Born: August 15, 1972, Berkeley, CA
Ben Afflecks star rose on a trajectory that left mere mortals in awe. His beginnings were humble enough, with roles in flicks such as School Ties and Dazed and Confused; then this Hollywood It boy caught the eyes of many as the eager-for-love, confused young man pining for Alyssa (played by Dazed costar Joey Lauren Adams) in the indie hit Chasing Amy. Next up was the springboard role of Chuckie in the self-penned (along with pal Matt Damon) Good Will Hunting, a film that won them the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay. Affleck subsequently starred opposite Bruce Willis and Liv Tyler in Armageddon, a shoot-em-up, save-the-world blockbuster; his resume since includes plenty more hit action flicks and occasional forays into comedy, and his personal life has been major tabloid fodder. His on-again, off-again girlfriend of twelve years was replaced by Gwyneth Paltrow almost as soon as Affleck hit Hollywood. Their romance quickly ran hot and cold too, and his relationship with Jennifer Lopez certainly continued the trend. What do the stars have to say about his meteoric rise to fame and his volatile love life?
Born under a Leo Sun, Affleck needs to be noticed, recognized, appreciated, adored and worshiped. His Mars in Virgo indicates a truly detail-oriented ambitious streak, meaning hes likely to get everything he wants and more. Perhaps this is why he didnt let the wrong people in Hollywood take control of his Good Will Hunting script. His insistence on getting this film made the right way brought in top talent, such as director Gus Van Sant and costar Robin Williams, bold strokes that can be attributed to a nit-picky perfectionism inherent in this planetary alignment. Affleck truly knows how to get things done.
With his Venus in Cancer, Affleck is quite the cozy, sensitive and emotional lover. He is caring, knows how to be nice to Mom and is probably a whiz in the kitchen, whipping up hearty home cooking to please his loved ones. In fact, hell do almost anything to impress someone he loves. But he can also get his feelings hurt rather easily and needs lots of reassurance that hes appreciated and loved -- reassurance that his proud, unyielding Leo Sun (and Mercury in Leo, too) may not allow him to ask for. This combination may account for the many ups and downs in his romances -- and hold the answer to why true love is so elusive for him.
Bens Mercury in Leo puts him right out in front of the world, and he definitely has something to say. Much like his character in Shakespeare in Love, Affleck is dramatic and energetic, with a true aptitude for story-telling. Hes not content simply to say what someone elses script dictates, however. Affleck has big ideas of his own, hence writing his own screenplay (Hunting) and the launch of Projectgreenlight, his brainchild with pal Matt Damon, intended to give struggling, unknown screenwriters the same kind of chance Affleck and Damon enjoyed with their first script. With Mercury in Leo, Afflecks given to strong opinions and will go out of his way to express his views. And with an Oscar and several blockbusters under his belt, hell get to keep on expressing them.
