Benjamin Géza Affleck-Boldt (born August 15, 1972), better known as Ben Affleck, is an American actor, film director, producer, and screenwriter. He first came to attention for his performances in Kevin Smith's films such as Mallrats (1995, Chasing Amy (1997), and Dogma (1999). In 1997, Affleck gained recognition as a writer when he won the Academy Award and Golden Globe Award for Best Original Screenplay for Good Will Hunting (1997), which he co-wrote and in which he co-starred with actor Matt Damon. He later achieved international recognition for starring in films such as Armageddon (1998), Pearl Harbor (2001), Changing Lanes (2002), The Sum of All Fears (2002), Daredevil (2003), Hollywoodland (2007), State of Play (2009), and The Town (2010).  Affleck has been actively involved in politics and charitable causes. He and Matt Damon founded the production company LivePlanet. In 2012, they founded a new company, Pearl Street Films.  He directed and starred in The Town (2010) and Argo (2012), which won him the Golden Globe Award, BAFTA, and Directors Guild Award for Best Director, and the Golden Globe Award, BAFTA, the Producers Guild Award, and the Academy Award for Best Picture.

He starred in the psychological thriller Gone Girl (2014). He played the superhero Batman in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016) and Justice League (2017), and starred in the action thrillers The Accountant (2016) and Triple Frontier (2019). He received praise for his performance as a basketball coach in the sports drama The Way Back (2020).