Chris Anne Affleck, the mother of Oscar-winning actors Ben Affleck and Casey Affleck, has died following a battle with pancreatic cancer. She was 83.
Her family said she died peacefully in her sleep on June 2, just two days after fulfilling one of her final wishes: watching her grandson Atticus graduate from high school.
Chris had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in December and was reportedly given six months to live. After learning of the diagnosis, her greatest hope was to remain well enough to attend Atticus’ graduation on May 31.
She made it to the ceremony surrounded by her family before passing away two days later.
Born Christine Anne Boldt in New York City in December 1942, Chris graduated from Harvard University and devoted 35 years of her life to teaching in public schools. She retired in 2008.
She was also a lifelong civil rights advocate and was among the original Freedom Riders who traveled into the Deep South during the 1960s to challenge racial segregation.
Chris and her former husband, Timothy Affleck, welcomed Ben in 1972. Casey followed in 1975, around the same time the family relocated to Massachusetts, where she continued working as a teacher.
Ben has often spoken about the very different backgrounds of his parents.
“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,” he 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 janitor at Harvard.”
Ben was about 12 years old when his parents divorced. As he became increasingly interested in acting, Chris helped open one of his first doors in the entertainment industry.
She connected him with her former Harvard roommate, casting director Patty Collins, who helped the future star audition for commercials and television movies.
Chris remained one of her sons’ biggest supporters as their careers took off.
She attended the 1998 Academy Awards with Ben, while Matt Damon brought his own mother, Nancy Carlson-Paige. Ben and Damon were nominated for best original screenplay for Good Will Hunting, which they wrote and starred in alongside Casey.
Ben and Damon went on to win the Oscar, creating one of the most memorable moments of the ceremony as they celebrated with their mothers.
“We were sitting next to our moms and we won, and we kind of hugged our moms,” Ben later told Vanity Fair.
He recalled being surprised that people treated their decision to bring their mothers as something unusual.
“I remember thinking, being insecure, like, ‘Why? Why is it weird that we’re bringing our moms?’” he said. “Who else do you think we would bring?”
Chris also accompanied Casey to the premiere of Committed in April 2000 and continued cheering on both of her sons as they reached even greater heights in Hollywood.
Ben later won a second Academy Award when Argo was named best picture in 2013. Casey won the Oscar for best actor in 2017 for his performance in Manchester by the Sea.
Chris is survived by Ben and Casey, along with her five grandchildren.
Casey shares Atticus and Indiana with actress Summer Phoenix, while Ben shares Violet, Fin and Samuel with actress Jennifer Garner.