CELEBRITIES

Ben Affleck

BIO

Born in Cambridge, Mass., on August 15, 1972, boy-next-door Ben Affleck grew up alongside pal Matt Damon, whose career he would forever be linked to. Both hit the fame jackpot after cowriting and costarring in the Academy Award winning Good Will Hunting in 1997. Although this film rocketed Affleck to fame as Hollywood's top leading men, a string of box office disasters knocked his star quotient down a few notches until his comeback in late 2006 playing TV's Superman, George Reeves, in Hollywoodland.

Affleck dated Gwyneth Patlrow briefly in 1998. Four years later, the actor began dating Jennifer Lopez; he proposed later that year. Citing intense media scrutiny, the couple called off their wedding in 2004.

However, Affleck's most important role has been off-screen playing the part of family man: He married actress Jennifer Garner in June 2005 in a top-secret ceremony. The couple has two daughters: Violet and Seraphina. They are currently awaiting the arrival of their third child together.