All posts tagged: Ben

Matt Damon reveals the one reason why he and Ben Affleck wrote Good Will Hunting

Matt Damon reveals the one reason why he and Ben Affleck wrote Good Will Hunting

Published by Daniella Wilson

Get the latest entertainment news, reviews and star-studded interviews with our Independent Culture email Get the latest entertainment news with our free Culture newsletter Get the latest entertainment news with our free Culture newsletter Matt Damon has revealed that his hit 1997 film Good Will Hunting was born out of him losing a different movie role. Speaking to Tom Holland for Complex’s GOAT Talk series, Damon shared that both he and his longtime friend Ben Affleck were up for the role of Aaron Stampler in Primal Fear, which wound up being played by Edward Norton. “It was actually a real impetus behind us writing Good Will Hunting, because when Ben and I went out for that role, and Edward beat out everybody, and as he should have, he was phenomenal in the movie, and [we] looked at each other, and we were like, there’s never gonna be a role that good that comes down into the category of unknown actor,” Damon said. “We all can take a shot at it, but it’s, you know, 10,000 …

Christopher Affleck death: Casey and Ben Affleck’s mother dies aged 83

Christopher Affleck death: Casey and Ben Affleck’s mother dies aged 83

Published by Daniella Wilson

Get the latest entertainment news, reviews and star-studded interviews with our Independent Culture email Get the latest entertainment news with our free Culture newsletter Get the latest entertainment news with our free Culture newsletter Christopher Anne Affleck, the mother of Oscar-winning actors Ben and Casey Affleck, has died at the age of 83. Her obituary, published in The Boston Globe, confirmed she passed away “peacefully in her sleep” on 2 June. Reports indicate Ms Affleck had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer before her death, with her obituary noting she was “given six months to live in December of 2025”. Born in New York City in 1942, Ms Affleck was a Harvard University graduate who pursued a 35-year career as a public school teacher, retiring in 2008. She was also a dedicated civil rights activist, influenced by her stepfather Sam, and taught literacy classes in Mississippi during the 1964 Freedom Summer campaign. She was married to Timothy Affleck, and they welcomed their sons, Ben in 1972 and Casey in 1975. Christopher Anne Affleck (left) was married …

Ben Affleck’s mother Chris dies aged 83

Ben Affleck’s mother Chris dies aged 83

Published by Daniella Wilson

Chris Anne Affleck, the mother of actors Ben Affleck and Casey Affleck, has died, her family announced.  Chris, who was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in December, passed away on 2 June at the age of 83.  A Harvard-educated native New Yorker, Chris dedicated 35 years to teaching in public schools. She shared her two sons, Oscar winners Ben and Casey, with her former husband, Timothy Affleck. Ben was born in 1972, followed by Casey’s arrival in 1975. Around this time, the family relocated from California to Massachusetts. © GettyChris attended the 1998 Oscars with her son Ben Affleck, Matt Damon and his mother Nancy Carlson-Paige Ben was 12 when his parents, Chris and Timothy, divorced – a separation he described as “painful” during an interview with PEOPLE.  Reflecting on his upbringing in a 2006 interview with Boston Magazine, Casey recalled how his mother prioritised family traditions. “She always made us go on family vacations,” he told Boston Magazine. “When you’re a kid, you just want to stay home and hang out with your friends. You …

Ben Affleck, Casey Affleck’s Mother Was 83

Ben Affleck, Casey Affleck’s Mother Was 83

Published by Daniella Wilson

Chris Anne Affleck, the mother of Oscar winners Ben Affleck and Casey Affleck, died June 2, her family announced. She was 83 and diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in December. Christine Anne Boldt was born in New York City in December 1942. She was a graduate of Harvard University and spent 35 years as a public school teacher. She retired in 2008 and was a fierce civil rights advocate throughout her life, having served as one of the original freedom riders who went into the Deep South during the 1960s. Chris and her ex-husband Timothy Affleck welcomed their first child, Ben, in 1972. Ben’s brother, Casey, was born in 1975, around the time their family relocated to Massachusetts, where she continued her teaching career. “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,” Ben told The Hollywood Reporter in 2012. “My dad had a more working-class lifestyle. He didn’t go to college. He was an auto mechanic and a bartender and a …

Netflix paid 7M for Ben Affleck’s AI filmmaking startup

Netflix paid $587M for Ben Affleck’s AI filmmaking startup

Published by skeptic

In a new regulatory filing, Netflix revealed that it paid $587 million in cash for InterPositive, a startup co-founded by actor and director Ben Affleck. The streaming company announced the acquisition in March, with a statement from Affleck saying he wanted to “protect the power of human creativity.” According to Affleck, InterPublic’s AI tools help filmmakers improve their footage in post-production, particularly when it comes to making up for “real-world production challenges such as missing shots, background replacements or incorrect lighting.” At the time, Netflix announced that the entire InterPositive team would be joining the company, with Affleck joining as a senior advisor, but it didn’t disclose the financial terms of the deal. A subsequent report in Bloomberg suggested that the deal could be worth up to $600 million. In its most recent earnings report, Netflix said that around 300 of its titles have already used generative AI. Source link

National Ice Cream Day 2026 deals: Free food from Dairy Queen, Ben & Jerry’s, Target, and more

National Ice Cream Day 2026 deals: Free food from Dairy Queen, Ben & Jerry’s, Target, and more

Published by skeptic

We’re not sure why exactly, but we’re the midst of a flurry of national food days. Fresh from National French Fry Day and National Hot Dog Day, it’s now time to celebrate National Ice Cream Day. We’re not in the business of picking favorites, but come on. We’ll whisper it quietly, but this is our favorite. Not only is this ice cream we’re talking about, but the free deals and limited-time promotions are elite. Sunday, July 19, is National Ice Cream Day. We’re already seeing special offers from Target, Dairy Queen, Baskin Robbins, and many more popular retailers. Clear your schedule, because ice cream is on the menu all weekend. These are our favorite National Ice Cream Day deals in 2026. Baskin Robbins From National Ice Cream Day through July 25, rewards members get $5 off orders of $20 or more in-app or online. On July 26, members can score a buy-one-get-one free scoop. Blue Bell Ice Cream Grab the limited-time Chocolate Lava Cake flavor in honor of National Ice Cream Month before it sells …

Matt Damon and Ben Affleck Are Almost Empty Nesters

Matt Damon and Ben Affleck Are Almost Empty Nesters

Published by Sam Flores

Angelina Jolie will soon have company in the empty next club. Once fresh-faced young men intent on conquering Hollywood together, friends and collaborators Matt Damon and Ben Affleck are now solidly middle-aged—and are facing a home life free of children, a prospect that makes them emotional, Damon says. The friendship between Affleck and Damon extends to their respective kids, with both families vacationing together and sharing social events. Married for over 20 years to Luciana Barroso, Matt Damon’s brood includes Luciana’s daughter from a previous relationship, Alexia (now 27), as well as Isabella (20), Gia (17), and Stella (15). Now aged 53, Ben Affleck has three children, all of whom he shares with former wife Jennifer Garner. Married from 2005 until their divorce was finalized in 2018, the two co-parent Violet, now 20, Seraphina, 17, and Samuel, 14. But time can’t be stopped, and soon both sets of parents will be empty nesters, the 55-year-old Damon admitted to People this week. “We’re at very similar stages with the kids, and it’s definitely a new phase …

Netflix bought Ben Affleck’s AI startup for 7 million

Netflix bought Ben Affleck’s AI startup for $587 million

Published by skeptic

Netflix paid over half a billion dollars for Ben Affleck’s AI startup InterPositive, which he founded in 2022. According to Variety, Netflix’s Form 10-Q report with the Securities and Exchange Commission disclosed that it paid $587 million in cash for an acquisition in March. While the company they acquired goes unnamed in the report, the InterPositive acquisition was announced on March 5, and a Bloomberg report estimated that Netflix could have paid up to $600 million. SEE ALSO: Netflix’s ‘Wonka’ reality show will use AI-generated voice of Gene Wilder According to the March 5 deal announcement, Netflix viewed its acquisition of InterPositive as “investing in creator-led innovation that keeps filmmakers at the center of the process.” Mashable Light Speed In that same announcement, Affleck wrote: “In 2022, I spent a lot of time observing the early rise of AI in production. As a filmmaker, I could see how these models came up short. For artists to apply these tools towards telling the stories we dedicate our lives to, they need to be purpose-built to represent …

Ben Platt: ‘My parents always knew I was gay – I asked for a fog machine at 7’

Ben Platt: ‘My parents always knew I was gay – I asked for a fog machine at 7’

Published by Daniella Wilson

Get the latest entertainment news, reviews and star-studded interviews with our Independent Culture email Get the latest entertainment news with our free Culture newsletter Get the latest entertainment news with our free Culture newsletter Ben Platt was technically 12 years old when he told his family he liked boys, but there may have been clues. “My parents tell me that they always knew,” he recalls now, surrounded by the tatty, primary school canteen chic of a south London rehearsal space. “I mean, I asked for a fog machine for my seventh birthday. And then – at eight or nine – I asked for clip-on microphones. I asked for my own trash cans because I loved Cats. I think I asked for a boombox.” The fog machine was for a very ambitious bedroom production of Cinderella that he was planning. “You know when she transforms from Cinderella-in-rags to Princess Cinderella? I really needed fog for that.” Platt was always destined for theatrics – that his father is Marc Platt, the superstar producer behind everything from Wicked …

Netflix Bought Ben Affleck’s AI Company for 7M Filing Reveals

Netflix Bought Ben Affleck’s AI Company for $587M Filing Reveals

Published by Daniella Wilson

When Netflix acquired Ben Affleck’s mysterious AI company InterPositive earlier this year, it took the industry by storm. What was the company? What tools did it create for filmmakers? How would Netflix use them, and use Affleck, who committed to work as a senior advisor to the company in the deal? And then there was the question of price. How much was the company worth to the streaming giant? Thanks to a new securities filing, we know the answer to that final question. Netflix disclosed in an SEC filing Friday that it paid $587 million for InterPositive, in cash. The disclosure was made in the company’s form 10-Q, writing that “in March 2026, the Company completed an acquisition which was accounted for as a business combination for a total purchase price of approximately $587 million, consisting of cash consideration.” While the filing does not name InterPositive, Netflix announced the deal on March 5. The sale price was also filed in the company’s Q1 10-Q, which was filed in May. InterPositive was formed in 2022 as …