Ben Affleck says losing both of his parents within months of each other forced him to look at his life differently. Affleck, 54, spoke about the deaths of his mother, Chris Affleck, and father, Timothy Affleck, in a new interview with GQ published Tuesday, October 6.
His mother died June 2 at age 83. His brother, Casey Affleck, later revealed that their father had also died earlier this year.
How Did Ben Affleck Describe Losing Both Parents?
“It’s a big year of life. My brother and I, our parents died just two months apart, beginning of April and June. That’s a lot, man,” Ben said.
He said the losses brought back memories of childhood and made him think more deeply about his own family.
“And the bare fact of the very fleeting nature of all of our lives kind of stares you back in the face. And you realize, yeah, we only get so much time.”
What Did Ben Affleck Say About His Mother?
Ben described his mother as someone whose life and death left a lasting impression on him. “Often the end of life isn’t full of wisdom and resolve. Stuff you haven’t fixed in life stays unfixed,” he said.
“In the case of my mom, she was pretty extraordinary and brave. I mean, she’s an amazing woman and her death really did cause me to even more deeply and fully appreciate her and her life.”
Chris was a former public school teacher and civil rights activist.
What Did Ben Affleck Say About His Father?
Ben said his relationship with Timothy had been more complicated.
He told GQ they were “not a very close one for the last few years of his life,” though he chose not to go into further detail.
Timothy had worked a number of jobs over the years and had struggled with alcoholism at times.
Casey, 51, revealed his father’s death while attending the Venice International Film Festival in September, where he dedicated his new movie “Company” to both parents.
How Has Grief Changed Ben Affleck’s Outlook?
Ben said the losses made him think more seriously about how he wants to spend the years ahead.
“But yeah, you face that stuff and it makes you think, ‘Okay, how do I want to spend the rest of this time? Because you realize there’s not all that much of it.’”
He also described the loss as deeply sad, while acknowledging that losing parents is part of the natural course of life.
“This is normal,” he said. “So this is the way it’s supposed to go, but it’s still really sad for me.”
Affleck is currently preparing for the release of his new movie “Animals,” which begins streaming on Netflix and playing in select theaters October 9.
How Has Losing His Parents Changed Ben Affleck’s Outlook?
Ben said the losses have forced him to think differently about grief, family and the limited time people have with those they love. “It is horrible, but it’s not tragic,” Ben admitted. “You think it’d be really sad and not a tragedy. That was an interesting thing. This is normal.”
The “Accountant” star, who shares three children with ex-wife Jennifer Garner, said becoming a parent has also shaped the way he understands loss.
“I certainly don’t want to outlive my children. That would be the worst thing I could imagine. So this is the way it’s supposed to go, but it’s still really sad for me.”
Ben had also spoken about his parents during a September 30 appearance on the “Streets We Grew Up On” podcast, saying their deaths prompted him to revisit his own childhood from a different perspective.
“It’s sort of a big thing, and it’s caused me to start thinking about my own childhood in ways that has been a little bit different,” he said.
He added that losing his mother deepened his appreciation for everything she had done for their family.
“I’ve certainly learned to even more deeply appreciate my mom and really value and see what she did and what the sacrifice and commitment that she made and how complete it was.”
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Ben Affleck Gets Emotional About Losing Both Parents Months Apart: ‘We Only Get So Much Time’