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Ben Affleck

September 30, 2026 · 1 h 11 min

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Ben Affleck joins Kerry Washington for a deeply personal conversation about growing up on Cottage Street in Cambridge, Massachusetts, the mother who shaped him, and the childhood experiences that still influence the father, actor, and filmmaker he is today.


Ben reflects on being a latchkey kid, his legendary friendship with Matt Damon, the high school drama teacher who helped him discover his voice as a writer, and the path that eventually led to Good Will Hunting. He and Kerry also explore what his upbringing taught him about empathy, collaboration and directing—and how those lessons shaped their experience making their new film, Animals.


Plus: childhood movies, Boston vs. New York, the story of Ben’s stolen Big Wheel, and what the kid from Cottage Street might think of his life now.


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