Image via Complex Original
When Heath Ledger signed on as The Joker, there were many who thought the goofball wouldn’t be able to pull it off (shows how much they knew). So when Warner Bros. announced that Ben Affleck would take on one of DC Comics’ most iconic characters in the upcoming Batman vs. Superman, the Internet was up in arms again and split into two camps: those who think Affleck will bring a balance to Henry Cavill’s Clark Kent, and those who haven’t forgiven him for Daredevil.
The heated debate hasn’t fazed the actor, whose new movie, Runner, Runner, hits theaters October 4. In this thriller Affleck plays an online gambling mogul with a disturbing secret who may or may not have swindled an angry Justin Timberlake.
Online gambling, manipulation, FBI investigations—who knew the down-to-earth family man had it in him? See what else he’s hiding with these 25 Things You Don't Know About Ben Affleck.
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During their early Hollywood days, Ben Affleck and Matt Damon cycled through apartments all around L.A. throwing alcohol-fueled ragers, running out of money, and getting kicked out of various places
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Gwyneth Paltrow and Ben Affleck had an on-and-off relationship from 1997-2000. He was probably a rebound after her engagement to Brad Pitt was called off the same year. Looking back, Paltrow tells E! the whole thing was "strange."
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Affleck took drama classes with Matt Damon at Cambridge Rindge & Latin School. Affleck graduated in 1990, two years after Damon.
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He underwent hypnotherapy to quit smoking right before the birth of his first daughter Violet in 2005.
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His family moved to Mexico for a year when he was a teenager. He speaks "telenovela" level Spanish.
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A few politicians approached Affleck and encouraged him to run for a Senate position in 2006. Keep in mind this was after Daredevil and Gigli.
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After reportedly an injury related to circumcision, Affleck told Jon Stewart on The Daily Show , "I hate circumcisions! Get enough in me and I'll tell you how much I hate them."
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His first major motion picture role was as a baseball fan at Fenway Park in Field of Dreams. He was uncredited, but he made $30.
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In the mid '80s, Affleck regularly reported on hard-hitting news and issues like lactose intolerance and the lives of retired circus elephants for Kidsworld.
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The Red Sox haven't won a game on Affleck's birthday since the debut of Good Will Hunting in 1998.
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According to the New England Historic Genealogical Society, Matt Damon is Affleck's tenth cousin once removed.
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Every comic book fan's dream, he has a home office with a sliding bookcase and a secret panic room.
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In 2001, Affleck entered rehab for alcohol. A three-year sober Charlie Sheen drove him. He shared his story, and sobriety tips, with Lindsay Lohan while visiting her in rehab this past August.
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He admits to owning several guns and going skeet shooting for the sake of protecting his family from crazy stalkers.
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Affleck enrolled at The University of Vermont, dropped out after a semester, enrolled at Occidental in L.A., and then dropped out to focus on his acting.
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He auditioned for the Mickey Mouse Club with best friend Matt Damon.
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One of the first things he was cast in was a Burger King commercial at age 16. His mom's friend was a casting director, who also found him work in a PBS special.
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He starred in the PBS marine biology special, The Voyage of the Mimi, at age 8.
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While he was shooting Gone Baby Gone, police officers mistook him for a drug dealer because they were filming in an area where drug dealing was common.
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When he was younger, he asked his mom for a dog. His mom tested him and made him walk an imaginary dog, but he gave up after five days.
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His father worked as a janitor at Harvard after the family moved to Cambridge. This helped inspire Good Will Hunting.
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With the help of pro-poker player Annie Duke, Affleck beat out 90 players to take first place at the 2004 California State Poker Championships, earning his seat at the 2004 World Poker Tour.
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