Benjamin Géza Affleck (born August 15, 1972) is an American actor and filmmaker. 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 (1993) and several Kevin Smith comedies, including Mallrats (1995), Chasing Amy (1997), and Dogma (1999). 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), the action crime thriller Reindeer Games (2000), the war drama Pearl Harbor (2001), and the thriller 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) and the political thriller Argo (2012), both of which were critical and commercial successes. For the latter, Affleck won the BAFTA Award for Best Director, and the BAFTA and Academy Award for Best Picture. Affleck then starred in the psychological thriller Gone Girl (2014) and played the superhero Batman in the DC Extended Universe (2016–2023). He starred in the thriller The Accountant (2016) and the sports drama The Way Back (2020). Affleck had supporting roles in the dramas The Last Duel (2021), The Tender Bar (2021) and 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. Affleck and Damon are co-owners of the production company Artists Equity and were also co-owners of Pearl Street Films.