Significant Other(s):
Fianc?e: Jennifer Lopez, actress, musician; met while filming Gigli, also costars in Jersey Girl; announced engagement in November 2002
Cheyenne Rothman: dated on and off since high school
Gwyneth Paltrow: actress; dated January 1998 to January 1999

Family:
Father: Tim Affleck, social worker, former actor; divorced from Affleck's mother
Mother: Chris, teacher; divorced
Brother: Casey, actor; born 1975

Awards:
1998: Academy Award: Best Original Screenplay, Good Will Hunting (cowritten with Matt Damon)

Factoids:
1993: Directed the short film I Murdered My Lesbian Wife, Hung Her on a Meat Hook

Education:
University of Vermont, Burlington, Vermont
Occidental College, Eagle Rock, California (was attending when he made School Ties in 1992)

Benjamin Geza Affleck was born on August 15th, 1972 in Berkeley, California. HisFather works in a Drug rehabilitation hospital in California and his mother is aTeacher in Cambridge. His younger brother (and only sibling), Casey, is also anactor and co-starred with Ben in Good Will Hunting.When Affleck was very young his family relocated to the Boston area. This is wherehe broke into acting. At the age of eight he starred in PBS¦s marine biology-themed''The Voyage of the Mimi.'' He also struck up a friendship with Matt Damon, a boy twoyears older than himself who lived down the street.After Graduating high school the young Affleck dabbled in higher education at boththe University of Vermont and California¦s Occidental College. He found it all toorestricting and opted to give Hollywood a try. He landed parts in made-for-TV moviesand had a small role in ''School Ties'' in 1992 which also featured Matt Damon. Benfollowed with work in ''Dazed and Confused'' (1993), and ''Mallrats'' in 1995.

Affleck began feeling frustrated with the lack of substantial roles he found inTinseltown. He received a phone call from long time friend Matt Damon. Damonwanted Ben to help him work on a screen play he had started while at Harvard.Affleck agreed and together they came up with a brilliant story that featured them inthe lead characters. However, it was Afflecks brother, Casey, who introduced the pairto director Gus Van Sant. Van Sant had directed Casey in ''To Die For.'' Thanks toVan Sant¦s interest the script was picked up by Miramax and in 1997 ''Good WillHunting'' was realized.The movie was a huge success and so were Affleck and Damon. They won theOscar for Best Original Screenplay. Ben became one of Hollywoods most promisingyoung men. He also gained a lot of attention for his ongoing relationship with GwynethPaltrow.