How Ben Affleck’s late mom got him his Hollywood break on a whim – and he only went to acting gig ‘for a laugh’

BEN Affleck’s mother, Chris, who passed away at the age of 83 following a battle with pancreatic cancer, was instrumental in launching her son’s movie career. During Chris’ life, she shared a sweet bond and so many sentimental moments with her son – including helping him to establish himself in Hollywood. Ben Affleck’s mother Chris has passed away Credit: Getty The pair shared a close bond Credit: Getty Before Ben was the big name star he’s known as today, he was a young budding actor in Massachusets with a dream. Thankfully, his mother Chris had just the right contact to introduce Ben to who helped him get a foot inside of the door. Sign up for the Showbiz newsletter Thank you! Speaking to Parade about it in 2007, Ben said: “I got into acting as a young child on account of a sort of arbitrary thing. “A friend of my mom’s was a casting director so, really as kind of a lark, I had a couple of acting jobs that had just enough exposure to give me the option to continue if I wanted to.” “I followed through with it. Then, basically, came the next stage: should I continue to act or not?” Chris connecting Ben with her casting director friend was the first step in the star’s storied film career – where he has earned accolades both in front of and behind the camera. Ben rapid his mom tenfold after he brought Chris along with him as his date to the Oscars in 1998 when he was nominated for his screenplay for Good Will Hunting. Chatting about the moment in a video interview with Vanity Fair at the time, Ben recalled choosing to bring his mom and how he couldn’t have imagined attending with anyone else. Most read in Entertainment Ben brought his mother along to the Oscars with him in 1998 Credit: Bei He attended the Oscars with Matt Damon, who also brought along his mom Credit: AFP Ben has a brother called Casey Credit: Getty – Contributor Ben has frequently gushed about his mother in interviews Credit: Getty He said: “We [him and Matt Damon] were sitting next to our moms and we won, and we kind of hugged our moms. “And I remember, how everyone had made such a big thing out of it. As if this was such a novelty. “And I remember thinking, being insecure, like, ‘Why? Why is it weird that we’re bringing our moms? Like, ‘Who else do you think we would bring?’ You know what I mean? “There was nobody else that was going to go. That was it. Of course our moms were gonna go.” Ben also gushed about his mother’s work ethic in an interview with The Hollywood reporter in 2012. He shared: “My mother taught public school, went to Harvard and then got her master’s there and taught fifth and sixth grade in a public school.” Chris’ touching obituary posted on The Boston Globe states that Chris was told the devastating news of her cancer diagnosis in December and passed away “peacefully in her sleep” on June 2 2026. After being diagnosed with cancer, Chris revealed that her “greatest wish” was to see her grandson graduate from high school. She attended the celebratory event on May 31 2026 and passed away two days later on June 2. Comment now