Ben Affleck, 50, was born to Chris Anne Boldt and Timothy Affleck on August 15, 1972. His parents raised him in Cambridge, Massachusetts, which led to a close friendship between Ben and the actor Matt Damon. Although Chris and Timothy divorced back in 1984, the two were together for the first 11 years of Ben’s life. Keep reading to learn all about the famous actor’s parents!
Chris Anne Boldt
Chris Anne Boldt has been seen out and about with her son Ben on numerous occasions. Most recently, Chris was alongside Ben when she was rushed to the hospital and received stitches one day before Ben and Jennifer Lopez’s Georgia wedding. Chris fell off a dock on the sprawling estate property, injured her leg, and was taken to the Liberty County Medical Center to treat her injuries around 12:30 p.m., according to the Daily Mail. A source close to the couple told the publication that Chris’ injuries are “not serious.”
Ben helped his mother during the harrowing incident, proving he is a dedicated son, much like he did when he publicly thanked Chris when he and Matt won the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay for Good Will Hunting in 1998. Along with the adorable shoutout, Ben also hit the red carpet that year with his mom as his date.
Ben’s mom was a teacher when her son was growing up in Cambridge, and she taught public school for many years. Chris eventually even attended Harvard University to obtain a master’s degree, according to an interview Ben gave to The Hollywood Reporter back in 2012. Chris was also one of the original freedom riders, as she went into the South back in the 1960s and fought in the civil rights movement. Talk about a cool mom!
Timothy Affleck
When it comes to Ben’s father, Timothy Affleck, 72, the actor is said to have a more cordial relationship than that of his relationship with his mom. Ben told THR that they “email” every so often and that his dad will sometimes drive out to visit his grandkids. “My father has positional vertigo, and if he flies he gets really dizzy, so he has to drive out to California, which he does a couple times a year. We talk, but we e-mail mostly,” Ben told the outlet at the time.
Timothy did not pursue higher education like Ben’s mom did, in fact, he worked more blue-collar jobs. “My dad had a more working-class lifestyle. He didn’t go to college. He was an auto mechanic and a bartender and a janitor at Harvard,” Ben told THR. Ben’s upbringing also proved to be difficult. On top his parents’ divorce, Timothy also battled alcoholism when Ben was growing up. He is now sober, but it did have an effect on the actor throughout his life.
“His life sort of hit the skids when I was in my teens,” Ben said. “It was difficult. When one’s parent is an alcoholic, it’s hard. It was a little scary and trying, but then he got sober when I was twentysomething, and he’s been sober ever since.”
Much more recently, Timothy spoke to The US Sun, about his son’s rekindled relationship and marriage to Jennifer Lopez, 53. “I did meet Jennifer when they first dated,” Timothy told the outlet. “There’s a lot I admire about her, she’s quite a special woman. What I like most about her is that she did it all herself, she brought herself up on so many different levels, she’s obviously very talented.”
Although Timothy is seemingly happy for Bennifer, his relationship with Ben continues to seemingly remain cordial. He told the outlet that, “I haven’t been in touch recently, but we write periodically so it’s ok. I saw my grandkids a few months back.”