8 Random Facts About Ben Affleck That You Absolutely Must Know

You might not have realized this when you woke up this morning, but today is a truly special day for you. Why? Because we’re going to serve up some facts about Ben Affleck that will change your life forever. Or at least provide a few minutes of entertainment.

1. He got his start as a child on a PBS show

While Affleck didn’t really start to become a big deal until Good Will Hunting came out in 1997, he had actually been acting since the early 1980s. His first big break came in 1984 at the age of 12 when he started in the PBS education show The Voyage of Mimi. Whoa. Isn’t that also the name of a Mariah Carey album? Turns out no, but you can’t deny that it’s kind of close.

2. He has starred in some of the worst movies ever

Affleck is a mighty fine actor and an accomplished director, but he’s made his share of baffling choices. First, there’s Gigli, the dumpster fire of a movie that he starred in alongside then-fiancée Jennifer Lopez and Al Pacino (!). It had the double whammy of being both an awful movie and a huge box office bomb that grossed less than 10% of its $75 million budget. Then there’s Reindeer Games, unquestionably the worst movie that this author has ever had the privilege of sitting through. Simply put, it is a cluster fluff. You will laugh. You will cry. Then you will chuck your HDTV or computer monitor out your window.

3. At one time his father worked as a janitor at Harvard

Old Man Affleck was sort of a jack of all trades, supporting himself as a carpenter, mechanic, bookie, bartender, electrician, homeless guy (if you want to consider that job description), and even a janitor at one of the top universities in all the land. If being a janitor at a highly selective academic institution sounds familiar to you, then congratulations, you’ve obviously seen Good Will Hunting. Matt Damon’s role as a janitor at MIT was indeed inspired by Affleck’s dad’s stint.