people.com/movies/ben-affleck-health-issues-delayed-triple-frontier-director/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name=tf /> Upon ''Triple Frontier''{{'s}} release in 2019, Rodrigo Perez of ''The Playlist'' remarked that director [[J.C. Chandor]] "gets a lot of mileage out of the Sad Affleck narrative and perhaps both director and actor lean into the idea."<ref>{{Cite news |last1=Perez |first1=Rodrigo |title='Triple Frontier': J.C. Chandor Crafts A Tense Jungle Action Thriller About The Cost Of Greed [Review] |url=https://theplaylist.net/triple-frontier-review-20190308/ |access-date=August 3, 2019 |work=theplaylist.net |archive-date=August 8, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220808020544/https://theplaylist.net/triple-frontier-review-20190308/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Later in 2019, Affleck made a cameo appearance in ''[[Jay and Silent Bob Reboot]]'', having had little contact with Kevin Smith since the making of ''Clerks II'' in 2006.<ref>{{Cite news|last1=Stern |first1=Marlow |title=Kevin Smith's Marijuanaissance: On 'Tusk,' 'Falling Out' with Ben Affleck, and 20 Years of 'Clerks' |url=http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/09/09/kevin-smith-s-marijuanaissance-on-tusk-falling-out-with-ben-affleck-and-20-years-of-clerks.html |newspaper=The Daily Beast |access-date=April 15, 2017 |date=September 9, 2014 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161225141228/http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/09/09/kevin-smith-s-marijuanaissance-on-tusk-falling-out-with-ben-affleck-and-20-years-of-clerks.html |archive-date=December 25, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Kevin Smith On Reuniting With Ben Affleck, Being Proud Of His Daughter |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QX0325n7O6Q | archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211114/QX0325n7O6Q| archive-date=November 14, 2021 | url-status=live|website=ET Canada |access-date=August 2, 2019 |language=en}}{{Cbignore}}</ref> Affleck played a supporting role as a diplomat in [[Dee Rees]]'s political thriller ''[[The Last Thing He Wanted (film)|The Last Thing He Wanted]]'' (2020). The [[Netflix]] movie, filmed in mid-2018, received negative reviews from critics,<ref>{{Cite web|title=The Last Thing He Wanted (2020)|url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_last_thing_he_wanted|website=Rotten Tomatoes|access-date=February 11, 2020|archive-date=August 2, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200802222305/https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_last_thing_he_wanted|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://deadline.com/video/the-last-thing-he-wanted-anne-hathaway-dee-rees-rosie-perez-edi-gathegi-sundance-joan-didion/|title='The Last Thing He Wanted': Anne Hathaway Talks Being "Too Sweet" For Dee Rees's Adaptation Of Joan Didion's Novel – Sundance Studio|website=Deadline Hollywood|first=Dino-Ray|last=Ramos|date=January 28, 2020|access-date=February 11, 2020|archive-date=February 19, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200219190402/https://deadline.com/video/the-last-thing-he-wanted-anne-hathaway-dee-rees-rosie-perez-edi-gathegi-sundance-joan-didion/|url-status=live}}</ref> with Tomris Laffly of ''Variety'' describing Affleck's performance as "oddly removed".<ref>{{Cite news |last1=Laffly |first1=Tomris |title='The Last Thing He Wanted': Film Review |url=https://variety.com/2020/film/reviews/the-last-thing-he-wanted-review-1203483526/ |work=Variety |date=January 28, 2020 |language=en |access-date=February 22, 2020 |archive-date=August 8, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220808033501/https://variety.com/2020/film/reviews/the-last-thing-he-wanted-review-1203483526/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

Affleck's starring role as a recovering alcoholic in the sports drama ''[[The Way Back (2020 film)|The Way Back]]'' (2020) was widely praised.<ref>{{Cite news |title=The Way Back (2020) |url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_way_back_2020/ |access-date=March 7, 2020 |language=en |archive-date=March 7, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200307020101/https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_way_back_2020 |url-status=live }}</ref> The themes of the movie were "close to home" for Affleck.<ref name=news.com.au>{{Cite news |title=Truth behind infamous 2018 Ben Affleck photos |url=https://www.news.com.au/entertainment/celebrity-life/truth-behind-infamous-2018-ben-affleck-photos/news-story/6492d4b17a68b4ffcddefeedc38c10c8 |access-date=February 26, 2020 |work=NewsComAu |date=February 25, 2020 |language=en |archive-date=August 10, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220810011039/https://www.news.com.au/entertainment/celebrity-life/truth-behind-infamous-2018-ben-affleck-photos/news-story/6492d4b17a68b4ffcddefeedc38c10c8 |url-status=live }}</ref> He relapsed during pre-production in 2018<ref name=news.com.au/> and the movie was shot in the days after he left rehab; Affleck agreed to put his salary in escrow and was accompanied to set by a sober coach.<ref>{{Cite news |last1=Thompson |first1=Gary |title=This Penn grad directed Ben Affleck's new 'The Way Back,' but don't expect him to read about it on TMZ |url=https://www.inquirer.com/arts/ben-affleck-the-way-back-movie-gavin-o-connor-director-20200301.html |access-date=March 1, 2020 |work=inquirer.com |archive-date=August 9, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220809180834/https://www.inquirer.com/arts/ben-affleck-the-way-back-movie-gavin-o-connor-director-20200301.html |url-status=live }}</ref> Richard Lawson of ''Vanity Fair'' said it was hard to avoid the movie's "meta angle": "Affleck handles his self-conscious task with a generous humility—giving a performance built not out of histrionics or big actor moments, but instead from the messy details of a man in a plateaued distress".<ref>{{Cite magazine |last1=Lawson |first1=Richard |title=Review: Ben Affleck Saves Himself in The Way Back |url=https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2020/03/ben-affleck-the-way-back-movie-basketball-review |access-date=March 4, 2020 |magazine=Vanity Fair |language=en |archive-date=August 10, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220810014457/https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2020/03/ben-affleck-the-way-back-movie-basketball-review |url-status=live }}</ref> David Sims of ''The Atlantic'' praised the "subtlety", "vulnerability" and "lumbering physicality" of his performance, describing it as "the rawest and most natural" work of his career.<ref>{{Cite news |last1=Sims |first1=David |title=Ben Affleck Gives the Performance of His Career |url=https://www.theatlantic.com/culture/archive/2020/03/ben-affleck-and-way-back/607537/ |access-date=March 7, 2020 |work=The Atlantic |date=March 7, 2020 |archive-date=August 9, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220809024452/https://www.theatlantic.com/culture/archive/2020/03/ben-affleck-and-way-back/607537/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Due to the [[COVID-19 pandemic]], cinemas closed in the second week of the movie's release and Warner Bros. made it available to view-on-demand earlier than scheduled.<ref>{{Cite news |last1=D'Alessandro |first1=Anthony |title=Ben Affleck Drama 'The Way Back' Heads Into Homes As Theaters Close |url=https://deadline.com/2020/03/ben-affleck-the-way-back-home-home-release-coronavirus-1202888121/ |access-date=March 20, 2020 |work=Deadline |date=March 19, 2020 |language=en |archive-date=March 20, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200320004117/https://deadline.com/2020/03/ben-affleck-the-way-back-home-home-release-coronavirus-1202888121/ |url-status=live }}</ref> He received a Best Actor nomination at the [[26th Critics' Choice Awards|2021 Critics' Choice Awards]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.vogue.co.uk/news/article/critics-choice-awards-2021-winners|title=Critics' Choice Awards 2021: All The Winners In Full|first=Emma|last=Specter|date=March 8, 2021|work=Vogue|access-date=March 31, 2021|archive-date=April 13, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210413173932/https://www.vogue.co.uk/news/article/critics-choice-awards-2021-winners|url-status=live}}</ref> Also in 2021, Snyder's [[Zack Snyder's Justice League|director's cut of ''Justice League'']] featured a newly filmed scene with Affleck.<ref>{{Cite news |last1=Sharf |first1=Zack |title=Ben Affleck, Jared Leto Were Never on Set Together to Film the One New 'Justice League' Scene |url=https://www.indiewire.com/2021/03/ben-affleck-jared-leto-justice-league-scene-filmed-separately-1234624531/ |access-date=June 5, 2021 |work=IndieWire |date=March 18, 2021 |language=en |archive-date=August 10, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220810031008/https://www.indiewire.com/2021/03/ben-affleck-jared-leto-justice-league-scene-filmed-separately-1234624531/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

===2020–present: Supporting roles and Artists Equity===
Affleck had supporting roles in two 2021 releases.<ref>{{Cite magazine|url=https://ew.com/movies/ben-affleck-cover-story-tender-bar-matt-damon/|title=Ben Affleck, at the top of his game|magazine=Entertainment Weekly|first=Leah|last=Greenblatt|date=January 11, 2022|access-date=May 31, 2022|archive-date=August 11, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220811010659/https://ew.com/movies/ben-affleck-cover-story-tender-bar-matt-damon/|url-status=live}}</ref> He played [[Peter II, Count of Alençon]], a hedonistic aristocrat in [[Ridley Scott]]'s medieval drama ''[[The Last Duel (2021 film)|The Last Duel]]''; he also co-wrote the movie's screenplay with Damon and [[Nicole Holofcener]].<ref>{{Cite news |last=Kroll |first=Justin |title=Adam Driver in Talks to Join Matt Damon in Ridley Scott's 'Last Duel' (EXCLUSIVE) |url=https://variety.com/2019/film/news/adam-driver-ridley-scott-last-duel-matt-damon-1203365229/ |access-date=November 6, 2019 |work=Variety |date=October 22, 2019 |language=en |archive-date=December 13, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191213064429/https://variety.com/2019/film/news/adam-driver-ridley-scott-last-duel-matt-damon-1203365229/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last1=D'Alessandro |first1=Anthony |title=Disney's Day-And-Date 'Black Widow' & 'Cruella' Decision Creates Aftershock In Industry Aching For Box Office Normalcy |url=https://deadline.com/2021/03/black-widow-release-date-cruella-disney-plus-box-office-impact-1234720390/ |access-date=March 31, 2021 |work=Deadline |date=March 24, 2021 |archive-date=August 16, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220816021207/https://deadline.com/2021/03/black-widow-release-date-cruella-disney-plus-box-office-impact-1234720390/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Bilge Ebiri of ''New York Magazine'' was impressed by Affleck's "imperious" performance as the "wonderfully skeezy Pierre, a marvelously out-there creation who shouldn't work at all and yet becomes an engine of uneasy delights."<ref>{{Cite news |last1=Ebiri |first1=Bilge |title=The Last Duel Is a Bro-Down Epic With a Metal Heart |url=https://www.vulture.com/article/movie-review-the-last-duel-with-matt-damon-and-ben-affleck.html |access-date=October 16, 2021 |work=Vulture |date=October 15, 2021 |language=en-us |archive-date=August 16, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220816033052/https://www.vulture.com/article/movie-review-the-last-duel-with-matt-damon-and-ben-affleck.html |url-status=live }}</ref> Brian Truitt of ''USA Today'' said he "steals the movie": "He seems to have written the most entertaining character in the movie for himself, but we'll allow it."<ref>{{Cite news |last1=Truitt |first1=Brian |title=Review: 'The Last Duel' is dude-filled drama that doesn't do enough with its female perspective |url=https://eu.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/movies/2021/10/12/the-last-duel-review-matt-damon-adam-driver-jodie-comer/6096851001/ |access-date=October 12, 2021 |work=USA Today |archive-date=August 16, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220816034709/https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/movies/2021/10/12/the-last-duel-review-matt-damon-adam-driver-jodie-comer/6096851001/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Later that year, Affleck appeared as a substitute father figure in [[George Clooney]]'s coming-of-age drama ''[[The Tender Bar (film)|The Tender Bar]]''.<ref>{{Cite news |last1=Kroll |first1=Justin |title=Ben Affleck To Star In George Clooney-Directed 'The Tender Bar' Adaptation For Amazon |url=https://deadline.com/2020/12/tender-bar-ben-affleck-george-clooney-1234635156/ |access-date=December 11, 2020 |work=Deadline |date=December 9, 2020 |archive-date=December 9, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201209220124/https://deadline.com/2020/12/tender-bar-ben-affleck-george-clooney-1234635156/ |url-status=live }}</ref> The film premiered at the London Film Festival, with Clooney remarking that he cast Affleck because he is "very intelligent, and he can also come off as the big goomba."<ref>{{Cite news |last1=Fleming |first1=Mike Jr. |title=George Clooney & Grant Heslov On Their Coming Of Age Tale 'The Tender Bar,' And The State Of Film As Hollywood Struggles To Lift Out Of A Pandemic |url=https://deadline.com/2021/10/george-clooney-grant-heslov-the-tender-bar-state-of-moviemaking-covid-trump-exclusive-interview-1234853494/ |access-date=October 16, 2021 |work=Deadline |date=October 10, 2021 |archive-date=October 20, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211020164059/https://deadline.com/2021/10/george-clooney-grant-heslov-the-tender-bar-state-of-moviemaking-covid-trump-exclusive-interview-1234853494/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Pete Hammond of ''Deadline'' described it as "a part he was born to play", writing that he "beautifully and knowingly" delivered "an unforgettable portrait of the uncle you wish you had."<ref>{{Cite news |last1=Hammond |first1=Pete |title='The Tender Bar' London Film Festival Review: Ben Affleck And George Clooney Team For A Warm And Memorable Story All About Family |url=https://deadline.com/2021/10/the-tender-bar-london-film-festival-review-ben-affleck-george-clooney-1234853624/ |access-date=October 11, 2021 |work=Deadline |date=October 10, 2021 |archive-date=August 14, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220814153345/https://deadline.com/2021/10/the-tender-bar-london-film-festival-review-ben-affleck-george-clooney-1234853624/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Kevin Maher of ''The Times'' said he played the role with "extraordinary subtly and depth": "He dominates his every scene, with deftly delivered quips, comedy reaction shots or sheer hang-dog charisma alone."<ref>{{Cite news |last1=Maher |first1=Kevin |title=The Tender Bar review – Affleck lights up dull collection of vignettes |work=[[The Times]] |date=October 11, 2021 |url=https://www.thetimes.com/culture/theatre-dance/article/the-tender-bar-film-review-sg2rgc3xc |access-date=October 11, 2021 |archive-date=August 14, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220814203145/https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/the-tender-bar-film-review-sg2rgc3xc |url-status=live }}</ref> For the role, Affleck was nominated for the [[Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture|Golden Globe Award]] and [[Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role|Screen Actors Guild Award]] for Best Supporting Actor.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2022/01/golden-globe-winners-list-movie-tv-awards-1234907035/|title=Golden Globes: ''The Power Of The Dog'', ''West Side Story'', ''Succession'' Lead Way – Complete Winners List|date=January 9, 2022|first=Patrick|last=Hipes|website=[[Deadline Hollywood]]|access-date=January 10, 2022|archive-date=January 10, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220110093216/https://deadline.com/2022/01/golden-globe-winners-list-movie-tv-awards-1234907035/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last1=Hipes |first1=Patrick |title=SAG Awards Nominations: 'House Of Gucci', 'Power Of The Dog', 'Succession', 'Ted Lasso' Top Lists |url=https://deadline.com/2022/01/sag-awards-nominations-2020-list-film-tv-nominees-screen-actors-guild-1234908756/ |website=[[Deadline Hollywood]] |access-date=January 13, 2022 |date=January 12, 2022 |archive-date=January 19, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220119044627/https://deadline.com/2022/01/sag-awards-nominations-2020-list-film-tv-nominees-screen-actors-guild-1234908756/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

In 2022, Affleck and [[Ana de Armas]] starred in [[Adrian Lyne]]'s thriller ''[[Deep Water (2022 film)|Deep Water]]'', an adaptation of [[Deep Water (Highsmith novel)|Patricia Highsmith's novel]].<ref>{{Cite news |last=Fleming |first=Mike |title=New Regency Bringing Adrian Lyne Back To Directing With 'Deep Water;' Ben Affleck, Ana de Armas In Talks For Patricia Highsmith Adaptation |url=https://deadline.com/2019/08/adrian-lyne-deep-water-ben-affleck-ana-de-armas-patricia-highsmith-adaptation-new-regency-1202658671/ |access-date=November 6, 2019 |work=Deadline |date=August 1, 2019 |archive-date=November 12, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191112060505/https://deadline.com/2019/08/adrian-lyne-deep-water-ben-affleck-ana-de-armas-patricia-highsmith-adaptation-new-regency-1202658671/ |url-status=live }}</ref> It was released on streaming service Hulu and received largely negative reviews.<ref>{{cite news |title=Deep Water - Rotten Tomatoes |url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/deep_water_2022 |access-date=March 17, 2023 |work=www.rottentomatoes.com |language=en |archive-date=March 18, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220318032625/https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/deep_water_2022 |url-status=live }}</ref> Justin Chang of the ''Los Angeles Times'' said Affleck "excels at playing the emasculated dreamboat, the golden boy gone to seed."<ref>{{cite news |title=Review: 'Deep Water,' an erotic thriller with Ben Affleck and Ana de Armas, runs hot and cold |url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/movies/story/2022-03-16/deep-water-review-ben-affleck-ana-de-armas-adrian-lyne-hulu |access-date=March 17, 2023 |work=Los Angeles Times |date=March 16, 2022 |archive-date=August 21, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240821051552/https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/movies/story/2022-03-16/deep-water-review-ben-affleck-ana-de-armas-adrian-lyne-hulu |url-status=live }}</ref> Adam Nayman of ''The Ringer'' said the film "serves as an example of his formidable skill set within a very specific range": "What used to seem like the callow cockiness of a handsome front-runner has hardened—and deepened—into a kind of grizzled charisma, the gravitas of a frat boy facing down his own expiration date."<ref>{{cite news |last1=Nayman |first1=Adam |title=If Only 'Deep Water' Had a Satisfying Climax |url=https://www.theringer.com/2022/3/18/22984585/deep-water-review-ben-affleck-ana-de-armas-erotic-thriller |access-date=March 17, 2023 |work=The Ringer |date=March 18, 2022 |language=en |archive-date=March 28, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230328015130/https://www.theringer.com/2022/3/18/22984585/deep-water-review-ben-affleck-ana-de-armas-erotic-thriller |url-status=live }}</ref> He also made a cameo appearance in Smith's ''[[Clerks III]]''.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Instagram |url=https://www.instagram.com/p/CgCoWLNFtOp/ |access-date=August 9, 2022 |work=www.instagram.com |archive-date=August 17, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220817024252/https://www.instagram.com/p/CgCoWLNFtOp/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite magazine|last=Davids|first=Brian|title='Clerks III' Filmmaker Kevin Smith Talks Phase Two of His Ben Affleck Friendship and His 'Mallrats 2' Dreams|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-features/clerks-3-kevin-smith-talks-revived-ben-affleck-friendship-1235215233/|access-date=September 9, 2022|magazine=Hollywood Reporter|date=September 9, 2022|language=en-us|archive-date=September 9, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220909164235/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-features/clerks-3-kevin-smith-talks-revived-ben-affleck-friendship-1235215233/|url-status=live}}</ref>

Affleck's fifth directorial project, ''[[Air (2023 American film)|Air]]'', about [[Nike, Inc.|Nike]]'s creation of the [[Air Jordan]], premiered in 2023 and was well-reviewed.<ref>{{cite news|last=Willis|first=Kim|title=Ben Affleck's Michael Jordan biopic 'Air' gets raves at SXSW: 'Best movie of the year'|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/movies/2023/03/19/ben-affleck-matt-damon-air-michael-jordan-movie-sxsw/11504425002/|work=USA Today|date=March 19, 2023|access-date=March 24, 2023|archive-date=March 23, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230323092938/https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/movies/2023/03/19/ben-affleck-matt-damon-air-michael-jordan-movie-sxsw/11504425002/|url-status=live}}</ref> The movie starred [[Matt Damon]] and [[Viola Davis]], with Affleck playing a supporting role as [[Phil Knight]].<ref>{{Cite web |last1=Giardina |first1=Carolyn |title=ARRI Launches New Alexa 35 Motion Picture Camera With First Productions Underway |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/arri-alexa-35-motion-picture-camera-1235156763/ |website=The Hollywood Reporter |access-date=June 5, 2022 |date=June 1, 2022 |archive-date=October 5, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221005231813/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/arri-alexa-35-motion-picture-camera-1235156763/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last1=Littleton |first1=Cynthia |title=Ben Affleck, Matt Damon Set Artists Equity Studio Launch with RedBird Capital Partners |url=https://variety.com/2022/biz/news/ben-affleck-matt-damon-artists-equity-redbird-gerry-cardinale-1235438192/ |website=Variety |access-date=November 20, 2022 |date=November 26, 2022 |archive-date=December 2, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221202150717/https://variety.com/2022/biz/news/ben-affleck-matt-damon-artists-equity-redbird-gerry-cardinale-1235438192/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last1=Grobar |first1=Matt |title=Ben Affleck To Direct Nike Drama For Amazon, Skydance Sports; Will Star Alongside Matt Damon |url=https://deadline.com/2022/04/ben-affleck-matt-damon-to-star-in-nike-drama-for-amazon-affleck-directing-1235006179/ |website=Deadline |date=April 19, 2022 |access-date=June 5, 2022 |archive-date=August 16, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220816174255/https://deadline.com/2022/04/ben-affleck-matt-damon-to-star-in-nike-drama-for-amazon-affleck-directing-1235006179/ |url-status=live }}</ref> It marked the first release from Affleck and Damon's independent production company [[Artists Equity]], which aims to share profits with all stakeholders. Affleck serves as the company's CEO and intends to work exclusively for Artists Equity as a filmmaker.<ref>{{Cite magazine|last=Barnes|first=Brooks|title=Ben Affleck and Matt Damon to Start Film Production Company|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2022/11/20/business/media/ben-affleck-matt-damon-film-company.html|access-date=November 21, 2022|magazine=The New York Times|date=November 20, 2022|language=en-us|archive-date=November 21, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221121001744/https://www.nytimes.com/2022/11/20/business/media/ben-affleck-matt-damon-film-company.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite magazine|last=Zilko|first=Christian|title=Ben Affleck and Matt Damon to Start Film Production Company|url=https://www.indiewire.com/2022/11/ben-affleck-matt-damon-launch-production-company-artists-equity-1234784373/|access-date=November 21, 2022|magazine=IndieWire|date=November 20, 2022|language=en-us|archive-date=November 20, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221120233131/https://www.indiewire.com/2022/11/ben-affleck-matt-damon-launch-production-company-artists-equity-1234784373/|url-status=live}}</ref> In a review of ''Air'' for ''The Ringer'', Adam Nayman wrote that Affleck, while not a "masterful" filmmaker, "has a gift for pacing and working with actors ... He and Damon spend most of the time pumping each other up, and the chemistry between them is undeniable." David Sims of ''The Atlantic'' said ''Air'' was "a great return to Affleck's original impulses as a director: It's a fun, well-made film for grown-ups that gives its actors room to flesh out their characters."<ref>{{cite news |last1=Sims |first1=David |title='Air' Has More Substance Than You'd Expect |url=https://www.theatlantic.com/culture/archive/2023/04/air-movie-review-nike-ben-affleck-matt-damon/673664/ |access-date=23 May 2025 |work=The Atlantic |date=7 April 2023 |language=en}}</ref> Also in 2023, Affleck starred as a detective in [[Robert Rodriguez]]'s action thriller ''[[Hypnotic (2023 film)|Hypnotic]]''<ref>{{cite web |last1=Wiseman |first1=Andreas |title=Robert Rodriguez & Ben Affleck's 'Hypnotic' Gets May Release Date Following Surprise SXSW "Work In Progress" Screening |url=https://deadline.com/2023/03/ben-affleck-robert-rodriguez-hypnotic-release-date-sxsw-screening-1235298193/ |website=Deadline |access-date=March 17, 2023 |date=March 17, 2023 |archive-date=March 17, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230317175502/https://deadline.com/2023/03/ben-affleck-robert-rodriguez-hypnotic-release-date-sxsw-screening-1235298193/ |url-status=live }}</ref> and made a cameo appearance as Batman in the film ''[[The Flash (film)|The Flash]]''.<ref>{{Cite magazine|last=Malkin|first=Marc|title=Ben Affleck Says He Had 'Fun' Playing Batman in 'The Flash' After 'Justice League' Was 'Difficult' (EXCLUSIVE)|url=https://variety.com/2021/film/news/ben-affleck-batman-the-flash-justice-league-1235080171/|access-date=October 4, 2021|magazine=Variety|date=January 5, 2023|language=en-us|archive-date=February 27, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220227165218/https://variety.com/2021/film/news/ben-affleck-batman-the-flash-justice-league-1235080171/|url-status=live}}</ref>

In 2025, Affleck starred in the action thriller ''[[The Accountant 2]]''. He has two Netflix films in post-production. He directed and starred opposite [[Gillian Anderson]] in the kidnapping thriller ''[[Animals (upcoming film)|Animals]]''<ref>{{cite web |last1=Kroll |first1=Justin |title=Ben Affleck To Direct & Star In Kidnapping Thriller 'Animals' For Netflix, Artists Equity, Fifth Season And Makeready; Gillian Anderson Also On Board |url=https://deadline.com/2025/02/ben-affleck-animals-gillian-anderson-1236279135/ |website=Deadline |date=5 February 2025}}</ref> while he and Damon will star as police officers in the crime thriller ''[[The Rip (film)|The Rip]]''.<ref>{{cite web |title=Let 'Em RIP: Matt Damon and Ben Affleck Are Teaming Up |url=https://www.netflix.com/tudum/articles/rip-ben-affleck-matt-damon-release-date-photos-news |website=Netflix Tudum |language=en}}</ref>

==Philanthropy==

===Eastern Congo Initiative===
{{Main|Eastern Congo Initiative}}
[[File:Ben Affleck testifying to Congress on the Democratic Republic of Congo..jpg|alt=Ben Affleck, holding a pen and sitting behind a microphone, looks ahead while offering testimony|thumb|Affleck in 2011, testifying before the [[United States House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health, Global Human Rights and International Organizations|House Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health and Human Rights]]]]

After traveling in the region between 2007 and early 2010, Affleck and [[Whitney Williams]] co-founded the nonprofit organization [[Eastern Congo Initiative]] in 2010.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Lerner |first=George |url=http://edition.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/africa/03/22/congo.affleck/index.html |title=Ben Affleck Launches Aid Group for Eastern Congo |work=CNN|access-date=August 31, 2010 |date=March 23, 2010 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100415051441/http://edition.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/africa/03/22/congo.affleck/index.html |archive-date=April 15, 2010}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|last=Parker |first=Paige |url=http://montanan.umt.edu/issues/fall-2015/just-ask-whitney/default.php |title=Just Ask Whitney |work=[[Montanan (magazine)|Montanan]] |date=Fall 2015 |access-date=April 13, 2017 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150920000522/http://montanan.umt.edu/issues/fall-2015/just-ask-whitney/default.php |archive-date=September 20, 2015}}</ref> ECI acts as a grant maker for [[Democratic Republic of the Congo|Congolese]]-led, community-based charities.<ref name="amanpour.blogs.cnn.com">{{Cite news|last=Lerner |first=George |url=http://amanpour.blogs.cnn.com/2010/03/23/ben-affleck-launches-initiative-for-congo-aid/ |title=Ben Affleck Launches Initiative for Congo Aid |access-date=October 8, 2014 |work=CNN|date=March 23, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141014104326/http://amanpour.blogs.cnn.com/2010/03/23/ben-affleck-launches-initiative-for-congo-aid/ |archive-date=October 14, 2014}}</ref> It offers training and resources to cooperatives of Congolese farmers while leveraging partnerships with companies including [[Theo Chocolate]] and [[Starbucks]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.easterncongo.org/success-stories/cbo-success-stories/detail/236 |title=CBO Success Story Details |publisher=[[Eastern Congo Initiative]] |access-date=October 8, 2014 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141016155518/http://www.easterncongo.org/success-stories/cbo-success-stories/detail/236 |archive-date=October 16, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.marketplace.org/topics/business/ben-affleck-sustainable-aid-eastern-congo |title=Ben Affleck on Sustainable Aid in the Eastern Congo |work=[[Marketplace (radio program)|Marketplace]] |first=David |last=Brancaccio |date=December 8, 2014 |access-date=March 27, 2015 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150427014713/http://www.marketplace.org/topics/business/ben-affleck-sustainable-aid-eastern-congo |archive-date=April 27, 2015}}</ref> ECI also aims to raise public awareness and drive policy change in the United States.<ref>{{Cite press release|url=http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/ben-affleck-launches-initiative-to-support-local-solutions-in-eastern-congo-88826822.html |title=Ben Affleck Launches Initiative to Support Local Solutions in Eastern Congo |date=March 23, 2010 |agency=[[PR Newswire]] |access-date=October 8, 2014 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141013052812/http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/ben-affleck-launches-initiative-to-support-local-solutions-in-eastern-congo-88826822.html |archive-date=October 13, 2014}}</ref>

Affleck has written op-eds about issues facing eastern Congo for the ''Washington Post'',<ref>{{Cite news|last=Affleck |first=Ben |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/11/29/AR2010112904242.html |title=Ben Affleck: How the United States Can Help Secure Congo |access-date=October 8, 2014 |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=November 30, 2010 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141018024915/http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/11/29/AR2010112904242.html |archive-date=October 18, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|last=Affleck |first=Ben |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/ben-affleck-congo-urgently-needs-us-help/2012/11/29/828cd2c2-37ef-11e2-8a97-363b0f9a0ab3_story.html |title=Ben Affleck: Congo Urgently Needs U.S. Help |newspaper=The Washington Post |access-date=October 8, 2014 |date=November 29, 2012 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141018024912/http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/ben-affleck-congo-urgently-needs-us-help/2012/11/29/828cd2c2-37ef-11e2-8a97-363b0f9a0ab3_story.html |archive-date=October 18, 2014}}</ref> ''Politico'',<ref>{{Cite web|last1=Affleck |first1=Ben |last2=Shah |first2=Rajiv |url=https://www.politico.com/story/2012/06/ending-child-mortality-077386 |title=Opinion: Ending Child Mortality |work=[[Politico]] |date=June 13, 2012 |access-date=October 8, 2014 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141227213950/http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0612/77386.html |archive-date=December 27, 2014}}</ref> the ''Huffington Post'',<ref>{{Cite news|last=Affleck |first=Ben |url=https://www.huffingtonpost.com/ben-affleck/joseph-kony-ben-affleck_b_1344323.html |title=Kony 2012: Westerners Are Not And Will Never Be The 'Saviors' Of Africa |date=March 14, 2012 |work=[[HuffPost]] |access-date=October 8, 2014 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141016103951/http://www.huffingtonpost.com/ben-affleck/joseph-kony-ben-affleck_b_1344323.html |archive-date=October 16, 2014}}</ref> ''Time'',<ref>{{Cite news|last=Chi|first=Paul|date=February 16, 2009|url=http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20259408,00.html|title=Ben Affleck Urges Hope in Eastern Congo – Good Deeds, Ben Affleck|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140517205620/http://www.people.com/people/article/0%2C%2C20259408%2C00.html |archive-date=May 17, 2014|url-status=dead|work=People|access-date=June 5, 2014}}</ref> ''The New York Times''<ref>{{Cite news |last1=Affleck |first1=Ben |title=Ben Affleck: Why I'm Hopeful About Congo |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/12/05/opinion/affleck-eastern-congo-initiative.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171205192401/https://www.nytimes.com/2017/12/05/opinion/affleck-eastern-congo-initiative.html |archive-date=December 5, 2017 |url-access=limited|url-status=live |access-date=August 5, 2019 |work=The New York Times |date=December 5, 2017}}</ref> and the ''Los Angeles Times''.<ref>{{Cite news |last1=Affleck |first1=Ben |title=Op-Ed: In the Democratic Republic of Congo, foreign aid matters |url=https://www.latimes.com/opinion/op-ed/la-oe-ben-affleck-hochschild-congo-foreign-aid-20190619-story.html |access-date=August 4, 2019 |work=Los Angeles Times |date=June 19, 2019 |archive-date=August 4, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190804142813/https://www.latimes.com/opinion/op-ed/la-oe-ben-affleck-hochschild-congo-foreign-aid-20190619-story.html |url-status=live }}</ref> He has appeared as a discussion panelist at many events, including at the [[Center for Strategic and International Studies]],<ref>{{Cite web|last1=Tanabe|first1=Karin|title=Ben Affleck, John Kerry Join Forces|url=https://www.politico.com/click/stories/1011/affleck_kerry_join_forces.html|website=Politico|access-date=April 13, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110923022439/http://www.politico.com/click/stories/1011/affleck_kerry_join_forces.html|archive-date=September 23, 2011|url-status=live|date=November 30, 2010}}</ref> the [[Global Philanthropy Forum]],<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8X31zuLZ_YQ |title=In Conversation With Ben Affleck and Laurene Powell Jobs |publisher=[[Global Philanthropy Forum]]'s YouTube |date=October 24, 2012 |access-date=October 8, 2014 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150518174746/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8X31zuLZ_YQ |archive-date=May 18, 2015}}</ref> and the [[Clinton Foundation#Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) and CGI U|Clinton Global Initiative]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.huffingtonpost.com/maura-kelly/ben-affleck-bono-and-stin_b_12123640.html |title=Ben Affleck, Bono, and Sting Help Bill Clinton Convene Final Clinton Global Initiative. |first=Maura |last=Kelly |date=September 26, 2016 |access-date=April 13, 2017 |work=HuffPost |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170319111351/http://www.huffingtonpost.com/maura-kelly/ben-affleck-bono-and-stin_b_12123640.html |archive-date=March 19, 2017}}</ref> During visits to Washington D.C., Affleck has testified before the [[United States House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health, Global Human Rights and International Organizations|House Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health and Human Rights]],<ref>{{Cite web|last1=Gavin|first1=Patrick|title=Congo Crisis Pairs Ben Affleck, Cindy McCain|url=https://www.politico.com/click/stories/1103/affleck_mccain_on_congo.html|website=Politico|access-date=April 13, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110311114654/http://www.politico.com/click/stories/1103/affleck_mccain_on_congo.html|archive-date=March 11, 2011|url-status=live|date=March 7, 2011}}</ref> the [[United States House Committee on Armed Services|House Armed Services Committee]],<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/la-xpm-2012-dec-19-la-et-mn-ben-affleck-testifies-about-the-congo-in-washington-20121219-story.html |title=Ben Affleck Testifies in Congress About War-Torn Congo |work=Los Angeles Times |access-date=October 8, 2014 |first=John |last=Horn |date=December 19, 2012 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141024225026/http://articles.latimes.com/2012/dec/19/entertainment/la-et-mn-ben-affleck-testifies-about-the-congo-in-washington-20121219 |archive-date=October 24, 2014}}</ref> the [[United States Senate Committee on Foreign Relations|Senate Foreign Relations Committee]],<ref>{{Cite news|last=Cassata |first=Donna |url=http://bigstory.ap.org/article/affleck-casts-spotlight-situation-congo |title=Affleck Casts Spotlight on Situation in Congo |agency=[[Associated Press]] |date=February 26, 2014 |access-date=October 8, 2014 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141018231800/http://bigstory.ap.org/article/affleck-casts-spotlight-situation-congo |archive-date=October 18, 2014}}</ref> and the [[United States Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs|Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations, and Related Projects]].<ref>{{Cite news|last=Warren |first=James |url=http://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/ben-affleck-bill-gates-nonprofits-praised-senate-hearing-article-1.2163229 |title=Ben Affleck, Bill Gates Nonprofits Praised at Senate Hearing |work=[[Daily News (New York)|Daily News]] |location=New York |date=March 26, 2015 |access-date=April 13, 2017 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170619183552/http://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/ben-affleck-bill-gates-nonprofits-praised-senate-hearing-article-1.2163229 |archive-date=June 19, 2017}}</ref>

===Other charitable causes===
Affleck is a supporter of the A-T Children's Project. While filming ''Forces of Nature'' in 1998, Affleck befriended ten-year-old Joe Kindregan (1988–2015), who had the rare disease [[ataxia-telangiectasia]] (A-T), and his family.<ref name="people.com">{{Cite news|last=Fields-Meyer |first=Thomas |url=http://www.people.com/people/archive/article/0,,20134995,00.html |title=A Friend in Need |work=People |date=July 30, 2011 |access-date=October 8, 2014 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141014190341/http://www.people.com/people/archive/article/0%2C%2C20134995%2C00.html |archive-date=October 14, 2014}}</ref> He became actively involved in fundraising for A-T,<ref name="cnn2004">{{Cite news|title=Larry King Live: Interview With Ben Affleck |url=http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0403/16/lkl.00.html |work=CNN|access-date=April 13, 2017 |date=March 16, 2004 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161007004456/http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0403/16/lkl.00.html |archive-date=October 7, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|last=Shultz |first=Cara Lynn |url=http://www.people.com/people/gallery/0,,20397214_20803490,00.html |title=Ben Affleck & Jennifer Garner's Happy Marriage – Slide 3 |work=People |date=June 25, 2010 |access-date=April 13, 2017 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304094349/http://www.people.com/people/gallery/0%2C%2C20397214_20803490%2C00.html |archive-date=March 4, 2016}}</ref> and he and Kindregan testified before the [[United States Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies|House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health & Human Services, and Education]] in 2001, asking senators to support stem-cell research and to double the budget of the [[National Institutes of Health]].<ref name="people.com"/> In 2007, Affleck was the keynote speaker at Kindregan's high school graduation ceremony in Fairfax, Virginia.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.accesshollywood.com/articles/ben-affleck-heads-back-to-school-to-honor-graduate-59648/ |title=Ben Affleck Heads Back To School To Honor Graduate |work=[[Access Hollywood]] |date=June 1, 2007 |access-date=April 13, 2017 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160808134642/https://www.accesshollywood.com/articles/ben-affleck-heads-back-to-school-to-honor-graduate-59648/ |archive-date=August 8, 2016}}</ref> Kindregan appeared as an extra in ''Argo'' (2012).<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.accesshollywood.com/joe-kindregan-on-his-heartwarming-friendship-with-ben-affleck-over-the-years_video_1429835 |title=Joe Kindregan On His Heartwarming Friendship With Ben Affleck Over The Years |work=Access Hollywood |date=February 4, 2013 |access-date=October 8, 2014 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140813002136/http://www.accesshollywood.com/joe-kindregan-on-his-heartwarming-friendship-with-ben-affleck-over-the-years_video_1429835 |archive-date=August 13, 2014}}</ref> In 2013, in celebration of Kindregan's 25th birthday and "15 years of friendship with Joe and his family," Affleck and Garner matched donations made to the A-T Children's Project.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://atcp.org/affleckgarnermatch |title=Ben, Jennifer and Joe |publisher=A-T Children's Project |year=2013 |access-date=October 8, 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141015140851/https://atcp.org/affleckgarnermatch |archive-date=October 15, 2014}}</ref> Affleck appeared in ''CinemAbility'' (2013), a documentary film which explores Hollywood's portrayals of people with disabilities.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.huffingtonpost.com/katharine-kramer/cinemability-explores-cur_b_5515035.html/|title=CinemAbility" Explores Current Civil Rights Movement and Marks 6th Installment Of "Kat Kramer's Films That Change The World|first=Katharine|last=Kramer|work=HuffPost|date=June 23, 2014|access-date=October 8, 2014|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140629003754/http://www.huffingtonpost.com/katharine-kramer/cinemability-explores-cur_b_5515035.html|archive-date=June 29, 2014}}</ref>

[[File:AffleckFeedAmerica09 (cropped).jpg|alt=Ben Affleck speaks into a microphone|thumb|Affleck speaking at a [[Feeding America]] rally in 2009]]

Affleck is a supporter of [[Paralyzed Veterans of America]].<ref>{{Cite news|last=Carnevale |first=Mary Lu |url=https://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2008/08/27/ben-affleck-poker-champ-in-denver/ |title=Ben Affleck: Poker Champ in Denver |work=[[The Wall Street Journal]] |access-date=October 8, 2014 |date=August 27, 2008 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141008083839/https://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2008/08/27/ben-affleck-poker-champ-in-denver/ |archive-date=October 8, 2014}}</ref> He filmed public service announcements for the organization in both 2009 and 2014.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nzT5VaXlyuI |title=Ben Affleck Supports Paralyzed Veterans |publisher=[[Paralyzed Veterans of America]]'s YouTube |date=October 8, 2009 |access-date=October 8, 2014 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150525165059/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nzT5VaXlyuI |archive-date=May 25, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Ben Affleck, Award-Winning Director, Producer and Actor, Joins Paralyzed Veterans of America in Helping to Support and Honor Our Nation's Injured Veterans |url=http://www.marketwired.com/press-release/ben-affleck-award-winning-director-producer-actor-joins-paralyzed-veterans-america-helping-1912064.htm |publisher=[[Marketwired]] |access-date=April 13, 2017 |date=May 20, 2014 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170413234945/http://www.marketwired.com/press-release/ben-affleck-award-winning-director-producer-actor-joins-paralyzed-veterans-america-helping-1912064.htm |archive-date=April 13, 2017}}</ref> He has also volunteered on behalf of [[Operation Gratitude]].<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.operationgratitude.com/2007/11/ben-affleck-joins-volunteers-at-holiday-drive-kick-off/ |title=Ben Affleck Joins Volunteers at Holiday Drive Kick-Off |publisher=[[Operation Gratitude]] |date=November 13, 2007 |access-date=October 8, 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140812204255/https://www.operationgratitude.com/2007/11/ben-affleck-joins-volunteers-at-holiday-drive-kick-off/ |archive-date=August 12, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Foster |first=Sharon |url=http://archive.defense.gov/news/newsarticle.aspx?id=52380 |title=Affleck, Other Celebrities Help Volunteers Assemble Care Packages |work=[[DoD News Channel#American Forces Press Service|American Forces Press Service]] |date=December 18, 2008 |access-date=October 8, 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151001070002/http://archive.defense.gov/news/newsarticle.aspx?id=52380 |archive-date=October 1, 2015}}</ref>

Affleck is a member of [[Feeding America]]'s Entertainment Council.<ref>{{Cite news|last1=Fee |first1=Gayle |title=Ben Affleck On Acting and Activism |url=https://bostoncommon-magazine.com/in-good-company |website=Boston Common |access-date=April 15, 2017 |date=September 1, 2010 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170416125426/https://bostoncommon-magazine.com/in-good-company |archive-date=April 16, 2017}}</ref> He made an appearance at the [[Greater Boston Food Bank]] in 2007,<ref>{{Cite news|last1=Fee|first1=Gayle|title=Ben Serves Up Helping Hand for Hub Food Bank|url=http://thetrack.bostonherald.com/moreTrack/view.bg?articleid=1004675|work=[[Boston Herald]]|access-date=April 13, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070607141011/http://thetrack.bostonherald.com/moreTrack/view.bg?articleid=1004675|archive-date=June 7, 2007|date=June 4, 2007}}</ref> and at a Denver food bank in 2008.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://blogs.denverpost.com/style/2008/08/28/help-feed-america/205/ |title=Help Feed America |work=[[The Denver Post]] |date=August 28, 2008 |access-date=October 8, 2014 |last=Davidson |first=Joanne |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141014180821/http://blogs.denverpost.com/style/2008/08/28/help-feed-america/205/ |archive-date=October 14, 2014}}</ref> Affleck spoke at a Feeding America rally in Washington D.C. in 2009,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.politico.com/blogs/anneschroeder/0109/A_little_concert_sponsored_by_Feeding_America.html |title=A Little Concert Sponsored by Feeding America |work=Politico |first=Amie |last=Parnes |date=January 19, 2009 |access-date=October 8, 2014 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141217144350/http://www.politico.com/blogs/anneschroeder/0109/A_little_concert_sponsored_by_Feeding_America.html |archive-date=December 17, 2014}}</ref> and filmed a public service announcement for the charity in 2010.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/gossip/2010/11/matt-damon-ben-affleck-feeding-america-psa.html |title=Matt Damon, Ben Affleck Reunite for Feeding America |work=Los Angeles Times |access-date=October 8, 2014 |date=November 18, 2010 |first=Matt |last=Donnelly |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141024230741/http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/gossip/2010/11/matt-damon-ben-affleck-feeding-america-psa.html |archive-date=October 24, 2014}}</ref> Affleck and [[Ellen DeGeneres]] launched Feeding America's Small Change Campaign in 2011.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://variety.com/2015/film/news/ben-affleck-honored-by-writers-guild-with-valentine-davies-award-1201405183/ |title=Ben Affleck Honored by Writers Guild With Valentine Davies Award |first=Dave |last=McNary |date=January 14, 2015 |work=Variety |access-date=April 15, 2017 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160910054347/http://variety.com/2015/film/news/ben-affleck-honored-by-writers-guild-with-valentine-davies-award-1201405183/ |archive-date=September 10, 2016}}</ref> Also that year, he and [[Howard Graham Buffett]] co-wrote an article for ''The Huffington Post'', highlighting the "growing percentage of the food insecure population that is not eligible for federal nutrition programs".<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.huffingtonpost.com/ben-affleck/map-the-meal-gap-its-time_b_842873.html |title=Hometown Hunger USA |date=March 31, 2011 |work=HuffPost |access-date=October 8, 2014 |first1=Ben |last1=Affleck |first2=Howard Graham |last2=Buffett |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141016104348/http://www.huffingtonpost.com/ben-affleck/map-the-meal-gap-its-time_b_842873.html |archive-date=October 16, 2014}}</ref> During the [[COVID-19 pandemic]], Affleck organized an online celebrity poker tournament to benefit the charity,<ref>{{Cite news |title=Ben Affleck and Matt Damon's Poker Tournament Earns $1.75 Million for Coronavirus Relief |url=https://people.com/movies/ben-affleck-and-matt-damons-poker-tournament-earns-1-75-million-for-coronavirus-relief/ |access-date=April 16, 2020 |work=People |language=EN |archive-date=April 17, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200417121858/https://people.com/movies/ben-affleck-and-matt-damons-poker-tournament-earns-1-75-million-for-coronavirus-relief/ |url-status=live }}</ref> made a personal donation and urged others to support the cause.<ref>{{Cite news |last1=Malkin |first1=Marc |title=Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively Donate $1 Million to Feeding America and Food Banks Canada |url=https://variety.com/2020/film/news/ryan-reynolds-blake-lively-1-million-coronavirus-feeding-america-food-banks-canada-1203536323/ |access-date=March 24, 2020 |work=Variety |date=March 17, 2020 |language=en |archive-date=March 18, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200318232213/https://variety.com/2020/film/news/ryan-reynolds-blake-lively-1-million-coronavirus-feeding-america-food-banks-canada-1203536323/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

Affleck is a supporter of the Los Angeles-based homelessness charity [[Midnight Mission]],<ref>{{Cite news |title=Ben Affleck shows support for social services organization |url=https://www.boston.com/culture/celebs/2019/10/27/ben-affleck-shows-support-for-social-services-organization-jokes-about-dating-life |access-date=March 27, 2020 |work=boston.com |archive-date=August 21, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240821051508/https://www.boston.com/culture/celebs/2019/10/27/ben-affleck-shows-support-for-social-services-organization-jokes-about-dating-life/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |title=Ben Affleck Says Giving Back to Others Is a 'Really Powerful Thing to Do': 'It's Helpful to Me' |url=https://people.com/movies/ben-affleck-giving-back-really-powerful-thing-to-do/ |access-date=March 27, 2020 |work=People |language=en |archive-date=March 27, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200327150517/https://people.com/movies/ben-affleck-giving-back-really-powerful-thing-to-do/ |url-status=live }}</ref> having volunteered at and donated to the charity.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Ben Affleck Shares Smiling Photos from Charity Event: 'It Was a Pleasure to Be a Part of This' |url=https://people.com/movies/ben-affleck-smiles-charity-event/ |access-date=March 27, 2020 |work=People |language=en |archive-date=August 21, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240821051506/https://people.com/movies/ben-affleck-smiles-charity-event/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last1=Affleck |first1=Ben |title=The @midnightmission's meal service lines tripled this past weekend. If you are able to, please join me in donating |url=https://twitter.com/BenAffleck/status/1242865804539858944 |access-date=March 27, 2020 |work=@BenAffleck |date=March 25, 2020 |archive-date=March 25, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200325232327/https://twitter.com/BenAffleck/status/1242865804539858944 |url-status=live }}</ref> He has also volunteered at Atlanta Mission.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Ben Affleck |url=https://upload.latest.facebook.com/benaffleck/posts/3524336074307461  | archive-url = http://ghostarchive.org/iarchive/facebook/147898965284539/3524336074307461 | archive-date=February 25, 2022 |access-date=March 27, 2020 |work=facebook.com |language=en}}{{Cbignore}}</ref>

==Politics==
===Political views===
Affleck has described himself as "moderately [[Modern liberalism in the United States|liberal]]."<ref name="Fox News">{{Cite news |url=https://www.foxnews.com/story/ben-affleck-talks-politics/ |title=Ben Affleck Talks Politics |first=Bill |last=O'Reilly |work=Fox News Channel |access-date=October 8, 2014 |date=July 28, 2004 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141007125205/http://www.foxnews.com/story/2004/07/28/ben-affleck-talks-politics/ |archive-date=October 7, 2014 }}</ref> He was raised in "a very strong [[Trade union|union]] household".<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.salon.com/2000/11/08/reacts_ny/ |last=Reiter |first=Amy |title=Ben Affleck: "I Hope Nader Can Still Sleep" |work=Salon |date=November 8, 2000 |access-date=October 8, 2014 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141013142722/http://www.salon.com/2000/11/08/reacts_ny/ |archive-date=October 13, 2014}}</ref> In 2000, he spoke at a rally at [[Harvard University]] in support of an increased living wage for all workers on campus; his father worked as a janitor at the university.<ref name="harvard"/> He later narrated a documentary, ''Occupation'' (2002), about a sit-in organized by the Harvard Living Wage Campaign.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.salon.com/2002/06/03/razsa/ |title=Welcome To The Occupation |work=Salon |last=Colin |first=Chris |access-date=October 8, 2014 |date=June 4, 2002 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141015103210/http://www.salon.com/2002/06/03/razsa/ |archive-date=October 15, 2014}}</ref> Affleck and Senator [[Ted Kennedy]] held a press conference on Capitol Hill in 2004, pushing for an increase in the [[Minimum wage in the United States|minimum wage]].<ref>{{Cite news|last1=Ingrassia |first1=Lisa |title=New D.C. Duo: Ben Affleck and Ted Kennedy |url=http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,632698,00.html |work=People |access-date=April 15, 2017 |date=April 30, 2004 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160828044631/http://www.people.com/people/article/0%2C%2C632698%2C00.html |archive-date=August 28, 2016}}</ref> He spoke at a 2007 press conference at Boston's City Hall in support of [[Service Employees International Union|SEIU]]'s unionization efforts for the city's low-paid hospital workers.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.boston.com/business/globe/articles/2007/10/17/affleck_stumps_for_hospital_workers/ |title=Affleck Backs Efforts to Organize Boston Teaching Hospital Workers |work=[[The Boston Globe]] |access-date=October 8, 2014 |first=Jeffrey |last=Krasner |date=October 17, 2007 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140820094728/http://www.boston.com/business/globe/articles/2007/10/17/affleck_stumps_for_hospital_workers/ |archive-date=August 20, 2014}}</ref> During the [[2007–08 Writers Guild of America strike|Writers' Strike]] in 2008, Affleck voiced support for the picketers.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.extratv.com/2008/01/16/ben-on-strike-every-day-is-a-shame/ |title=Ben on Strike: 'Every Day is a Shame' |publisher=[[Extra (U.S. TV program)|Extra TV]] |date=January 16, 2008 |access-date=October 8, 2014 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141014074420/http://www.extratv.com/2008/01/16/ben-on-strike-every-day-is-a-shame/ |archive-date=October 14, 2014}}</ref>

Affleck is [[United States abortion-rights movement|pro-choice]]. In a 2000 interview, he stated that he believes "very strongly in a woman's right to choose".<ref name="salon.com"/> In 2012, he supported the [[Center for Reproductive Rights|Draw the Line]] campaign, describing reproductive rights as "fundamental".<ref>{{Cite tweet|user=BenAffleck|last=Affleck|first=Ben|number=261638047119073280 |date=October 26, 2012|access-date=October 8, 2014|title=I'm joining Meryl Streep & Amy Poehler to put the gov't on notice: @ReproRights are fundamental}}</ref>

Affleck was a longtime supporter of legalizing [[gay marriage]], saying in 2004 that he hoped to look back on the marriage debate "with some degree of embarrassment for how antiquated it was".<ref>{{Cite book|date=July 28, 2004|last=Van Pileup|first=Minnie|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=a6sj_xhQ50UC&q=ben%20affleck%20convention%202004&pg=PA100|title=Quotable Queer|publisher=[[The Quarto Group|Fair Winds Press]]|page=100|access-date=October 8, 2014|isbn=978-1592331208|archive-date=August 21, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240821051507/https://books.google.com/books?id=a6sj_xhQ50UC&q=ben%20affleck%20convention%202004&pg=PA100#v=snippet&q=ben%20affleck%20convention%202004&f=false|url-status=live}}</ref> Also that year, he remarked that it was "outrageous and offensive" to suggest members of the [[transgender]] community were not entitled to equal rights.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.salon.com/2004/07/28/celebs_4/ |title=Hollywood Celebs Speak Out in Boston |work=Salon |last=Grieve |first=Tim |date=July 29, 2004 |access-date=October 8, 2014 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141015103118/http://www.salon.com/2004/07/28/celebs_4/ |archive-date=October 15, 2014}}</ref> He appeared alongside his gay cousin in a 2005 [[Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays]] print advertising campaign.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.stayclose.org/campaign/celebrity.asp?id=2 |title=Ben Affleck & His Cousin Jason |publisher=[[PFLAG]] |access-date=September 22, 2007| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20070927004707/http://www.stayclose.org/campaign/celebrity.asp?id=2| archive-date= September 27, 2007 | url-status=live}}</ref>

In 2008, Affleck expressed concern about [[Barack Obama religion conspiracy theories|conspiracy theories claiming Barack Obama was an Arab or a Muslim]]: "This prejudice that we have allowed to fester in this campaign ... the acceptance of both of those things as a legitimate slur is really a problem."<ref>{{Cite news|title=HBO: Real Time with Bill Maher: Ep 137 : Synopsis |url=http://www.hbo.com/real-time-with-bill-maher/episodes/0/137-episode/synopsis.html |work=[[HBO]] |access-date=April 15, 2017 |date=October 17, 2008 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141117173511/http://www.hbo.com/real-time-with-bill-maher/episodes/0/137-episode/synopsis.html |archive-date=November 17, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/cifamerica/2008/oct/22/mccain-obama-muslim-powell |title=Powell's Remarks Rebut the Idea of Muslims as Political Kryptonite |first=Wajahat |last=Ali |date=October 22, 2008 |access-date=April 15, 2017 |work=The Guardian |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170118090338/https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/cifamerica/2008/oct/22/mccain-obama-muslim-powell |archive-date=January 18, 2017}}</ref> A reporter for ''The Washington Post'' overheard Affleck denouncing the [[Gaza War (2008–09)|Israeli invasion of Gaza]] at a Washington party in 2009.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://voices.washingtonpost.com/sleuth/2009/01/the_fifth_and_final_night.html|title=The Sleuth – Grande Finale of Inauguralpalooza: God, Gays and Gaza|last=Akers|first=Mary Ann|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=January 21, 2009|access-date=October 8, 2014|archive-date=August 13, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140813083812/http://voices.washingtonpost.com/sleuth/2009/01/the_fifth_and_final_night.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> [[Steven Clemons]], a participant in the conversation, said Affleck listened "to alternative takes ... What Affleck spoke about that night was reasoned, complex and made a lot of sense."<ref name="washingtonnote.com">{{Cite news|last=Clemons |first=Steve |url=http://washingtonnote.com/david_corn_and/ |title=David Corn, Policy, DC Parties, and Me |work=[[The Washington Note]] |date=January 28, 2009 |access-date=October 8, 2014 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141014190413/http://washingtonnote.com/david_corn_and/ |archive-date=October 14, 2014}}</ref> Later that year, in a ''New York Times'' interview, Affleck remarked that his views were closer to those of the [[Israeli Labor Party]] than [[Likud]].<ref name="curious">{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/07/nyregion/07affleck.html |title=The Curious Friendship of Weiner and Affleck |first=Michael |last=Barbaro |work=The New York Times |date=May 6, 2009 |access-date=March 27, 2015 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150927004101/http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/07/nyregion/07affleck.html |archive-date=September 27, 2015}}</ref>
In 2012, he praised Senator [[John McCain]]'s leadership in defending [[Huma Abedin]] against anti-Muslim attacks.<ref>{{Cite tweet|user=BenAffleck|last=Affleck|first=Ben|number=226028074091806720 |date=July 19, 2012|access-date=October 8, 2014|title=Great to see leadership like this. Thank you @SenJohnMcCain}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.politico.com/story/2012/07/mccain-blasts-attacks-on-abedin-078666 |title=John McCain Blasts 'Unjust' Attacks on Huma Abedin |work=Politico |date=July 18, 2012 |last=Wong |first=Scott |access-date=October 8, 2014 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141101190748/http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0712/78666.html |archive-date=November 1, 2014}}</ref> Affleck engaged in a widely-shared discussion about the relationship between liberal principles and Islam during a 2014 appearance on ''[[Real Time with Bill Maher]]''.<ref>{{Cite news|title=Affleck and Maher Debate Radical Islam |url=http://www.hbo.com/real-time-with-bill-maher/episodes/12/331-episode/video/october-3-2014-ben-affleck-sam-harris-and-bill-maher-debate-radical-islam-.html |publisher=HBO |access-date=April 15, 2017 |date=October 3, 2014 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170416050305/http://www.hbo.com/real-time-with-bill-maher/episodes/12/331-episode/video/october-3-2014-ben-affleck-sam-harris-and-bill-maher-debate-radical-islam-.html |archive-date=April 16, 2017}}</ref> In a 2017 ''Guardian'' interview, he reflected on the viral moment: "I strongly believe that no one should be stereotyped on the basis of their race or religion. It's one of the most fundamental tenets of liberal thought."<ref name="auto1">{{Cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2017/jan/01/ben-affleck-my-dreams-have-true-come-at-a-price |title=Ben Affleck: 'My Wildest Dreams Have Come True, But At a Price' |first=Martyn |last=Palmer |work=The Guardian |date=January 1, 2017 |access-date=April 15, 2017 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170423074130/https://www.theguardian.com/film/2017/jan/01/ben-affleck-my-dreams-have-true-come-at-a-price |archive-date=April 23, 2017}}</ref> In 2023, Affleck signed the [[Artists4Ceasefire]] open letter calling for a ceasefire during the [[Gaza war|Israeli bombardment of Gaza]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Artists4Ceasefire |url=https://www.artists4ceasefire.org/ |access-date=December 17, 2023 |website=Artists4Ceasefire |language=en-US}}</ref>

[[File:Secretary Kerry Meets With Ben Affleck (12797462584).jpg|thumb|Affleck with [[Russ Feingold]] and Secretary of State [[John Kerry]] in February 2014]]

Affleck appeared at a press conference with New York Senator [[Chuck Schumer]] in 2002, in support of a proposed Anti-Nuclear Terrorism Prevention Act.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://people.com/celebrity/ben-affleck-soars-to-sexy/the-advocate |title=Ben Affleck Soars to Sexy |work=People |date=April 26, 2004 |access-date=October 8, 2014 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170416125647/http://people.com/celebrity/ben-affleck-soars-to-sexy/the-advocate/ |archive-date=April 16, 2017}}</ref> In 2003, he criticized the "questionable and aggressive" use of the [[Patriot Act]] and the resulting "encroachments on civil liberties".<ref name="philly2003"/> Affleck criticized the [[Bush tax cuts]] on many occasions.<ref name="philly2003">{{Cite news|last1=Gensler|first1=Howard|title=Ben the 'Patriot' Can't Fathom 'Girlfriend' Attention|url=http://articles.philly.com/2003-10-17/entertainment/25464571_1_skull-roy-horn-katey-sagal|work=[[Philadelphia Daily News]]|access-date=April 15, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140819085422/http://articles.philly.com/2003-10-17/entertainment/25464571_1_skull-roy-horn-katey-sagal|archive-date=August 19, 2014|date=October 17, 2003}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2004/07/26/politics/trail/26TRAIL-BEN.html |title=Ben Affleck Plays Himself at Convention |date=July 26, 2004 |work=The New York Times |first=Carl |last=Hulse |access-date=April 15, 2017 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151016215038/http://www.nytimes.com/2004/07/26/politics/trail/26TRAIL-BEN.html |archive-date=October 16, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2004/07/27/ben-afflecks-message-on-taxes-dont-give-me-a-break/ |title=Ben Affleck's Message On Taxes: Don't Give Me A Break |work=[[Orlando Sentinel]] |last=Maxwell |first=Scott |date=July 27, 2004 |access-date=October 8, 2014 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141015014320/http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/2004-07-27/news/0407270110_1_delegation-orlando-international-airport-roast |archive-date=October 15, 2014}}</ref> In 2007, he filmed a public service announcement for [[Divided We Fail]], a nonpartisan [[AARP]] campaign seeking affordable, quality healthcare for all Americans.<ref>{{Cite news|last1=Alexander |first1=Bryan |title=Ben Affleck, Reese Witherspoon Debut Political Ads |url=http://people.com/celebrity/ben-affleck-reese-witherspoon-debut-political-ads/ |work=People |access-date=April 15, 2017 |date=November 12, 2007 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170416044206/http://people.com/celebrity/ben-affleck-reese-witherspoon-debut-political-ads/ |archive-date=April 16, 2017}}</ref>

Affleck expressed support for the [[Second Amendment to the United States Constitution|Second Amendment]] in 2004,<ref name="Fox News"/> and said in 2012 that he owned several guns, both for [[skeet shooting]] and for the protection of his family.<ref name="auto"/> In 2020, he said trips to gun ranges as a young adult made him "uncomfortable to remember ... given the subsequent tragedies with young people and guns."<ref>{{Cite magazine |last1=Kirkpatrick |first1=Emily |title=Ben Affleck Remembers Having to "Bill Clinton It" with Weed on the Set of Dazed and Confused |url=https://www.vanityfair.com/style/2020/11/ben-affleck-dazed-and-confused-cast-weed-alcohol-guns |access-date=March 2, 2021 |magazine=Vanity Fair |language=en-us |archive-date=January 21, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210121215229/https://www.vanityfair.com/style/2020/11/ben-affleck-dazed-and-confused-cast-weed-alcohol-guns |url-status=live }}</ref>

Affleck appeared alongside then-Senator [[Barack Obama]] at a 2006 rally in support of [[California Proposition 87 (2006)|Proposition 87]], which sought to reduce petroleum consumption in favor of alternative energy.<ref name="nbclosangeles1">{{Cite web|url=http://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/local/Angelenos-Invited-to-Public-Inauguration-Celebrations.html |title=Angelenos Invited to Public Inauguration Celebrations |work=[[NBC]] |date=July 17, 2009 |access-date=October 8, 2014 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141015015719/http://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/local/Angelenos-Invited-to-Public-Inauguration-Celebrations.html |archive-date=October 15, 2014}}</ref> He appeared in a global warming awareness video produced by the [[Center for American Progress Action Fund]] in 2007.<ref>{{Cite news|last1=Stockton Rhone |first1=Paysha |title=Ben Affleck Stars in 'Corny' Environmental Ad |url=http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20047730,00.html |work=People |access-date=April 15, 2017 |date=July 23, 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160817184807/http://www.people.com/people/article/0%2C%2C20047730%2C00.html |archive-date=August 17, 2016}}</ref> Also that year, Affleck admitted he was not "particularly good at being green" while, in 2014, he named "a [[Chevrolet Chevelle|1966 Chevelle]]" as his guilty pleasure.<ref name="msnbc">{{Cite news|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna19110556 |title='Hardball with Chris Matthews' for June 7 |publisher=[[MSNBC]] |date=June 7, 2007 |access-date=October 8, 2014 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141006084456/http://www.nbcnews.com/id/19110556/ns/msnbc-hardball_with_chris_matthews/t/hardball-chris-matthews-june/ |archive-date=October 6, 2014}}</ref><ref name="kinja1" /> In 2016, Affleck filmed an endorsement for Rezpect Our Water, an online petition to stop construction of the [[Dakota Access Pipeline protests|Dakota Access Pipeline]].<ref>{{Cite news|last1=Yee |first1=Laurence |title='Justice League' Cast Supports Dakota Access Pipeline Opposition |url=https://variety.com/2016/film/news/justice-league-cast-dakota-access-pipeline-opposition-ben-affleck-jason-momoa-1201853886/ |work=Variety |date=September 7, 2016 |access-date=March 20, 2017 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170321082048/http://variety.com/2016/film/news/justice-league-cast-dakota-access-pipeline-opposition-ben-affleck-jason-momoa-1201853886/ |archive-date=March 21, 2017}}</ref>

===Democratic Party involvement===
Affleck registered to vote as a [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democrat]] in 1992, and has campaigned on behalf of several Democratic presidential nominees. He supported [[Al Gore]] in the final weeks of the [[2000 United States presidential election|2000 presidential campaign]], attending rallies in California,<ref>{{Cite news|title=The Stars Come Out to Play Politics|url=http://web.kitsapsun.com/archive/2000/11-02/0094_election_2000__the_stars_come_out.html|access-date=August 18, 2017|work=[[Kitsap Sun]]|date=November 2, 2000|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170819021741/http://web.kitsapsun.com/archive/2000/11-02/0094_election_2000__the_stars_come_out.html|archive-date=August 19, 2017}}</ref> Pennsylvania,<ref>{{Cite web|last=Assad |first=Matt |url=https://www.mcall.com/2000/11/06/stars-shine-in-bethlehem-at-election-rally-for-gore-road-show-for-dems-features-martin-sheen-ben-affleck-rob-reiner/ |title=Stars Shine In Bethlehem At Election Rally For Gore Road Show For Dems Features Martin Sheen, Ben Affleck, Rob Reiner |work=[[The Morning Call]] |date=November 6, 2000 |access-date=October 8, 2014 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141014121719/http://articles.mcall.com/2000-11-06/news/3333901_1_ben-affleck-gore-tickets |archive-date=October 14, 2014}}</ref> and Florida.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2000/nov/8/20001108-013135-6826r/?page=all |title=Gore and Exhausted Team Stay Up Late, Sweating It Out |work=[[The Washington Times]] |date=November 8, 2000 |access-date=October 8, 2014 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141022095650/http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2000/nov/8/20001108-013135-6826r/?page=all |archive-date=October 22, 2014}}</ref> However, Affleck was unable to vote due to a registration issue in New York City, where he was residing at the time, and later joked, "I'm going to vote twice next time, in true Boston fashion."<ref name="substance"/>

[[File:John Kerry rally in Zanesville, Ohio (3279702109).jpg|thumb|left|upright|alt=Ben Affleck speaking into a microphone while wearing a Kerry/Edwards campaign tshirt|Affleck speaking at a [[John Kerry]] rally in [[Zanesville, Ohio]], in 2004]]
Affleck was involved in the [[2004 United States presidential election|2004 presidential campaign]] of [[John Kerry]]. During the Democratic National Convention in Boston, he spoke to many delegations, appeared on political discussion shows, and attended fundraising events.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A19580-2004Jul27.html |title=From Beantown to Bentown |newspaper=The Washington Post |last=Rosin |first=Hanna |access-date=October 8, 2014 |date=July 28, 2004 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131107152651/http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A19580-2004Jul27.html |archive-date=November 7, 2013}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.wsj.com/news/articles/SB122460352265754455 |title=Speaking for Kerry |date=July 30, 2004 |work=[[The Wall Street Journal]] |access-date=October 8, 2014 |first=Peggy |last=Noonan |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151016215039/http://www.wsj.com/news/articles/SB122460352265754455 |archive-date=October 16, 2015}}</ref> Affleck took part in a voter registration public service announcement,<ref>{{Cite press release|url=http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/its-all-in-the-family-as-comedy-central-r-and-norman-lears-declare-yourself-team-up-to-promote-voting-among-young-people-through-a-co-branded-voter-psa-campaign-71394087.html |title=It's 'All in the Family!' |date=July 23, 2004 |agency=PR Newswire |access-date=October 8, 2014 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141013084623/http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/its-all-in-the-family-as-comedy-central-r-and-norman-lears-declare-yourself-team-up-to-promote-voting-among-young-people-through-a-co-branded-voter-psa-campaign-71394087.html |archive-date=October 13, 2014}}</ref> and traveled with Kerry during the opening weekend of his Believe in America Tour, making speeches at rallies in Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Ohio.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://news.minnesota.publicradio.org/features/2004/07/30_ap_dnckerry/ |title=MPR: Kerry Defines Himself as a Soldier, Father and Man of Values |date=July 29, 2004 |agency=Associated Press |access-date=October 8, 2014 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141015235227/http://news.minnesota.publicradio.org/features/2004/07/30_ap_dnckerry/ |archive-date=October 15, 2014}}</ref>

Affleck campaigned for President [[Barack Obama]]. He appeared alongside the then-Senator at a 2006 rally, introducing him as "the most galvanizing leader to come out of either party, in my opinion, in at least a decade".<ref name="nbclosangeles1"/> He donated to Obama's presidential campaign in 2007,<ref>{{Cite news|last1=Thomson |first1=Katherine |title=Fundrace: What Celebrities Gave Candidates In 2007 |url=https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/02/04/fundrace-what-celebrities_n_84510.html |newspaper=Huffington Post |access-date=April 15, 2017 |date=March 28, 2008 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170416125451/http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/02/04/fundrace-what-celebrities_n_84510.html |archive-date=April 16, 2017}}</ref> and hosted two fundraisers for the candidate during the [[Democratic Party presidential primaries, 2008|2008 Democratic Primary]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.boston.com/ae/celebrity/articles/2008/03/17/affleck_garner_create_their_own_political_party/ |title=Affleck, Garner Create Their Own Political Party |work=[[The Boston Globe]] |access-date=October 8, 2014 |first1=Carol |last1=Beggy |first2=Mark |last2=Shanahan |date=March 17, 2008 |url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140814191019/http://www.boston.com/ae/celebrity/articles/2008/03/17/affleck_garner_create_their_own_political_party/ |archive-date=August 14, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://people.com/parents/the-afflecks-damons-baby-bumps-for-obama/ |title=The Afflecks & Damons: Baby Bumps for Obama |work=People |date=August 3, 2008 |first=Julie |last=Kay |access-date=October 8, 2014 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141014182426/http://www.people.com/people/article/0%2C%2C20216659%2C00.html |archive-date=October 14, 2014}}</ref> Affleck urged voters to "help make history" in a [[MoveOn.org]] campaign,<ref>{{Cite web|last=Marre |first=Klaus |url=https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/986-moveon-launches-video-contest-to-help-obama/ |title=MoveOn Launches Video Contest to Help Obama |work=[[The Hill (newspaper)|The Hill]] |date=March 13, 2008 |access-date=October 8, 2014 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141027175916/http://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/1177-moveon-launches-video-contest-to-help-obama |archive-date=October 27, 2014}}</ref> and made several appearances during the 2008 Democratic National Convention.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.cleveland.com/people/index.ssf/2008/08/_the_morning_after_80.html |title=Ben Affleck Heading to Denver |work=[[The Plain Dealer]] |date=August 25, 2008 |first=Melissa |last=Hebert |access-date=October 8, 2014 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141012230911/http://www.cleveland.com/people/index.ssf/2008/08/_the_morning_after_80.html |archive-date=October 12, 2014}}</ref> In the week of the presidential election, he appeared on ''Saturday Night Live'' to jokingly endorse Senator [[John McCain]].<ref>{{Cite web|last1=Ryan |first1=Maureen |title=McCain Stops By 'Saturday Night Live' |url=http://featuresblogs.chicagotribune.com/entertainment_tv/2008/11/mccain-snl-fey.html |work=[[Chicago Tribune]] |access-date=April 30, 2017 |date=November 2, 2008 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160914005433/http://featuresblogs.chicagotribune.com/entertainment_tv/2008/11/mccain-snl-fey.html |archive-date=September 14, 2016}}</ref> Affleck did not actively campaign for Obama's reelection in 2012, though he still supported him.<ref name="auto"/>

Affleck supported [[Hillary Clinton]]'s [[2016 United States presidential election|2016 presidential election]] campaign. He first met Clinton at [[Camp David]] in 1998,<ref>{{Cite news|last1=Pickler |first1=Nedra |title=Memoir Blasts Kerry's 2004 Campaign |url=http://archive.boston.com/news/nation/washington/articles/2007/01/06/memoir_blasts_kerrys_2004_campaign/ |work=[[The Boston Globe]] |access-date=April 15, 2017 |date=January 6, 2007 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170416194330/http://archive.boston.com/news/nation/washington/articles/2007/01/06/memoir_blasts_kerrys_2004_campaign/ |archive-date=April 16, 2017}}</ref> and, when she was a Senate candidate in 2000, he introduced her at a [[Cornell University]] rally and helped fundraise for her campaign.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/2000/11/09/the-reliable-source/de716930-ecda-493b-bd38-65ec7142e87a/ |title=The Reliable Source |first1=Lloyd |last1=Grove |date=November 9, 2000 |access-date=April 15, 2017 |newspaper=The Washington Post |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170409113036/https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/2000/11/09/the-reliable-source/de716930-ecda-493b-bd38-65ec7142e87a/ |archive-date=April 9, 2017}}</ref> Affleck pointed to the First Lady's work with children, women and "working families".<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://alb.merlinone.net/mweb/wmsql.wm.request?oneimage&imageid=6046387|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140819103006/http://alb.merlinone.net/mweb/wmsql.wm.request?oneimage&imageid=6046387|title=Clinton, Lazio Embark Upstate for a Final Dash |first=Lara |last=Jakes |work=[[Times Union (Albany)|Times Union]] |date=October 29, 2000|archive-date=August 19, 2014 |access-date=March 27, 2015}}</ref> He supported Obama during the 2008 Democratic Primary, noting that Clinton had "moved toward the [[Centrism|center]]" during the campaign.<ref name="msnbc"/> Affleck donated to Clinton's campaign fund during the [[Democratic Party presidential primaries, 2016|2016 Democratic Primary]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://thehill.com/business-a-lobbying/248219-entertainers-open-their-wallets-to-hillary/ |title=Hollywood Stars Shell Out for Hillary |first=Ben |last=Kamisar |work=The Hill |date=July 16, 2015 |access-date=April 15, 2017 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161118232006/http://thehill.com/business-a-lobbying/248219-entertainers-open-their-wallets-to-hillary |archive-date=November 18, 2016}}</ref> During the 2016 presidential election, Affleck recorded a [[New Hampshire]] voter public service announcement,<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2016/oct/28/ranking-celebrity-psa-presidential-election-spots-ben-affleck-scarlett-johansson |title=Vote Hollywood: Ranking this Presidential Election's Celebrity PSAs |last=Schilling |first=Dave |date=October 28, 2016 |newspaper=The Guardian |access-date=December 22, 2016 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161224175124/https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2016/oct/28/ranking-celebrity-psa-presidential-election-spots-ben-affleck-scarlett-johansson |archive-date=December 24, 2016}}</ref> and was named by the Clinton campaign as a "Hillblazer"&nbsp;– one of 1,100 individuals who had contributed or raised at least $100,000.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://fortune.com/2016/09/24/clinton-bundler-fundraising/ |title=Elite Bundlers Raise More Than $113 Million for Hillary Clinton |work=[[Fortune (magazine)|Fortune]] |date=September 24, 2016 |access-date=April 15, 2017 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170222183218/http://fortune.com/2016/09/24/clinton-bundler-fundraising/ |archive-date=February 22, 2017}}</ref> [[OpenSecrets]] reported that he raised $149,028.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Top Individual Contributors: Hard Money, by Individual |url=https://www.opensecrets.org/overview/topindivs.php?view=hi |website=[[OpenSecrets]] |access-date=April 15, 2017 |year=2016 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170416220850/https://www.opensecrets.org/overview/topindivs.php?view=hi |archive-date=April 16, 2017 }}</ref>

During the latter stages of the [[2020 Democratic Party presidential primaries]], Affleck said during an interview conducted in Spanish: "I like [[Bernie Sanders|Bernie]], I like [[Joe Biden|Biden]], I like [[Elizabeth Warren|Warren]] but the thing is that most of all; I don't like Trump."<ref>{{Cite news |title="Quise hacer una película de esperanza, de triunfo": Ben Affleck nos habla, en español, de su nueva película |url=https://www.univision.com/shows/al-punto/quise-hacer-una-pelicula-de-esperanza-de-triunfo-ben-affleck-nos-cuenta-en-espanol-que-lo-motivo-a-protagonizar-su-nueva-pelicula-the-way-back-video?spaMode=false&forceRedirect=true |access-date=October 15, 2020 |work=Univision |language=es}}</ref> When Biden became the Democratic candidate, he donated to his campaign fund.<ref name=donorlookup/>

In 2002, Affleck donated to [[Dick Gephardt]]'s Congressional campaign,<ref name="opensecrets">{{Cite web|title=Donor Lookup|url=https://www.opensecrets.org/donor-lookup/results?name=ben+affleck&order=desc&page=2&sort=D|website=[[OpenSecrets]]|access-date=April 15, 2017|language=en|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170416220747/https://www.opensecrets.org/donor-lookup/results?name=ben+affleck&order=desc&page=2&sort=D|archive-date=April 16, 2017}}</ref> [[Robert Reich]]'s campaign for Governor of Massachusetts,<ref name=donorlookup>{{cite news |title=Donor Lookup |url=https://www.opensecrets.org/donor-lookup/results?name=ben+affleck&order=desc&sort=D |access-date=April 2, 2023 |work=OpenSecrets |language=en}}</ref> and appeared in campaign literature for former classmate [[Marjorie Decker]], running as a city councilor in Massachusetts.<ref>{{Cite news|last1=Silverman |first1=Stephen |title=Political Roles for Damon and Affleck |url=http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,624618,00.html |work=People |access-date=April 15, 2017 |date=September 4, 2002 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160828045511/http://www.people.com/people/article/0%2C%2C624618%2C00.html |archive-date=August 28, 2016}}</ref> He made donations to the presidential campaigns of both [[Dennis Kucinich]] and [[Wesley Clark]] in 2003.<ref>{{Cite news|last1=Lemire|first1=Christy|title=Affleck Plugs his Latest Project: Getting Kerry Elected|url=https://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-1543449.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170714202025/https://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-1543449.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=July 14, 2017|newspaper=Chicago Sun-Times|access-date=April 30, 2017|date=July 28, 2004}}</ref> In 2005, he donated to the campaign fund of [[Deval Patrick]], a candidate for Governor of Massachusetts.<ref>{{Cite news|title=Jen & Ben Get Political |url=http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,1142607,00.html |work=People |access-date=April 15, 2017 |date=December 26, 2005 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160828050825/http://www.people.com/people/article/0%2C%2C1142607%2C00.html |archive-date=August 28, 2016}}</ref> In 2006, Affleck contributed to [[Cory Booker]]'s Newark mayoral campaign,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.buzzfeed.com/rubycramer/cory-booker-is-the-only-one-excited-about-ben-affleck-playin |title=Cory Booker Is The Only One Excited About Ben Affleck Playing Batman – Maybe Because He's A Donor |last=Cramer |first=Ruby |work=[[BuzzFeed]] |date=August 23, 2013 |access-date=October 8, 2014 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140329164829/http://www.buzzfeed.com/rubycramer/cory-booker-is-the-only-one-excited-about-ben-affleck-playin |archive-date=March 29, 2014}}</ref> to [[Eliot Spitzer]]'s [[2006 New York gubernatorial election|New York gubernatorial campaign]],<ref name=opensecrets/> and introduced Congressmen [[Joe Courtney (politician)|Joe Courtney]] and [[Chris Murphy]] at rallies in Connecticut.<ref>{{Cite web|first=Altimari |last=Daniela |url=https://www.courant.com/2006/11/04/affleck-star-adds-his-clout-to-courtney-murphy-campaigns/ |title=Affleck: Star Adds His Clout To Courtney, Murphy Campaigns |work=[[Hartford Courant]] |date=November 4, 2006 |access-date=October 8, 2014 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141014080157/http://articles.courant.com/2006-11-04/news/0611040683_1_uconn-new-voters-5th-district-seat |archive-date=October 14, 2014}}</ref> He donated to the 2008 Congressional campaign of Pennsylvania's [[Patrick Murphy (Pennsylvania politician)|Patrick Murphy]],<ref>{{Cite news|last=Toeplitz |first=Shira |url=http://www.rollcall.com/news/after_two_losses_pennsylvanias_patrick_murphy_waits_in_the_wings-217375-1.html |title=After Two Losses, Pennsylvania's Patrick Murphy Waits in the Wings |work=[[Roll Call]] |date=September 6, 2012 |access-date=October 8, 2014 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141016145626/http://www.rollcall.com/news/after_two_losses_pennsylvanias_patrick_murphy_waits_in_the_wings-217375-1.html |archive-date=October 16, 2014}}</ref> and to the 2010 Senate campaign of [[Kirsten Gillibrand]].<ref name="opensecrets"/> Affleck hosted a 2012 fundraiser for Senate candidate [[Elizabeth Warren]],<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/ben-affleck-elizabeth-warren-fundraiser-spielberg-damon-327714 |title=Ben Affleck-Hosted Fundraiser for Elizabeth Warren Draws Big Stars, Big Bucks |last=Daunt |first=Tina |date=May 22, 2012 |work=The Hollywood Reporter |access-date=October 8, 2014 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141015021035/http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/ben-affleck-elizabeth-warren-fundraiser-spielberg-damon-327714 |archive-date=October 15, 2014}}</ref> endorsed her in a [[Progressive Change Campaign Committee]] video,<ref>{{Cite news|last=Zakarin |first=Jordan |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/ben-affleck-psa-elizabeth-warren-386277 |title=Ben Affleck Stars in Spot for Hometown Senate Candidate Elizabeth Warren |date=November 4, 2012 |work=The Hollywood Reporter |access-date=October 8, 2014 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141015021955/http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/ben-affleck-psa-elizabeth-warren-386277 |archive-date=October 15, 2014}}</ref> and made a campaign donation.<ref name="opensecrets"/> In 2013, he hosted a fundraiser for Cory Booker,<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/matt-damon-ben-affleck-host-615157 |title=Matt Damon, Ben Affleck to Co-Host Cory Booker Fundraiser (Exclusive) |last=Daunt |first=Tina |date=August 27, 2013 |work=The Hollywood Reporter |access-date=October 8, 2014 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141015021814/http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/matt-damon-ben-affleck-host-615157 |archive-date=October 15, 2014}}</ref> and made donations to the Senate campaigns of both Booker and [[Alison Lundergan Grimes]].<ref>{{Cite web|last=Jaffe |first=Alexandra |url=https://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box/senate-races/188430-hollywood-a-list-gangs-up-on-mcconnell/ |title=Hollywood A-list Gangs Up on McConnell |work=The Hill |date=October 29, 2013 |access-date=October 8, 2014 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141027175903/http://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box/senate-races/188430-hollywood-a-list-gangs-up-on-mcconnell |archive-date=October 27, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://thehill.com/news/campaign/214990-hollywood-tries-to-save-senate-for-dems/ |title=Hollywood Pumps Cash to Save Senate Majority for Democrats |first=Judy |last=Kurtz |work=The Hill |date=August 13, 2014 |access-date=October 8, 2014 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141024012512/http://thehill.com/news/campaign/214990-hollywood-tries-to-save-senate-for-dems |archive-date=October 24, 2014 }}</ref> In 2014, he donated to [[Bobby Shriver]]'s  Los Angeles County Supervisor campaign, and to Prophet La'omar Walker's California State Assembly campaign.<ref name=opensecrets/> He donated to the campaign of Senate candidate [[Kamala Harris]] in 2015 and, in 2016, he donated to the Congressional campaign of [[Melissa Gilbert]] and the  West Virginia Senate campaign of [[Corey Palumbo]].<ref name="opensecrets"/> In 2017, he donated to the Senate reelection campaigns of Elizabeth Warren and [[Chris Coons]], and to [[Adam Schiff]]'s Congressional campaign.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Donor Lookup |url=https://www.opensecrets.org/search?order=asc&page=2&q=ben+affleck&sort=D&type=donors |website=[[OpenSecrets]] |access-date=August 3, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last1=Linskey |first1=Annie |title=Sen. Elizabeth Warren announces an end to high-dollar fundraisers for her presidential campaign |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/sen-elizabeth-warren-announces-an-end-to-high-dollar-fundraisers-for-her-presidential-campaign/2019/02/25/592f6772-3929-11e9-aaae-69364b2ed137_story.html?noredirect=on |access-date=August 3, 2019 |newspaper=The Washington Post |language=en}}</ref> In 2018, he made contributions to the Congressional campaigns of [[Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez]], [[Sharice Davids]] and Leann Jacobsen,<ref name=donor>{{Cite news |title=Donor Lookup |url=https://www.opensecrets.org/search?order=asc&page=3&q=ben+affleck&sort=D&type=donors |access-date=August 3, 2019 |publisher=[[OpenSecrets]]}}</ref> and to Michigan gubernatorial candidate [[Abdul El-Sayed]]<ref>{{Cite news |last1=Lawler |first1=Emily |title=Abdul El-Sayed gets national boost as progressives look for their next big win |url=https://www.mlive.com/news/2018/08/abdul_el-sayed_gets_national_b.html |access-date=October 14, 2019 |work=mlive |date=August 3, 2018 |language=en}}</ref> and Georgia gubernatorial candidate [[Stacey Abrams]].<ref name=opensecrets/> In 2019, Affleck donated to the presidential campaigns funds of both Cory Booker and Kamala Harris,<ref>{{Cite news |last1=Lejeune |first1=Tristan |title=Celebs start opening their wallets for 2020 Dems |url=https://thehill.com/blogs/in-the-know/in-the-know/439073-celebs-start-opening-their-wallets-for-2020-dems/ |access-date=August 3, 2019 |work=The Hill |date=April 16, 2019 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |title=2020 celeb donations: Hanks loves Biden, Stamos stans Buttigieg |url=https://www.dailydot.com/layer8/2020-fundraising-celebrities-pete-buttigieg/ |access-date=August 3, 2019 |work=The Daily Dot |date=July 17, 2019 |language=en}}</ref> and hosted a fundraiser for Booker.<ref>{{Cite news |last1=Kiefer |first1=Peter |title=Cory Booker Sets L.A. Fundraiser With Ben Affleck and Jeffrey Katzenberg as Hosts (Exclusive) |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/ben-affleck-jeffrey-katzenberg-host-cory-booker-fundraiser-1205667 |access-date=August 8, 2019 |work=The Hollywood Reporter |language=en}}</ref> Also in 2019, he contributed to the congressional campaign funds of both Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and [[Ilhan Omar]].<ref name=donor/> In 2020, he spoke at a virtual rally in support of [[Whitney Williams]], a candidate in the [[2020 Montana gubernatorial election]],<ref>{{Cite news |title=Whitney Williams on Facebook Watch |url=https://www.facebook.com/WhitneyforMontana/videos/vb.103720977697760/1584559655037113/ |access-date=June 1, 2020 |language=en}}</ref> and donated to her campaign fund.<ref name=opensecrets/> In 2023, he donated to the Senate campaign of [[Barbara Lee]].<ref name=opensecrets/>

In the early 2000s, Affleck often expressed an interest in running for political office one day,<ref name="substance">{{Cite news|last1=Leiby |first1=Richard |title=The 'Sum' and The Substance |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A30687-2002May29_4.html |newspaper=The Washington Post |access-date=April 15, 2017 |date=May 30, 2002 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170701122612/http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A30687-2002May29_4.html |archive-date=July 1, 2017}}</ref> but since 2007, he has denied any political ambitions and spoken repeatedly about the need for [[Campaign finance reform in the United States|campaign finance reform]].<ref name="auto1"/><ref name="msnbc"/><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/09/14/AR2010091406198.html |title='The Town,' 'Casino Jack' and 'Client 9' Take the Stage at Toronto Film Festival |newspaper=The Washington Post |access-date=October 8, 2014 |first=Ann |last=Hornaday |date=September 15, 2010 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141018024909/http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/09/14/AR2010091406198.html |archive-date=October 18, 2014}}</ref> In 2005, ''The Washington Post'' reported that Virginia Democrats were trying to persuade Affleck to run as a Senate candidate.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/09/26/AR2005092601991.html |title=Picture This: Ben Affleck, Senator From Va. |newspaper=The Washington Post |last=Argetsinger |first=Amy |access-date=October 8, 2014 |date=September 27, 2005 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141018024853/http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/09/26/AR2005092601991.html |archive-date=October 18, 2014}}</ref> His publicist dismissed the rumor.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0509/27/sbt.01.html |title=Virginia Democrats Want Ben Affleck for Senator |work=CNN|date=September 27, 2005 |access-date=October 8, 2014 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140820084610/http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0509/27/sbt.01.html |archive-date=August 20, 2014}}</ref> In 2012, political pundits and Democratic strategists including [[Bob Shrum]] and [[Tad Devine]] speculated that Affleck was considering running for a Massachusetts Senate seat.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2012/12/21/ben-affleck-for-senate-actor-could-be-formidable-massachusetts-candidate.html |title=Ben Affleck for Senate? Actor Could Be Formidable Massachusetts Candidate |last=Grove |first=Lloyd |newspaper=The Daily Beast |date=December 21, 2012 |access-date=October 8, 2014 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140819132428/http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2012/12/21/ben-affleck-for-senate-actor-could-be-formidable-massachusetts-candidate.html |archive-date=August 19, 2014}}</ref> Affleck denied the rumor,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.politico.com/blogs/on-congress/2012/12/affleck-passes-on-senate-run-152759 |title=Affleck Passes on Senate Run |last=Zapler |first=Mike |work=Politico |date=December 24, 2012 |access-date=October 8, 2014 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151016215038/http://www.politico.com/blogs/on-congress/2012/12/affleck-passes-on-senate-run-152759 |archive-date=October 16, 2015}}</ref> and joked that he "also won't be throwing my hat in the ring to run the UN".<ref>{{Cite news|last=Gross |first=Terry |url=https://www.npr.org/templates/transcript/transcript.php?storyId=167719729 |title=Affleck On 'Argo' And The 1979 Hostage Crisis |date=January 15, 2013 |publisher=NPR |access-date=October 8, 2014 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141014145532/http://www.npr.org/templates/transcript/transcript.php?storyId=167719729 |archive-date=October 14, 2014}}</ref>

==Personal life==

===Relationship with Jennifer Garner===
[[File:Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner 2013 Golden Globe Awards (8378777915) (cropped).jpg|thumb|left|upright|Affleck and [[Jennifer Garner]] at the [[70th Golden Globe Awards]] in 2013]]
Affleck was married to actress [[Jennifer Garner]] from 2005 to 2018. They began dating in August 2004,<ref>{{Cite news|title=Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner Engaged |url=https://people.com/celebrity/ben-affleck-and-jennifer-garner-engaged/ |work=People |access-date=April 14, 2017 |date=April 19, 2005 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304102146/http://www.people.com/people/article/0%2C%2C1051815%2C00.html |archive-date=March 4, 2016}}</ref> having established a friendship on the sets of ''Pearl Harbor'' (2001) and ''Daredevil'' (2003).<ref>{{Cite news|title=Scoop – Vol. 62 No. 13 |url=http://www.people.com/people/archive/article/0,,20145517,00.html |work=People |access-date=April 14, 2017 |date=September 27, 2004 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304102442/http://www.people.com/people/archive/article/0%2C%2C20145517%2C00.html |archive-date=March 4, 2016}}</ref> They were married on June 29, 2005, in a private [[Turks and Caicos Islands|Turks and Caicos]] ceremony.<ref>{{Cite news|title=Under the Radar |url=https://people.com/premium/under-the-radar/|work=People |access-date=April 14, 2017 |date=July 7, 2005 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304101748/http://www.people.com/people/article/0%2C%2C1080007_3%2C00.html |archive-date=March 4, 2016}}</ref> [[Victor Garber]], who officiated the ceremony, and his partner, Rainer Andreesen, were the only guests.<ref name="FrankTalk">{{Cite magazine|last1=Smith |first1=Krista |title=Exclusive: Jennifer Garner's Frank Talk About Kids, Men, and Ben Affleck |url=https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2016/02/jennifer-garner-talks-kids-career-ben-affleck |magazine=Vanity Fair |access-date=April 14, 2017 |date=February 26, 2016 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170111162819/http://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2016/02/jennifer-garner-talks-kids-career-ben-affleck |archive-date=January 11, 2017}}</ref> Affleck and Garner have three children together.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://people.com/celebrity/ben-jens-baby-violet-settles-in/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303223556/http://www.people.com/people/article/0%2C26334%2C1139179%2C00.html|archive-date=March 3, 2016|title=Ben & Jen's Baby Violet Settles In |date=December 8, 2005|work=People|access-date=March 17, 2017|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Writer |first=Rosie Marder Contributing Entertainment |date=April 10, 2024 |title=Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner's middle child reveals new name |url=https://www.newsweek.com/ben-affleck-jennifer-garners-child-reveals-new-name-1889044 |access-date=April 16, 2024 |website=Newsweek |language=en}}</ref><ref name="son">{{Cite news|url=https://people.com/parents/jennifer-garner-ben-affleck-baby-born/|title=Jennifer Garner and Ben Affleck Welcome Third Child |work=People |date=February 29, 2012|access-date=February 28, 2012|url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120229094753/http://www.people.com/people/article/0%2C%2C20560766%2C00.html|archive-date=February 29, 2012}}</ref>

They publicly announced their separation in June 2015,<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://people.com/celebrity/ben-affleck-and-jennifer-garner-are-getting-divorced/|title=Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner Divorcing After 10 Years of Marriage |work=People |first1=Michelle |last1=Tauber |first2=Elizabeth |last2=Leonard |date=June 30, 2015 |access-date=June 30, 2015 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150630204223/http://www.people.com/article/ben-affleck-jennifer-garner-split |archive-date=June 30, 2015}}</ref> with Affleck continuing to live in a guesthouse at the family home until mid-2017.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Ben Affleck Has Officially Moved Out: The Kids 'Have Been to Ben's New House,' Source Says |url=https://people.com/movies/ben-affleck-officially-moves-out-kids-visit-new-house/ |access-date=November 2, 2019 |work=People |language=en}}</ref> They jointly filed for divorce in April 2017, seeking joint physical and legal custody of their children.<ref name="divorce">{{Cite news|last1=Russian |first1=Ale |title=Jennifer Garner Officially Files for Divorce from Ben Affleck |url=https://people.com/celebrity/jennifer-garner-ben-affleck-divorce/|work=People |access-date=April 13, 2017 |date=April 13, 2017 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170413230557/http://people.com/celebrity/jennifer-garner-ben-affleck-divorce/ |archive-date=April 13, 2017}}</ref> They jointly hired a mediator to help them negotiate a financial settlement<ref>{{cite news |last1=La Ferla |first1=Ruth |title=Laura Wasser, She Who Will Cleave the Union of Kim and Kanye |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/04/01/style/laura-wasser-kim-kardashian-divorce.html |access-date=April 1, 2023 |work=The New York Times |date=April 1, 2021}}</ref> and the divorce was finalized in October 2018.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.cosmopolitan.com/entertainment/a23622544/ben-affleck-jennifer-garner-finalize-divorce/|title=Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner Finalize Their Divorce|last=Barbour|first=Shannon|work=[[Cosmopolitan (magazine)|Cosmopolitan]]|date=October 5, 2018|access-date=October 6, 2018}}</ref> In 2020, Affleck described the divorce as "the biggest regret of my life"<ref>{{Cite news |last1=Barnes |first1=Brooks |title=Ben Affleck Tried to Drink Away the Pain. Now He's Trying Honesty. |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/18/movies/ben-affleck.html |access-date=March 13, 2021 |work=The New York Times |date=February 18, 2020}}</ref> and "a painful experience, even if you're on the best possible terms and you agree it's the best choice."<ref>{{Cite news |last1=Murfett |first1=Andrew |title=Divorce 'was very, very painful': Affleck on his breakdown and finding The Way Back |url=https://www.smh.com.au/culture/movies/divorce-was-very-very-painful-affleck-on-his-breakdown-and-finding-the-way-back-20200302-p545z4.html |access-date=March 6, 2020 |work=The Sydney Morning Herald |date=March 5, 2020 |language=en}}</ref>

While Affleck believes paparazzi attention is "part of the deal" of stardom, he has spoken out against photographs taken at his private residence<ref>{{Cite web |last=Duke |first=Alan |date=December 10, 2013 |title=Ben Affleck: Paparazzi scare his kids |url=https://www.cnn.com/2013/12/10/showbiz/ben-affleck-paparazzi-children/index.html |access-date=November 10, 2023 |website=CNN |language=en}}</ref> and paparazzi interest in his children specifically, who he says became the "big money" draw for photographers waiting outside his home.<ref name="content.time.com">{{Cite magazine|last=Stein |first=Joel |url=http://content.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,2126108-4,00.html |title=Ben Affleck Directs One of the Year's Best Films |magazine=Time |date=October 15, 2012 |access-date=June 29, 2014 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140530064525/http://content.time.com/time/magazine/article/0%2C9171%2C2126108-4%2C00.html |archive-date=May 30, 2014}}</ref> In 2013, Affleck and Garner hosted an event for lawmakers at their home in support of a bill that would protect celebrities' children from harassment by photographers; their six-year-old daughter made a speech about her personal experiences.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Jennifer Garner reveals how her children were negatively impacted by her fame in rare interview |url=https://www.hellomagazine.com/celebrities/2019051372978/jennifer-garner-reveals-children-impacted-by-her-fame/ |access-date=April 2, 2020 |work=HELLO! |date=May 13, 2019 |language=en}}</ref> Garner also testified before the California Assembly Judiciary Committee in support of the bill,<ref>{{Cite news |last=Child |first=Ben |title=Jennifer Garner joins Halle Berry's fight for new anti-paparazzi law in California |url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2013/aug/15/jennifer-garner-halle-berry-paparazzi-law |newspaper=[[The Guardian]] |access-date=January 24, 2013 |date=August 15, 2013}}</ref> which later became law. Despite the legislation, photographers still regularly waited outside their children's school and police assistance was sometimes required.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Inside Jennifer Garner's Whole New World |url=https://www.eonline.com/news/1032760/instagram-fame-a-return-to-tv-and-a-thriving-romance-inside-jennifer-garner-s-whole-new-world |access-date=April 1, 2020 |work=E! Online |date=2020}}</ref> In 2014, Affleck argued in favor of United Kingdom-style legislation that requires media outlets to blur children's faces in published photos.<ref name="kinja1" /> He has said there are "real practical dangers" involved in paparazzi attention, citing Garner's longtime stalker, Steven Burky,<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/7741505.stm |title=Garner 'feared for family safety' |website=BBC News |date=November 21, 2008 |access-date=April 3, 2017}}</ref> who was arrested in December 2009 while trying to blend in with paparazzi outside their daughter's preschool.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/8596274.stm |title=Jennifer Garner 'stalker' sent to mental hospital |website=BBC News |access-date=February 12, 2017 |date=March 31, 2010}}</ref> Burky was charged with two counts of stalking, to which he pleaded [[Insanity defense|not guilty by reason of insanity]]. In March 2010, he was ruled insane, sent to California's state mental hospital, and ordered to stay away from the Affleck-Garner family for 10 years if released.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.nbcwashington.com/entertainment/celebrity/NATL-Judge-Finds-Accused-Ben-Affleck-Stalker-Insane-89554822.html |title=Judge Finds Accused Ben Affleck, Jennifer Garner Stalker Insane |first=Caitlin |last=Millat |website=[[WRC-TV]]/NBC4 |location=Washington, D.C. |date=March 30, 2010}}</ref>

===Relationship with Jennifer Lopez===
Affleck first dated [[Jennifer Lopez]] from 2002 to 2004. They became friends on the set of ''[[Gigli]]'' in December 2001,<ref name="hollywoodending">{{Cite magazine |last1=Dunn |first1=Jancee |date=April 1, 2004 |title=Ben Affleck's Hollywood Ending |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/movies/movie-news/ben-afflecks-hollywood-ending-200904/ |magazine=[[Rolling Stone]] |access-date=May 12, 2021}}</ref> having previously encountered each other at industry parties.<ref>{{Cite web |title=At home with Ben and Jen |date=July 18, 2003 |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna3079881 |access-date=September 4, 2021 |website=[[NBC News]] |language=en}}</ref> They began a romantic relationship in July 2002 when Lopez filed for divorce from her second husband, [[Cris Judd]]. Their relationship was extensively publicized,<ref>{{Cite news |date=May 12, 2021 |title=Why is Bennifer 2.0 so exciting? Because last time, we screwed it up |work=[[Los Angeles Times]] |first=Meredith |last=Blake |url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/story/2021-05-12/jennifer-lopez-ben-affleck-reunion-bennifer-2-0 |access-date=May 13, 2021}}</ref> with tabloids referring to the couple as [[Bennifer]], the first celebrity portmanteau of its kind.<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Robinson |first=Lisa |date=August 4, 2011 |title=Jenny Back on the Block |url=https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2011/09/jennifer-lopez-201109 |url-status=live |magazine=[[Vanity Fair (magazine)|Vanity Fair]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160714073057/http://www.vanityfair.com/news/2011/09/jennifer-lopez-201109 |archive-date=July 14, 2016 |access-date=April 14, 2017}}</ref> They appeared together in the music video for her song "[[Jenny from the Block]]" and the film ''[[Jersey Girl (2004 film)|Jersey Girl]]''.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Goldstein |first=Patrick |date=October 14, 2007 |title=Ben Affleck's Roller Coaster Takes a New Turn |work=[[Los Angeles Times]] |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2007-oct-14-ca-affleck14-story.html |url-status=live |access-date=March 17, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402211123/http://articles.latimes.com/2007/oct/14/entertainment/ca-affleck14 |archive-date=April 2, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last1=Dam |first1=Julie |date=November 18, 2002 |title=Jewels of Engagement |work=[[People (magazine)|People]] |url=http://www.people.com/people/archive/article/0,,20138503,00.html |url-status=live |access-date=April 14, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304101212/http://www.people.com/people/archive/article/0%2C%2C20138503%2C00.html |archive-date=March 4, 2016}}</ref> Lopez's album ''[[This Is Me... Then]]'' was dedicated to and inspired by Affleck. They became engaged in November 2002<ref>{{Cite news |last1=Silverman |first1=Stephen |date=November 11, 2002 |title=Ben's Proposal 'Beautiful, Says Lopez |work=[[People (magazine)|People]] |url=http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,624998,00.html |url-status=dead |access-date=April 14, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304001222/http://www.people.com/people/article/0%2C%2C624998%2C00.html |archive-date=March 4, 2016}}</ref> but their planned wedding on September 14, 2003, was postponed with four days' notice because of "excessive media attention".<ref>{{Cite news |last1=Armstrong |first1=Mark |date=September 10, 2003 |title=Lopez, Affleck Postpone Weekend Wedding |work=[[People (magazine)|People]] |url=http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,624672,00.html |url-status=dead |access-date=April 14, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304072338/http://www.people.com/people/article/0%2C%2C624672%2C00.html |archive-date=March 4, 2016}}</ref> They called off the engagement in January 2004.<ref>{{Cite news |last1=Dagostino |first1=Mark |date=March 9, 2004 |title=Affleck on 'Good Terms' with Lopez |work=[[People (magazine)|People]] |url=http://people.com/celebrity/affleck-on-good-terms-with-lopez/ |url-status=live |access-date=April 14, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170415104106/http://people.com/celebrity/affleck-on-good-terms-with-lopez/ |archive-date=April 15, 2017}}</ref>

Affleck and Lopez remained in occasional contact in the years after their breakup and spoke highly of each other in public.{{efn|Attributed to multiple sources.<ref>{{Cite news |last1=Galloway |first1=Stephen |date=October 10, 2012 |title=THR Cover: Confessions of Ben Affleck |work=[[The Hollywood Reporter]] |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/ben-affleck-thr-cover-argo-oscar-377611/ |access-date=May 20, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=July 4, 2010 |title=Jennifer Lopez In 'Marie Claire UK': Talks Her Diet, Exes Affleck & Diddy |work=[[Huffington Post]] |url=https://www.huffpost.com/entry/jennifer-lopez-in-marie-c_n_563212 |access-date=May 16, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=January 16, 2013 |title=Jennifer Lopez thrilled with Ben Affleck's Argo success |work=[[Hollywood.com]] |url=https://www.hollywood.com/general/jennifer-lopez-thrilled-with-ben-affleck-s-argo-success-59571717/ |access-date=May 15, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Duboff |first=Josh |date=February 25, 2015 |title=What Did Ben Affleck Whisper in Jennifer Lopez's Ear at the Oscars? |url=https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2015/02/ben-affleck-jennifer-lopez-oscars-whisper |magazine=[[Vanity Fair (magazine)|Vanity Fair]] |access-date=May 31, 2022}}</ref><ref>{{Cite tweet|number=1230538092865474561|user=brooksbarnesNYT|title=On past flame Jennifer Lopez ... "She should have been nominated. She's the real thing. I keep in touch periodically with her and have a lot of respect for her. How awesome is it that she had her biggest hit movie at 50? That's fucking baller."|date=February 20, 2020|access-date=November 2, 2021|language=en|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211029012251/https://twitter.com/brooksbarnesnyt/status/1230538092865474561|archive-date=October 29, 2021|url-status=live|last=Barnes|first=Brooks}}</ref>}} According to Lopez, Affleck's discomfort with the media scrutiny was one reason for their split<ref>VH1 Behind the Music, 2010</ref> and, years later, she described it as her "first real heartbreak": "I think different time, different thing, who knows what could've happened but there was a genuine love there."<ref>{{Cite web |date=March 25, 2016 |title=Jennifer Lopez Reflects on Relationship with Ben Affleck |url=http://extratv.com/2016/03/25/jennifer-lopez-reflects-on-relationship-with-ben-affleck/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161221165617/http://extratv.com/2016/03/25/jennifer-lopez-reflects-on-relationship-with-ben-affleck/ |archive-date=December 21, 2016 |access-date=April 14, 2017 |publisher=Extra TV}}</ref>
Both during the relationship<ref>{{Cite news |last1=Bennetts |first1=Leslie |title=BEN'S OPEN ROAD |work=Vanity Fair {{!}} The Complete Archive |url=https://archive.vanityfair.com/article/2003/3/bens-open-road |access-date=August 26, 2021}}</ref> and in the months after the breakup, Affleck characterized some of the media commentary as rooted in racism, [[classism]], and [[sexism]]: "We were thought of as two different kinds of people."<ref name="hollywoodending" /><ref>{{Cite web |last=Adekaiyero |first=Ayomikun |date=April 14, 2022 |title=Ben Affleck once asked Jennifer Lopez if media criticism bothered her but the star said she 'expected this' |url=https://www.insider.com/ben-affleck-jennifer-lopez-media-criticism-expected-halftime-documentary-2022-6 |access-date=June 15, 2022 |work=Insider}}</ref> In subsequent years, he pushed back against the "curious notion" that he should view the relationship as a mistake, and reflected on the prevailing tabloid culture at the time.<ref>{{Cite magazine |last1=Woods |first1=Sean |date=October 12, 2012 |title=Q&A: Ben Affleck on Directing 'Argo' and Surviving Hollywood |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/movies/movie-news/qa-ben-affleck-on-directing-argo-and-surviving-hollywood-201472/ |magazine=[[Rolling Stone]] |access-date=May 16, 2021}}</ref> Affleck acknowledged that "there were ways I did contribute to it",<ref>{{Cite news |last1=Heath |first1=Chris |title=Ben Affleck – GQ's Filmmaker of 2012 |work=[[GQ]] |url=https://www.gq.com/story/ben-affleck-cover-story-gq-men-of-the-year-2012 |access-date=May 16, 2021}}</ref> citing the "Jenny from the Block" music video and a joint promotional interview for ''Gigli''.<ref>{{Cite news |last1=Synnot |first1=Siobhan |date=May 11, 2008 |title=Why I regret rubbing suntan lotion on Jennifer Lopez's bottom, by Ben Affleck |language=en |work=Daily Record |url=https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/entertainment/celebrity/regret-rubbing-suntan-lotion-jennifer-976985 |access-date=May 16, 2021}}</ref> He said neither of them "anticipated" the degree of attention they would receive: "I think Jen and I made a mistake in that we fell in love, we were excited and maybe too accessible."<ref>{{Cite news |date=October 28, 2008 |title=Affleck opens up about Lopez split |language=en |work=Irish Examiner |url=https://www.irishexaminer.com/lifestyle/arid-30383725.html |access-date=May 17, 2021}}</ref>

Affleck and Lopez began dating again in April 2021, 20 years after they had first met.<ref>{{Cite news |first=Karen |last=Mizoguchi |title=Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck 'Spent Several Days' Together in Montana, Source Says |language=en |work=People |url=https://people.com/movies/jennifer-lopez-ben-affleck-spent-several-days-together-in-montana-source/ |access-date=October 18, 2021}}</ref> They announced their second engagement in April 2022<ref>{{Cite web |last=VanHoose |first=Benjamin |date=April 12, 2022 |title=Jennifer Lopez Details Ben Affleck's 'Bubble Bath' Proposal: 'Tears Were Coming Down My Face' |url=https://people.com/movies/jennifer-lopez-details-ben-affleck-proposal |access-date=June 1, 2022 |work=People}}</ref> and were married in a Las Vegas ceremony on July 16, 2022,<ref>{{Cite news |last=Garcia |first=Thania |date=July 17, 2022 |title=Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck Get Married in Las Vegas |magazine=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] |url=https://variety.com/2022/music/news/jennifer-lopez-ben-affleck-married-1235318479/ |access-date=July 17, 2022}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=VanHoose |first=Benjamin |date=September 13, 2022 |title=Ben Affleck Wrote a '12-Page Speech' for Vows to Jennifer Lopez, Kevin Smith Says: 'Very Inspiring' |url=https://people.com/movies/ben-affleck-wrote-lengthy-wedding-speech-for-jennifer-lopez/ |access-date=September 13, 2022 |website=People}}</ref> hosting a larger celebration for family and friends at Affleck's Georgia house later that summer.<ref>{{cite news |first=Jen |last=Juneau |title=Jennifer Lopez Reveals New Photos from Georgia Wedding with Ben Affleck: 'This Is Heaven' |url=https://people.com/movies/jennifer-lopez-reveals-photos-from-georgia-wedding-ben-affleck/ |date=September 1, 2022 |access-date=April 1, 2023 |work=[[People (magazine)|People]] |language=en}}</ref> The couple separated in April 2024, with Lopez filing for divorce in August of that year.<ref>{{Cite news |last1=Earl |first1=William |last2=Longeretta |first2=Emily |date=August 20, 2024 |title=Jennifer Lopez Files for Divorce From Ben Affleck |url=https://variety.com/2024/film/news/jennifer-lopez-ben-affleck-divorce-1236020852/ |access-date=August 20, 2024 |work=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240820230934/https://variety.com/2024/film/news/jennifer-lopez-ben-affleck-divorce-1236020852/ |archive-date=August 20, 2024 |language=en}}</ref> The divorce was finalized in February 2025.<ref>{{cite web |title=Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck are officially divorced and single |url=https://apnews.com/article/jennifer-lopez-ben-affleck-divorce-jlo-a04b57db61bf7d57ad69aca4b0ecca07 |website=[[Associated Press|AP]] |access-date=22 February 2025 |location=[[Los Angeles]] |date=21 February 2025}}</ref> Affleck later said there was "no scandal, no soap opera, no intrigue" involved in their divorce.<ref>{{cite web |title=Ben Affleck breaks silence on his divorce from Jennifer Lopez |url=https://www.today.com/popculture/ben-affleck-jennifer-lopez-divorce-gq-interview-rcna197971 |website=TODAY.com |language=en |date=25 March 2025}}</ref>

===Other relationships===
Affleck was in a relationship with Cheyenne Rothman from 1990 to 1997.<ref>{{cite web|last=Gurley|first=Alex|url=https://people.com/ben-affleck-dating-history-7502924|title=Ben Affleck's Dating History: From Jennifer Garner to Jennifer Lopez|date=August 21, 2024|access-date=October 3, 2025|website=People|language=En-US}}</ref> Affleck began dating actress [[Gwyneth Paltrow]] in October 1997 after they met at a [[Miramax]] dinner,<ref name="howardstern">{{Cite web|last1=Donnelly |first1=Matt |title=5 Gwyneth Paltrow Revelations From Howard Stern Interview: 'Iron Man's' Missing Script, Brad Pitt, Ben Affleck Breakups |url=https://www.thewrap.com/gwyneth-paltrow-howard-stern-interview-iron-man-missing-script-brad-pitt-ben-affleck-breakups/ |website=[[TheWrap]] |access-date=April 15, 2017 |date=January 14, 2015 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170416125941/http://www.thewrap.com/gwyneth-paltrow-howard-stern-interview-iron-man-missing-script-brad-pitt-ben-affleck-breakups/ |archive-date=April 16, 2017}}</ref> and they later worked together on ''Shakespeare in Love'' (1998). Although they first broke up in January 1999, months later, Paltrow persuaded Affleck to co-star with her in ''Bounce'' (2000) and they soon resumed their relationship.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Lidz |first=Frank |title=Ben Affleck Shocker: I Bargained With Devil for Fame |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2000/09/10/movies/film-ben-affleck-shocker-i-bargained-with-devil-for-fame.html |work=[[The New York Times]] |access-date=April 15, 2017 |date=September 10, 2000 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170624195717/http://www.nytimes.com/2000/09/10/movies/film-ben-affleck-shocker-i-bargained-with-devil-for-fame.html |archive-date=June 24, 2017}}</ref> They separated again in October 2000.<ref>{{Cite news|title=Gwyneth Talks Sex, Exes |url=https://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/story?id=101970 |work=[[ABC News (United States)|ABC News]] |access-date=April 14, 2017 |date=January 6, 2006 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170620161302/http://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/story?id=101970 |archive-date=June 20, 2017}}</ref> In 2015, Paltrow said they were friends.<ref name="howardstern"/>

Affleck had a long-distance relationship with New York-based television producer [[Lindsay Shookus]] from mid-2017 to mid-2018;<ref>{{Cite news |title=Ben Affleck and Girlfriend Lindsay Shookus Go On Dinner Date Day After Christmas |url=https://people.com/movies/ben-affleck-and-girlfriend-lindsay-shookus-go-on-dinner-date-day-after-christmas/ |access-date=March 16, 2020 |work=[[People (magazine)|People]] |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |title=Why Lindsay Shookus Broke Up with Ben Affleck: 'She Had to Let Him Hit Bottom,' Says Source |url=https://people.com/movies/ben-affleck-lindsay-shookus-inside-split/ |access-date=March 16, 2020 |work=[[People (magazine)|People]] |language=en}}</ref> they briefly dated again in early 2019.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Ben Affleck and Lindsay Shookus Have Split to Spend Time with Their Families: Source |url=https://people.com/movies/ben-affleck-lindsay-shookus-split-again/ |access-date=March 16, 2020 |work=[[People (magazine)|People]] |language=en}}</ref> Shookus served as the head of ''[[Saturday Night Live]]''{{'}}s talent department at the time,<ref>{{Cite news |title=Bill Hader |url=https://www.interviewmagazine.com/film/bill-hader |access-date=April 10, 2020 |work=[[Interview Magazine|Interview]] |date=August 31, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://deadline.com/2022/08/snl-producer-lindsay-shookus-exits-20-years-1235096222/ | title='SNL': Producer & Talent Chief Lindsay Shookus Exits After 20 Years | date=August 19, 2022 }}</ref> a show which Affleck has hosted [[List of Saturday Night Live guests#Five-Timers Club|five times]] since 2000.<ref>{{Cite web|last1=Cappadona |first1=Bryanna |title=Watch Ben Affleck's Top Sketches from 'Saturday Night Live' |url=http://www.bostonmagazine.com/arts-entertainment/blog/2013/05/16/ben-affleck-saturday-night-live/ |work=[[Boston (magazine)|Boston]] |access-date=April 16, 2017 |date=May 16, 2013 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170417080934/http://www.bostonmagazine.com/arts-entertainment/blog/2013/05/16/ben-affleck-saturday-night-live/ |archive-date=April 17, 2017}}</ref> Affleck dated Cuban actress [[Ana de Armas]], whom he met on the set of ''[[Deep Water (2022 film)|Deep Water]]'' in the fall of 2019, from early 2020 to early 2021.<ref>{{Cite magazine|last=Russian|first=Ale|date=January 18, 2021|title=Ben Affleck and Ana de Armas Split, Says Source: 'They Are in Different Points in Their Lives'|url=https://people.com/movies/ben-affleck-and-ana-de-armas-split-source/|magazine=[[People (magazine)|People]]|access-date=January 20, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{Cite magazine|last=Crabtree|first=Erin|date=January 18, 2021|title=Ben Affleck and Ana de Armas Split After Nearly 1 Year Together|magazine=[[US Magazine|US]]|url=https://www.usmagazine.com/celebrity-news/news/ben-affleck-girlfriend-ana-de-armas-split/|access-date=January 20, 2021}}</ref>

===Health===
Affleck has both anxiety and depression,<ref name="people2020">{{Cite news |last=McNeil |first=Liz |date=February 26, 2020 |title=Ben Affleck on Why He Drank: 'It Was Something I Was Doing to Avoid Painful Feelings' |url=https://people.com/movies/ben-affleck-on-why-he-drank-it-was-something-i-was-doing-to-avoid-painful-feelings/ |access-date=February 26, 2020 |work=[[People (magazine)|People]] |language=en}}</ref> and has taken [[antidepressant]]s since age 26.<ref name=ABC>{{Cite news |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hRwcYKZ2YzU | archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211114/hRwcYKZ2YzU| archive-date=November 14, 2021 | url-status=live|title=Ben Affleck shares how he got better and moved on after struggles with alcohol|work=[[ABC News (United States)|ABC News]] |access-date=February 21, 2020}}{{Cbignore}}</ref> He is a recovering alcoholic and follows a [[12-step program]].<ref name=mosaic/> He said he used alcohol to alleviate a constant feeling of "discomfort" and remarked that it "took me a long time to fundamentally, deeply, without a hint of doubt, admit to myself that I am an alcoholic."<ref name=barnesnyt>{{Cite news |last1=Barnes |first1=Brooks |title=Ben Affleck Tried to Drink Away the Pain. Now He's Trying Honesty. |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/18/movies/ben-affleck.html |access-date=February 19, 2020 |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=February 18, 2020}}</ref>

Affleck became sober in his mid-twenties, stating in a 1998 interview that alcohol was "dangerous" for him.<ref>{{Cite web|last1=Mansfield|first1=Stephanie|title=Thank God for Unanswered Prayers|url=http://159.54.226.237/98_issues/980628/980628ben_affleck.html|work=[[USA Weekend]]|access-date=April 30, 2017|date=June 26, 1998|archive-date=July 14, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170714202025/http://159.54.226.237/98_issues/980628/980628ben_affleck.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> He received residential treatment for addiction in 2001 and maintained his sobriety for a "couple of years" afterward.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/1475583.stm |publisher=[[BBC News]] |title=Ben Affleck Enters Rehab |date=August 6, 2001 |access-date=March 31, 2010 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090114172950/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/low/entertainment/1475583.stm |archive-date=January 14, 2009}}</ref><ref>{{Cite magazine|last1=Miller|first1=Julie|title=Ben Affleck Reveals He Recently Completed Treatment for Alcohol Addiction|url=https://www.vanityfair.com/style/2017/03/ben-affleck-rehab-alcohol-addiction|magazine=Vanity Fair|access-date=April 14, 2017|date=March 14, 2017}}</ref> In subsequent years, he refused to discuss his alcoholism in press interviews<ref name="auto"/> and later described it as a period where he "drank relatively normally".<ref name=barnesnyt/> "I thought, 'I want to just drink like a normal person. I want to have wine at dinner.' And I was able to for about eight years."<ref name=ABC/> Affleck gradually began to drink "more and more" and, eventually, was drinking until he "passed out" on a nightly basis.<ref name=ABC/> Garner supported Affleck's struggles with alcoholism during and after their marriage and said in 2020 that attending [[Al-Anon]] meetings empowered her to change "the dance" of their relationship.<ref>{{cite news |title=Jennifer Garner on Mother Growing Up in Poverty, Fame & Marriage |url=https://www.etonline.com/jennifer-garner-on-how-her-mother-grew-up-in-poverty-fame-and-being-married-in-hollywood-155087 |access-date=November 22, 2020 |work=[[Entertainment Tonight]]}}</ref> Affleck received residential treatment in 2017<ref name="GMA">{{Cite news|title=Ben Affleck Confirms 'Treatment for Alcohol Addiction' |url=https://abcnews.go.com/GMA/video/ben-affleck-confirms-treatment-alcohol-addiction-46140149 |access-date=March 18, 2017 |work=[[ABC News (United States)|ABC News]] |quote=A source close to Affleck confirms he physically went to rehab, not an outpatient program. |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170317164617/http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/video/ben-affleck-confirms-treatment-alcohol-addiction-46140149 |archive-date=March 17, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=http://people.com/celebrity/ben-affleck-treatment-alcohol-addiction/ |first=Jodi |last=Guglielmi |title=Ben Affleck Reveals He Completed Rehab for Alcohol Addiction |date=March 14, 2017 |access-date=April 14, 2017 |work=[[People (magazine)|People]] |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170414001831/http://people.com/celebrity/ben-affleck-treatment-alcohol-addiction/ |archive-date=April 14, 2017 }}</ref> and, following a publicly documented relapse and intervention, again in 2018.<ref>{{Cite news |last1=Weaver |first1=Hilary |title=Jennifer Garner Has Reportedly Helped Ben Affleck Return to Rehab |url=https://www.vanityfair.com/style/2018/08/jennifer-garner-helps-ben-affleck-return-to-rehab |access-date=November 3, 2018 |work=[[Vanity Fair (magazine)|Vanity Fair]]|language=en}}</ref> He completed further outpatient treatment over the following year.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Samhan |first1=Jamie |title=Ben Affleck Praises The Man Who Helped Him Through Alcoholism During Legal Issues |url=https://etcanada.com/news/469686/ben-affleck-praises-the-man-who-helped-him-through-alcoholism-during-legal-issues/ |access-date=April 2, 2023 |work=ET Canada |date=June 28, 2019 |archive-date=April 2, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230402062241/https://etcanada.com/news/469686/ben-affleck-praises-the-man-who-helped-him-through-alcoholism-during-legal-issues/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> In late 2019, [[TMZ]] filmed him stumbling on a Los Angeles street; he acknowledged the following day that he had a brief "slip" after over a year of sobriety.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://people.com/movies/ben-affleck-didnt-try-to-make-any-excuses-for-Halloween-party-relapse-source/|title=Ben Affleck 'Didn't Try to Make Any Excuses' for Halloween Party Relapse: Source|date=October 29, 2019|website=[[People (magazine)|People]]|language=en|access-date=November 14, 2019}}</ref> He later described the incident as "embarrassing": "I wish it didn't happen. I really wish it wasn't on the internet for my kids to see."<ref name=barnesnyt/>

During press for ''The Way Back'' (2020), in which he plays an alcoholic, Affleck stressed that he felt "vulnerable" when talking about his addiction<ref>{{Cite news |last1=Harvilla |first1=Rob |title=The Real-Life Parallels Are Dominating Ben Affleck's 'Way Back' Press Tour |url=https://www.theringer.com/movies/2020/3/5/21164714/ben-affleck-way-back-press-tour-divorce-alcoholism |access-date=December 6, 2020 |work=[[The Ringer (website)|The Ringer]] |date=March 5, 2020 |language=en}}</ref> and did not intend to "go on talking about this issue forever": "I think the value, if there is value in me talking about being a recovering alcoholic, is that that doesn't have to be who you are. That doesn't have to be the label on your head."<ref>{{Cite news |title=Ben Affleck covers everything from sobriety to 'Good Will Hunting' in this SXM interview |url=https://blog.siriusxm.com/ben-affleck-covers-everything-from-sobriety-to-good-will-hunting-in-this-sxm-interview/ |access-date=December 6, 2020 |work=Hear & Now |date=March 4, 2020}}</ref> In 2023, he said he often advises fellow actors to avoid speaking publicly about their addiction issues where possible: "You don't need to be anybody's poster child."<ref name=keegan/>

===Gambling===
[[File:Ben Affleck 2008.jpg|alt=Ben Affleck holds chips while sitting at a poker table|upright|thumb|right|Affleck at the [[2008 World Series of Poker]] in [[Las Vegas, Nevada]]]]
Affleck won the 2004 California State Poker Championship, taking home the first prize of $356,400 and qualifying for the 2004 [[World Poker Tour]] final tournament.<ref>{{Cite news |first=Rene |last=Macura |url=https://www.usatoday.com/life/people/2004-06-22-affleck-poker_x.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081017094636/http://www.usatoday.com/life/people/2004-06-22-affleck-poker_x.htm |archive-date=October 17, 2008 |title=Ben Affleck Wins $356,400 at Poker |access-date=June 10, 2008 |date=June 22, 2004 |work=USA Today}}</ref> He was one of many celebrities, along with [[Leonardo DiCaprio]] and [[Tobey Maguire]], who took part in [[Molly Bloom (author)|Molly Bloom]]'s high-stakes poker games in the mid-2000s.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/jessica-chastain-aaron-sorkins-mollys-game-molly-bloom-sexual-misconduct-claims-michael-cera-player-1070323|title='Molly's Game' Team Talks Making Timely Tale of Female Empowerment|first=Hilary|last=Lewi|website=[[The Hollywood Reporter]]|date=December 25, 2017|access-date=December 29, 2017|url-status=live|archive-url=http://archive.wikiwix.com/cache/20171229235605/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/jessica-chastain-aaron-sorkins-mollys-game-molly-bloom-sexual-misconduct-claims-michael-cera-player-1070323|archive-date=December 29, 2017}}</ref> Affleck has repeatedly denied tabloid reports of a gambling addiction.<ref>{{Cite magazine|last1=Dunn |first1=Jancee |title=Ben Affleck's Hollywood Ending |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/movies/news/ben-afflecks-hollywood-ending-20040401?page=3 |magazine=Rolling Stone |access-date=April 15, 2017 |date=April 1, 2004 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170114180828/http://www.rollingstone.com/movies/news/ben-afflecks-hollywood-ending-20040401?page=3 |archive-date=January 14, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|last1=Robbins |first1=Stephanie |title=Ben Affleck Discusses Gambling Rumors in Details |url=http://people.com/celebrity/ben-affleck-discusses-gambling-rumors-in-details/ |work=People |access-date=April 16, 2017 |date=September 18, 2014 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170415075531/http://people.com/celebrity/ben-affleck-discusses-gambling-rumors-in-details/ |archive-date=April 15, 2017}}</ref>

===Religious beliefs===
Affleck came from an [[Episcopal Church (United States)|Episcopalian]] family,<ref name=dyny>{{Cite news|last=McGee |first=Celia |url=http://www.nydailynews.com/archives/nydn-features/wild-jen-ben-opens-celia-mcgee-article-1.527155 |title=Wild about Jen; Ben Opens Up to our Celia McGee |work=Daily News |location=New York |date=December 18, 2003 |access-date=September 13, 2010 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140915141237/http://www.nydailynews.com/archives/nydn-features/wild-jen-ben-opens-celia-mcgee-article-1.527155 |archive-date=September 15, 2014}}</ref><ref name="auto" /> but was not raised in a religious household.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pos8Z7Zwbd4&t=114s| archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211114/pos8Z7Zwbd4| archive-date=November 14, 2021 | url-status=live|title=Ben Affleck on his supportive friends in Hollywood, sobriety and new movie|work=ABC News |access-date=February 23, 2020}}{{Cbignore}}</ref> In 2008, he listed the [[Gospel of Matthew]] as one of the books that made a difference in his life.<ref>{{Cite web|last1=Affleck |first1=Ben |title=Books That Made a Difference to Ben Affleck |url=http://www.oprah.com/omagazine/Ben-Afflecks-Books-That-Made-a-Difference |website=[[O, The Oprah Magazine]] |access-date=April 15, 2017 |date=August 2008 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170622054620/http://www.oprah.com/omagazine/Ben-Afflecks-Books-That-Made-a-Difference |archive-date=June 22, 2017 }}</ref> As infants, each of his three children were baptized as members of the [[United Methodist Church]]<ref>{{Cite web|last=Thompson|first=Bob|url=https://nationalpost.com/entertainment/movies/miracles-from-heavens-jennifer-garner-on-her-emotional-role-in-miracles-from-heaven-and-keeping-it-professional|title=Jennifer Garner on her Latest Emotional Role and Keeping It Professional as a Mom, On and Offscreen|work=[[National Post]]|date=March 8, 2016|access-date=April 15, 2017}}</ref> and, from 2015 to 2020, Affleck, Garner and their children were regularly photographed at Methodist church services in Los Angeles.<ref>{{cite web | last=Hamby| first=Dewayne | title=Ben Affleck on Being a Christian and the Need For Redemption | website=Beliefnet | date=2020-02-27 | url=https://www.beliefnet.com/entertainment/movies/ben-affleck-on-being-a-christian-and-the-need-for-redemption.aspx | access-date=2025-06-22}}</ref>

Affleck is agnostic<ref name="auto" /> and has described faith as a "struggle": "But the [[twelve-step program]] is faith-based ... Faith has served me well in recovery as an alcoholic."<ref name=mosaic/> He identifies more with the teachings of [[Buddhism]]: "I have a difficult time with the theistic aspects of [[Alcoholics Anonymous|AA]] ... One of the things I like about Buddhism is it's like, believe what you believe."<ref>{{cite news |last1=Keegan |first1=Rebecca |title=Ben Affleck on 'Air,' New CEO Gig and Those Memes: "I Am Who I Am" |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/feature/ben-affleck-air-production-company-grammys-memes-justice-league-1235353301/ |access-date=April 1, 2023 |work=The Hollywood Reporter |date=March 16, 2023}}</ref>

===Ancestry===
Affleck's ancestry is English, Welsh, Scottish and German, along with some Irish.<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=hJJVBgAAQBAJ&pg=PP4 |title=The Amazing Life of Ben Affleck |first=Matt |last=Green |via=[[Google Books]] |date=June 16, 2017 |access-date=January 10, 2018}}</ref>

Affleck appeared on the PBS genealogy series ''[[Finding Your Roots]]'' in 2014. When told that an ancestor had been a [[slavery in the United States|slave owner]] in Georgia, Affleck responded: "God. It gives me kind of a sagging feeling to see a biological relationship to that. But, you know, there it is, part of our history ... We tend to separate ourselves from these things by going like, 'It's just dry history, and it's all over now'."<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/arts-and-entertainment/wp/2015/04/23/ben-afflecks-deleted-finding-your-roots-segment-shows-his-savannah-ancestor-owned-25-slaves/ |title=Ben Affleck's Deleted ''Finding Your Roots'' Segment Shows his Savannah Ancestor Owned 25 Slaves |first=Soraya |last=McDonald |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |date=April 23, 2015 |access-date=July 20, 2017 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170808200203/https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/arts-and-entertainment/wp/2015/04/23/ben-afflecks-deleted-finding-your-roots-segment-shows-his-savannah-ancestor-owned-25-slaves/ |archive-date=August 8, 2017}}</ref> Leaked emails from the [[Sony Pictures Entertainment hack|2015 Sony email hacking scandal]] showed that, after filming, Affleck felt uncomfortable about the segment, which was not included in the final broadcast.<ref name="bbc.co.uk">{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/newsbeat-32431219 |title=Ben Affleck Reveals the Name of his Slave-Owning Ancestor |work=[[Newsbeat]] |publisher=[[BBC News]] |date=April 23, 2015 |access-date=April 15, 2017 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150426042948/http://www.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/article/32431219/ben-affleck-reveals-the-name-of-his-slave-owning-ancestor |archive-date=April 26, 2015}}</ref> The show's host, professor [[Henry Louis Gates Jr.]], stated: "We focused on what we felt were the most interesting aspects of his ancestry."<ref name="bbc.co.uk" /> An internal investigation by PBS concluded that Affleck had exerted "improper influence" over the editorial process and that the producers of the show, including Gates, had violated PBS standards by improperly withholding information. The show was temporarily postponed, resuming after a fact-checker and an "independent genealogist" were added to the show's staff. Affleck's episode was removed from the show's online archive.<ref>{{Cite web |last1=Koblin |first1=John |title=A PBS Show, a Frustrated Ben Affleck, and a Loss of Face |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/26/business/media/a-pbs-show-a-frustrated-ben-affleck-and-a-loss-of-face.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150626152629/http://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/26/business/media/a-pbs-show-a-frustrated-ben-affleck-and-a-loss-of-face.html |archive-date=June 26, 2015 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |website=The New York Times |access-date=February 28, 2022 |date=June 25, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last1=Guthrie |first1=Marissa |title=PBS' 'Finding Your Roots' Returns After Ben Affleck Scandal: "Hard Conversations," More Rigorous Process |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/pbs-finding-your-roots-returns-832976/ |website=The Hollywood Reporter |access-date=February 28, 2022 |date=October 19, 2015}}</ref>

===MeToo allegations===
During the [[MeToo movement]] in 2017, Affleck was accused by two women of inappropriate behavior. Actress [[Hilarie Burton]] stated that, during an on-air appearance on ''TRL Uncensored'' in 2003, Affleck "wraps his arm around me, and comes over and tweaks my left boob". Affleck responded on Twitter: "I acted inappropriately toward Ms. Burton and I sincerely apologize."<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/gossip/ben-affleck-apologizes-hilarie-burton-grope-accusation-article-1.3555972|title=Ben Affleck apologizes to Hilarie Burton after being accused of grabbing her breast|last=Sblendorio|first=Peter|date=October 11, 2017|work=[[Daily News (New York)|Daily News]]|location=New York|access-date=November 21, 2017|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171201081041/http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/gossip/ben-affleck-apologizes-hilarie-burton-grope-accusation-article-1.3555972|archive-date=December 1, 2017}}</ref> [[Annamarie Tendler]], a makeup artist, said that Affleck "grabbed my ass at a Golden Globes party in 2014 ... He tried to play it like he was politely moving me out of the way."<ref>{{Cite news |last1=Cohen |first1=Jess |title=Annamarie Tendler Accuses Ben Affleck of More Past Misconduct |url=https://www.eonline.com/news/886352/ben-affleck-apologizes-to-hilarie-burton-for-trl-interview-misconduct-i-acted-inappropriately |access-date=August 3, 2019 |work=[[E! Online]] |date=2017}}</ref>

In response to the [[Harvey Weinstein sexual abuse allegations|allegations of sexual assault]] against [[Harvey Weinstein]], Affleck pledged to donate any future profits from his early Miramax films to charities supporting victims of [[sexual assault]],<ref>{{Cite news |last1=Fernandez |first1=Matt |title=Ben Affleck Says He'll Donate Residuals From Weinstein, Miramax Films to Charity |url=https://variety.com/2017/film/news/ben-affleck-weinstein-miramax-charity-1202608188/ |access-date=August 3, 2019 |work=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] |date=November 6, 2017 |language=en}}</ref> and said he had only been aware that Weinstein "was sleazy and a bully".<ref>{{Cite news |last1=Nobil |first1=Taryn |title=Ben Affleck on Harvey Weinstein: 'I Knew He Was Sleazy' |url=https://variety.com/2017/film/news/ben-affleck-harvey-weinstein-sleazy-groping-allegation-1202617520/ |access-date=March 5, 2020 |work=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] |date=November 17, 2017 |language=en}}</ref> In a tweet, actress [[Rose McGowan]] responded: "You lie."<ref>{{Cite news |last1=Livsey |first1=Anna |title=Rose McGowan suspended from Twitter after Ben Affleck tweets |url=https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2017/oct/12/rose-mcgowan-twitter-suspended-ben-affleck-harvey-weinstein#maincontent |access-date=March 5, 2020 |work=[[The Guardian]] |date=October 12, 2017}}</ref> She said she met Affleck after being sexually assaulted by Weinstein during the [[Sundance Film Festival]] in 1997 and told him, while crying, that she had "just come from Harvey's and he said, 'Goddamnit, I told him to stop doing that.{{'"}}<ref name=farrow>{{Cite tweet|first=Ronan|last=Farrow|authorlink=Ronan Farrow|user=RonanFarrow|number=1235284459349561344 |title="I was crying...and I was like, 'I just came from Harvey's,' and he's like, 'God damn it. I told him to stop doing that.'" @rosemcgowan on seeing Ben Affleck after she says Weinstein assaulted her|access-date=March 5, 2020}}</ref> In a leaked email regarding McGowan's case, Affleck stated: "I never saw Rose at any hotel in Sundance. She never told me nor did I ever infer that she was attacked by anyone."<ref>{{Cite news |title=McGowan takes a shot at Affleck for being silent on Weinstein |work=[[Canoe (website)|Canoe]] |url=https://canoe.com/entertainment/celebrity/rose-mcgowan-takes-a-shot-at-ben-affleck-for-being-silent-on-harvey-weinsteins-abuses |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200312152158/https://canoe.com/entertainment/celebrity/rose-mcgowan-takes-a-shot-at-ben-affleck-for-being-silent-on-harvey-weinsteins-abuses |url-status=dead |archive-date=March 12, 2020 |date=March 11, 2020 |language=en-CA}}</ref> In a 2019 interview, Affleck said: "I don't really want to get into other people's individual stories because I feel like those are their stories and they're entitled to tell as much or as little of those as they want. I believe Rose. I support her. I really like and admire her tenacity and I wish her the best."<ref>{{Cite news |last1=Lewis |first1=Hilary |title=Ben Affleck Responds to Rose McGowan Harvey Weinstein Accusations |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/ben-affleck-responds-rose-mcgowan-harvey-weinstein-accusations-1059391/ |access-date=March 9, 2022 |work=[[The Hollywood Reporter]] |date=November 17, 2017}}</ref> In 2020, McGowan clarified her comments: "It's not like I'm raging at Ben Affleck. I never said to him, 'I was just raped.' It's just more to illustrate the point of this continual thing of everybody knowing and everybody being part of it, unwittingly or proactively."<ref name=farrow/>

==Filmography and awards==
{{Main|Ben Affleck filmography|List of awards and nominations received by Ben Affleck}}
Affleck has appeared in more than 50 films and won many accolades throughout his career as an actor, writer, and director. He first gained recognition as a writer when he won the [[Golden Globe Award for Best Screenplay|Golden Globe]] and the [[Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay]] for ''Good Will Hunting'' (1997), which he co-wrote with Matt Damon;<ref name="latimes1">{{Cite news|url=http://goldderby.latimes.com/awards_goldderby/2010/09/the-town-ben-affleck-oscars-academy-awards-news.html|work=Los Angeles Times|title=Ben Affleck: Welcome Back to Oscar town | date=September 21, 2010| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20100925215303/http://goldderby.latimes.com/awards_goldderby/2010/09/the-town-ben-affleck-oscars-academy-awards-news.html| archive-date=September 25, 2010|access-date=April 15, 2017}}</ref> Affleck remains the youngest person ever to win a Best Original Screenplay Oscar, at 25 years old.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Rosen |first=Christopher |date=February 22, 2013 |title=Ben Affleck First Oscars: 'Argo' Star Won Best Original Screenplay For 'Good Will Hunting' At 1998 Academy Awards |url=https://www.huffpost.com/entry/ben-affleck-first-oscars_n_2736461 |access-date=August 15, 2022 |website=Huffpost}}</ref> As an actor, he received [[Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture|Golden Globe]] nominations for his performances in ''Hollywoodland'' (2006) and ''The Tender Bar'' (2021). The film ''Argo'' (2012), which he directed, co-produced, and starred in, won him the [[Golden Globe Award for Best Director - Motion Picture|Golden Globe Award]], [[BAFTA Award for Best Direction|BAFTA]], and [[Directors Guild of America Award for Outstanding Directing – Feature Film|Directors Guild Award]] for Best Director, as well as the [[Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture - Drama|Golden Globe Award]], [[BAFTA Award for Best Film|BAFTA]], the [[Producers Guild of America Award for Best Theatrical Motion Picture|Producers Guild Award]], and the [[Academy Award for Best Picture]].<ref name=argo />

==Notes==
{{Notelist}}

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Sister project links |collapsible=true|wikt=no |commons=Category:Ben Affleck |b=no |n=no |q=Ben Affleck |s=no |v=no |species=no |display=Ben Affleck|d=Q483118}}
* {{IMDb name}}
* {{C-SPAN|9276540}}

{{Ben Affleck}}
{{Navboxes
|title = [[List of awards and nominations received by Ben Affleck|Awards for Ben Affleck]]
|list =
{{Academy Award Best Picture Producers}}
{{Academy Award Best Original Screenplay}}
{{BAFTA Best Film recipients}}
{{BAFTA Award for Best Direction}}
{{Broadcast Film Critics Association Award for Best Director}}
{{Broadcast Film Critics Association Award for Best Screenplay}}
{{DirectorsGuildofAmericaAwardFeatureFilm}}
{{Florida Film Critics Circle Award for Best Director}}
{{Golden Globe Award for Best Director}}
{{Golden Globe Award Best Screenplay}}
{{Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Actor}}
{{Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Screen Combo}}
{{Houston Film Critics Society Award for Best Director}}
{{Maltin Modern Master Award}}
{{National Board of Review Award for Best Directorial Debut}}
{{Razzie Redeemer Award}}
{{San Diego Film Critics Society Award for Best Director}}
{{Satellite Award Best Original Screenplay}}
{{Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actor}}
{{St. Louis Gateway Film Critics Association Award for Best Director}}
{{Valentine Davies Award}}
{{Volpi Cup for Best Actor}}
}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Affleck, Ben}}
[[Category:Ben Affleck| ]]
[[Category:1972 births]]
[[Category:20th-century American male actors]]
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[[Category:Cambridge Rindge and Latin School alumni]]
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[[Category:Male actors from Cambridge, Massachusetts]]
[[Category:Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture Screen Actors Guild Award winners]]
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