Benjamin Géza Affleck (born August 15, 1972) is an American actor and filmmaker. He has won two Academy Awards, two BAFTA Awards, and three Golden Globes. Affleck started acting as a child in the PBS series The Voyage of the Mimi (1984–1988). He gained recognition in the film Dazed and Confused (1993) and several Kevin Smith comedies, like Chasing Amy (1997). His big break came when he and Matt Damon won an Academy Award for Good Will Hunting (1997), which they also starred in. He became a leading man in films like Armageddon (1998), Reindeer Games (2000), Pearl Harbor (2001), and The Sum of All Fears (2002). After a slump, he bounced back with Hollywoodland (2006), earning the Volpi Cup for Best Actor. Affleck made his directorial debut with Gone Baby Gone (2007), which he co-wrote. He then directed and starred in The Town (2010) and Argo (2012), both hits. For Argo, he won the BAFTA for Best Director and Oscars for Best Picture. Later, he starred in Gone Girl (2014) and played Batman in the DC Extended Universe (2016–2023). His films include The Accountant (2016) and The Way Back (2020). He had supporting roles in The Last Duel (2021), The Tender Bar (2021), and Air (2023), the last of which he directed. Affleck co-founded the Eastern Congo Initiative, a nonprofit organization. He supports the Democratic Party. Along with Damon, he co-owns the production company Artists Equity and previously owned Pearl Street Films.