Chris Affleck, Mother of Oscar Winners Ben and Casey Affleck, Dies at 83 - The Hollywood Reporter

What the report says

The Hollywood Reporter says Chris Anne Affleck, the mother of actors and Oscar winners Ben Affleck and Casey Affleck, died June 2 at age 83. Her family announced the death, saying she had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in December. According to the report, she died peacefully in her sleep two days after attending her grandson Atticus’ high school graduation, an event her family described as one of her wishes after the diagnosis.

Born Christine Anne Boldt in New York City in December 1942, Affleck graduated from Harvard University and later spent 35 years teaching in public schools before retiring in 2008, THR reported. The article also described her as a lifelong civil rights advocate and one of the original Freedom Riders who traveled into the Deep South in the 1960s.

Chris Affleck and her former husband, Timothy Affleck, had Ben in 1972 and Casey in 1975, around the period when the family moved to Massachusetts. THR noted that she supported her sons’ interest in acting, including by introducing Ben to a former Harvard roommate, casting director Patty Collins, who helped him pursue early auditions. Ben has previously spoken publicly about his mother’s education and teaching career.

She was also present for key moments in her sons’ Hollywood careers, including the 1998 Academy Awards, where Ben Affleck and Matt Damon won original screenplay for “Good Will Hunting,” a film that also featured Casey. Ben later won a best picture Oscar for “Argo,” and Casey won best actor for “Manchester by the Sea.” THR reported that Chris Affleck is survived by her sons and five grandchildren: Atticus, Indiana, Violet, Fin and Sam.