27 Facts About Ben Affleck

3rd March 2016

By Dustin Clendenen.

Ben Affleck’s path to becoming a household name and A-list actor hasn’t followed the usual formula. Affleck’s career started strong with the indie-hit “Good Will Hunting,” for which he won the Academy Award for best screenplay with his best friend and fellow tinseltown elite, Matt Damon. The win elevated his profile and led to bigger onscreen roles. Two decades and dozens of high-profile credits later, Affleck is suiting up as Batman in the Warner Bros.-DC blockbuster “Batman V. Superman: Dawn of Justice,” premiering March 25, 2016. He’s one of only a handful of actors to don the famed black cape on film.

From his reputation as one of People’s Sexiest Men Alive to his Oscar-winning work behind the camera, PrettyFamous identified 27 facts that showcase the wide range of Affleck’s background, endeavors and accomplishments. We put them in numerical order from smallest to largest to count up the facts and figures that define the celebrated Hollywood mogul.

1 Sibling

Ben’s little brother, Casey Affleck, has been a frequent collaborator of Ben, Matt Damon and Gus Van Sant, but could hardly be accused of riding his sibling’s coattails. In 2007, he was nominated for an Academy Award for his work in “The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford.”

1 Time

In 2002, Affleck was named People Magazine’s Sexiest Man Alive. The annual honor has been bestowed on actors since 1985, and he shares the title with other stars such as Channing Tatum, Bradley Cooper and Matt Damon.

2 Academy Awards

Affleck has yet to take home any golden statues for acting, but that hasn’t stopped him from having two Oscars on his mantle. In 1998 he shared the Oscar for best screenplay with co-scribe and best friend Matt Damon, and took the academy stage again in 2013 for directing “Argo.”

3 Children

Less than six months after their wedding in 2005, Jennifer Garner gave birth to Violet in December of that year. In January 2009, the second Affleck daughter, Seraphina, was born, followed by their first son, Samuel, in February 2012.

3 High-Profile Relationships

Before establishing his high-profile family with Jennifer Garner, Affleck had two other major relationships that attracted a lot of limelight. Starting in 1997, Affleck had a three year relationship with fellow “Shakespeare in Love” star Gwenyth Paltrow. From 2002 to 2004, he was one half of the tabloid-christened “Bennifer” relationship he had with Jennifer Lopez, to whom he was also engaged.

4 Director Credits

In 2007, Affleck helmed “Gone Baby Gone” as a first-time director, and it premiered with an impressive 94 percent on Rotten Tomatoes. His third feature film, “Argo,” won him an Oscar in 2013, and his fourth, “Live By Night,” is currently in post-production. He’s also directing the soon-to-debut Batman reboot.

6 Films Produced By “Project Greenlight”

In 2001, Affleck and Damon began co-producing the on-again, off-again reality show “Project Greenlight,” showing a close-up, behind-the-scenes look at making an independent feature film. Six films have been spawned through the show’s run, including Shia LaBeouf’s breakthrough film, “The Battle of Shaker Heights.”

6 Feet, 3.5 Inches

Many Hollywood stars are notoriously short, but Affleck towers over the average American man at 6 feet, 3 ½ inches tall. This also makes him the tallest Batman to don the black cape on film so far.

8 Producer Credits

“Project Greenlight” has been just as good for Affleck’s career as the Hollywood aspirants featured on the show.

The star got his first producing credit on the show’s inaugural cinema offering, “Stolen Summer,” and also produced “The Battle of Shaker Heights” and “Feast.” He was later able to negotiate a producing credit for “Argo,” and will be a producer on the upcoming Batman reboot he’s directing.

9 Awards for “Argo”

When Affleck directed “Argo,” he didn’t just establish himself as one of the best new directors in Hollywood, he wiped the floor with the competition.

Overall, he received 10 nominations for his work on the film, and won nine of them, including best picture at the 2013 Academy Awards.

20 Years Old

Affleck was only 20 when he got his first lead role in a film as prep-school elite Chesty Smith in 1992’s “School Ties.” This was his first movie with lifelong collaborator Matt Damon, and started one of the most lucrative partnerships in modern-day Hollywood.

25 Charities

Over the course of his career, Affleck has donated his money, time and image to more than 25 charities, including Feeding America, GLAAD and the UNHCR. In 2010, Ben founded the Eastern Congo Initiative, a grant-making and advocacy non-profit focused on investing in and supporting the people of eastern Congo.

25 Years Old

Affleck’s mid-20s were an incredibly lucrative time for the actor. At 25, he co-wrote and starred with Matt Damon in the critically acclaimed “Good Will Hunting.” The duo took home the Academy Award for best screenplay and entered the upper echelon of Hollywood.

43 Years Old

Currently 43 years old, the multi-talented star might just be getting started as a Hollywood producer, writer, director and actor. He was born Aug. 15, 1972.

43 Twitter Mentions

Affleck is incredibly passionate about his nonprofit, the Eastern Congo Initiative. To date, 43 tweets from @BenAffleck have drawn attention to his charity organization and its cause.

49 Nominations

Affleck’s most critically acclaimed film was “Shakespeare In Love,” which launched the career of Gwenyth Paltrow and was nominated for 49 awards. The success ratio wasn’t as high as “Argo,” but the film garnered 26 wins.

51 Acting Credits

Affleck has been working for a long time, appearing on the screen in 51 roles: 46 have been in films and five have been for television.

60 Percent

Based on 45 films Affleck has appeared in since the 1980s, 60 percent of them have featured him as a lead character. In a growing number of these films, he’s also wearing the hats of director and producer.

97 Percent

To date, Affleck’s highest rated film on Rotten Tomatoes was “Good Will Hunting,” which garnered a high 97 percent. It’s no surprise the film won him the Academy Award for best screenplay and solidified his status as a Hollywood A-lister.

150 Guest Appearances

Being as successful as Ben Affleck requires a lot of talent, but it also requires a lot of promotion. The star has appeared as a guest on shows like “Jimmy Kimmel Live,” “Saturday Night Live” and “Good Morning America” over 150 times, according to IMDb. A significant number of them have been with lifelong pal Matt Damon.

$2,700

Throughout his career, Affleck has been incredibly outspoken about his political views. He is a Democrat and staunch supporter of Hillary Clinton. He has donated $2,700 to her campaign, the maximum amount any individual can give.

$100,000

Acting perks apparently aren’t what they used to be. When Affleck told producers he wanted to keep the suit he donned in “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice,” he was told it would cost him $100,000, according to MovieFone.com. He declined the costly opportunity to take it home.

887K Facebook Likes

Affleck is one of the most successful people in Hollywood, and has approximately 887,000 Facebook followers. This might seem low, given his long list of onscreen credits and award nominations, but George Clooney has a similar follower count and Matt Damon has fewer.

2.2 Million Twitter Followers

Affleck is faring much better on Twitter than Facebook, with roughly 2.2 million followers. This is surprising, given how inactive he is on the platform. In spite of having the handle @BenAffleck since 2011, he’s posted fewer than 300 tweets.

$45 Million

Unsurprisingly, as Affleck and Garner close down their marriage, they’re also putting the Pacific Palisades compound where they’ve raised their family on the market. The rumored asking price is $45 million, after they purchased the home for $17.55 million in 2009, according to Variety.

Rumor has it that this beloved Hollywood couple might be looking to reconcile, however. The tabloids, and time, will tell.

$75 Million

Over the course of his illustrious career as an actor, director, producer and screenwriter, Affleck has amassed an impressive net worth of $75 million, according to The Richest.

$1.9 Million

In all the films Affleck has starred in since 1992’s “School Ties,” the total U.S. box-office gross is a mind-blowing $1.8 billion, according to BoxOfficeMojo. After the newest Batman remake comes out on March 25, another billion dollars will easily be added to this total by the end of the year.

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