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.

He continued to keep busy with enormous success in Oscar winner ''Shakespeare inLove'' starring Gwyneth Paltrow and the block buster ''Armegedon'' (1999) oppositeLiv Tyler and Bruce Willis. He has continued with a dizzying pace, appearing in''Forces of Nature,'' ''Boiler Room,'' ''Daddy and Them'', and reuniting with Damon in''Dogma.''You can currently catch him in ''Deception'' co-staring Charlize Theron, as an ex-contrying to mend his ways. He has also tried his hand at directing a short feature with theprovocative title I Killed My Lesbian Wife, Hung Her on a Meathook, and Now I havea Three-Picture Deal at Disney.