Ben Affleck

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Benjamin Géza Affleck-Boldt (born August 15, 1972), better known as Ben Affleck, is an American actor, film director, writer, and producer. He became known with his performances in Kevin Smith's films such as Mallrats (1995) and Chasing Amy (1997). Affleck won an Academy Award and a Golden Globe Award for the screenplay for Good Will Hunting (1997), which he co-wrote with Matt Damon, and has appeared in lead roles in such popular hits as Armageddon (1998), Pearl Harbor (2001), Changing Lanes (2002), The Sum of All Fears (2002) and Hollywoodland (2007).

Affleck is a critically acclaimed filmmaker. He directed Gone Baby Gone (2007) and The Town (2010),[2] [3] [4] playing the lead in the latter. He has worked with his younger brother, actor Casey Affleck, on several projects, including Good Will Hunting and Gone Baby Gone.

Affleck has been married to Jennifer Garner since June 2005. They have two daughters, Violet Anne, born December 2005, and Seraphina Rose Elizabeth, born January 2009, and are currently expecting their third child. He dated the actress Gwyneth Paltrow in 1998. His relationship with actress/singer Jennifer Lopez attracted worldwide media attention, in which Affleck and Lopez were dubbed "Bennifer". The two broke up in 2004.

Affleck has been actively involved in politics and charitable causes. He and Matt Damon also founded the production company LivePlanet. {| class="toc" id="toc"

Contents
[hide] *1 Early life
 * 2 Career
 * 2.1 Early work
 * 2.2 Box office ups and downs
 * 2.3 2006-2009
 * 2.4 2009-present
 * 3 Activities
 * 3.1 Charitable and humanitarian projects
 * 3.2 Political activism
 * 4 Personal life
 * 4.1 Family and relationships
 * 4.2 Quitting alcohol and smoking
 * 5 Filmography
 * 6 References
 * 7 Further reading
 * 8 External links
 * }

[edit] Early life
Affleck was born in Berkeley, California. His mother, Christine Anne "Chris" (née Boldt),[5] is a school district employee and teacher, and his father, Timothy Byers Affleck, has been, at various times, a drug counselor, social worker, janitor, auto mechanic, bartender, writer, director, and was a former actor with the Theater Company of Boston.[6] [7] Affleck's mother graduated from Harvard University and was a freedom rider in the 1960s;[8] she teaches in Cambridge Public Schools. His younger brother is actor Casey Affleck.[9] Affleck has Irish, Scottish, English, and German ancestry (the surname "Affleck" is Scottish).[8] [10] He was raised in a mostly Episcopal family.[11] His family moved to Cambridge, Massachusetts, when he was very young and his parents divorced in 1984. At age eight, Affleck met 10-year-old Matt Damon, who lived two blocks away (Damon is Affleck's tenth cousin, once removed, through a common New England ancestor).[12] [9] [13] The two would later attend Cambridge Rindge and Latin School together, although they were in different grades.[9] [13] Affleck attended Occidental College in Los Angeles, as well as the University of Vermont, and majored in Middle Eastern affairs.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-People_-_Bio_8-3">[9] <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-13">[14]

[edit] Early work
Affleck worked as a child actor, appearing on the PBS kids' series The Voyage of the Mimi, as well as in several movies made for television.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-Hello_-_Bio_12-2">[13] Throughout the 1990s, he had roles in Lifestories: Families in Crisis, as a steroid-abusing athlete, as well as in several films, including 1992's School Ties (with Damon), the original Buffy the Vampire Slayer movie (uncredited),<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-14">[15] <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-Hello_-_filmography_15-0">[16] 1993's Dazed and Confused, 1995's Mallrats, and 1997's Chasing Amy.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-Hello_-_filmography_15-1">[16] Mallrats and Amy marked the beginning of his collaboration with writer/director Kevin Smith. He had the starring role in Smith's Jersey Girl and has appeared in every View Askewniverse-Jersey film Smith has made to date, with the exception of Clerks.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-Hello_-_filmography_15-2">[16]

[edit] Box office ups and downs
Affleck visiting the USS Enterprise (CVN-65) in Manama, Bahrain in December 2003Affleck came to national attention working with Damon in Good Will Hunting in 1997,<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-Hello_-_filmography_15-3">[16] for which they shared writing credit and received the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-People_-_Bio_8-4">[9] They also both starred in the film. The success of Good Will Hunting transformed Affleck from virtual unknown to being one of the world's best known celebrities. Along with Damon and producers Chris Moore and Sean Bailey, Affleck founded the production company LivePlanet, through which the four created the documentary series Project Greenlight, as well as the failed mystery-hybrid series Push, Nevada, among other projects. <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-16">[17] Project Greenlight was nominated for an Emmy for Outstanding Reality Program in 2002, 2004 and 2005.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-17">[18] <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-18">[19]

Following Good Will Hunting, Affleck starred in Armageddon (1998) as A. J. Frost, opposite Bruce Willis.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-19">[20] The film generated mixed to negative critical reviews,<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-20">[21] but was a box office success, earning $553 million worldwide.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-earnings_21-0">[22] In 1999, he co-starred with Sandra Bullock in the romantic comedy Forces of Nature.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-22">[23] In 2001, Affleck collaborated with Armageddon director Michael Bay in the war film Pearl Harbor. The film opened to a mixed to negative reception,<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-23">[24] <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-24">[25] but was a box office success, earning $449 million worldwide.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-25">[26]

In 2002, he was cast as Jack Ryan, a role previously playe by Alec Baldwin and then Harrison Ford, in the fourth film in the Techno-thriller series, The Sum of All Fears. The movie, which ignored the events of the previous Jack Ryan films, also starred Morgan Freeman. The Sum of All Fears is based on the book of the same name by Tom Clancy.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-lasalle_26-0">[27] Ann Hornaday of The Washington Post wrote, Affleck and Freeman "create a believable chemistry".<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-27">[28] In the same year, Affleck starred opposite Samuel L. Jackson in the popular thriller Changing Lanes.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-28">[29]

The following year he starred as the lead character Matt Murdock/Daredevil in Mark Steven Johnson's film Daredevil (2003). Affleck said Daredevil was his favorite comic book as a kid,<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-29">[30] and explained why he took the role by saying "Everybody has that one thing from childhood that they remember and that sticks with them. This story was that for me."<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-30">[31] He also said "I didn't want someone else to do it, because I was afraid that they would go out and do it different from the comic and screw it up."<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-31">[32] Roger Ebert, in review of Daredevil, wrote that both Affleck and co-star Jennifer Garner, were suitable for their roles.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-32">[33] Daredevil grossed over $179 million worldwide.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-earnings_21-1">[22]

Despite some critical missteps, his box office successes reportedly earned Affleck an average of $15M per film.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-corliss_33-0">[34] However, following Daredevil, Affleck starred in several critically panned box office flops, including Gigli (2003) and Surviving Christmas (2004), and his career waned.

[edit] 2006-2009
Affleck at the premiere for He's Just Not That Into You in February 2009Affleck starred in the critically acclaimed George Reeves noir biopic Hollywoodland, directed by HBO TV-series veteran Allen Coulter.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-People_2_34-0">[35] His performance was well-received; Peter Travers of Rolling Stone, reviewing the film, wrote: "The irony is that Affleck's battering at the hands of fame has prepped him beautifully to play Reeves. He knows this character from the inside: the surface charm, the hidden vulnerability, the ache of watching a career become a joke and being helpless to stop it."<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-stone_35-0">[36] Claudia Puig of USA Today wrote that Affleck gives a "strong performance".<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-36">[37] He was awarded the Volpi Cup for Best Actor at the Venice Film Festival, won the Supporting Actor of the Year award at the Hollywood Film Festival,<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-37">[38] and was nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-38">[39] for this performance. Following the success of Hollywoodland, he appeared in the 2007 action film Smokin' Aces, playing Jack Dupree, a bounty hunter.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-39">[40] Smokin' Aces received mixed reviews from critics,<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-40">[41] and was a box office failure.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-earnings_21-2">[22]

However, also in 2007, Affleck made his directorial debut with Gone Baby Gone, for which he also co-wrote the screenplay — based on the book by Dennis Lehane — about two Boston area detectives investigating a little girl's kidnapping and how it affects their lives. His brother Casey starred in the film.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-41">[42] It opened to rave reviews in October 2007.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-42">[43] When asked why he decided to direct the film, Affleck said: "Directing a movie was really instructive for me. I think I learned a lot about writing, and a lot about acting, and I learned how all the pieces fit together from the inside. That was really valuable. It was a good thing."<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-43">[44] The film received critical acclaim.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-44">[45] Lisa Schwarzbaum of Entertainment Weekly noted that Affleck "shows excellent instincts" as a director.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-45">[46] Stephanie Zacharek of Salon.com wrote, "As a director, Ben Affleck may turn out to be quite good with actors [...] But he may need to work harder at shaping material, and at making his characters emerge as rounded, believable people."<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-46">[47]

Affleck appeared in Jimmy Kimmel's 2008 video 'I'm Fucking Ben Affleck'; a response to Kimmel's then girlfriend, Sarah Silverman's, video 'I'm Fucking Matt Damon'.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-47">[48] <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-Affleck-Kimmel_48-0">[49] Many other celebrities appeared in the video including Good Charlotte's Joel and Benji Madden, Macy Gray, Dominic Monaghan, Lance Bass, Josh Groban, Don Cheadle, Brad Pitt, Cameron Diaz, Robin Williams, Harrison Ford, Huey Lewis, Joan Jett, Pete Wentz, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Meat Loaf, Dicky Barrett and many more.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-Affleck-Kimmel_48-1">[49]

[edit] 2009-present
Affleck and Jon Hamm on the set of The Town In 2009, Affleck returned to acting, starring in three features, He's Just Not That into You, State of Play, and Extract. In He's Just Not That into You, a romantic comedy, he was part of an ensemble cast that included Jennifer Aniston, Drew Barrymore, Scarlett Johansson, Justin Long, and Jennifer Connelly.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-49">[50] The film generated mostly mixed reviews,<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-50">[51] but was a box office success, earning $165 million worldwide.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-earnings_21-3">[22] In State of Play, an adaptation of the British television serial State of Play, Affleck played Congressman Stephen Collins. The film is a political thriller which explores the relationship between politicians and the media.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-51">[52] In the comedy film Extract, Affleck played Dean, a bartender, and the best friend to Jason Bateman's character.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-52">[53] His performance in the film was well-received, with Barbara Vancheri of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reporting that "Affleck is a hoot as a long-haired fount of bad advice and drugs he keeps in a little tin behind the bar. After playing a square-jawed crimefighter, an actor turned Superman and a congressman, he is actually loose and funny."<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-53">[54]

Affleck directed his second feature, The Town, an adaptation of Chuck Hogan's novel Prince of Thieves, that was both a critical and commercial success when it was released in theaters in 2010.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-54">[55] Along with directing and co-writing the film, he was part of the cast that includes Jon Hamm, Jeremy Renner, Chris Cooper and Blake Lively.

Affleck was awarded the Chairman's Award in the 2011 Palm Springs International Film Festival. Commenting on Affleck, Festival Chairman Harold Matzner said, If there is truly a renaissance man in today’s cinema, it’s Ben Affleck. He has distinguished himself as a premier writer and director, as well as an actor with a broad-ranging and impressive filmography. In his latest work, The Town, Affleck once again puts his acting, writing and directorial skills to work, in a stinging portrait of a New England town and the grip it has on generation after generation, who find it impossible to leave. For his ability to “do it all” and constantly evolve as an artist, The Palm Springs International Film Festival is proud to present Ben Affleck with the 2011 Chairman’s Award.” <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-55">[56] Affleck will star in an upcoming romantic drama written and directed by Terrence Malick, alongside Olga Kurylenko, Javier Bardem, Rachel McAdams and Rachel Weisz. Filming took place in fall 2010 in Bartlesville, Oklahoma and Pawhuska, Oklahoma.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-56">[57]

Affleck will also be directing his third feature, Argo, for producers George Clooney and Grant Heslov. The film tells the story of a CIA operation to save six ambassadors during the 1979 Iran hostage crisis by faking a production for a large-scale science fiction film.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-57">[58]

Following Argo, Affleck was selected to replace David Yates as the director for [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warner_Bros. Warner Bros.]' upcoming adaptation of Stephen King's novel, The Stand.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-58">[59]

[edit] Charitable and humanitarian projects
Affleck's support of the non-profit charitable organization, the A-T Children's Project,<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-organization_59-0">[60] began while he was filming Forces of Nature.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-People_-_Bio_8-5">[9] <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-People_2_34-1">[35] Affleck met a then nine-year-old child, Joe Kindregan, who has the rare disease ataxia-telangiectasia (A-T).<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-People_-_Bio_8-6">[9] <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-People_2_34-2">[35] The disease, described as like having muscular dystrophy, cystic fibrosis, immune deficiency and cancer all at once, is progressive; children with A-T usually do not live beyond their late teens.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-People_-_Bio_8-7">[9] <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-People_2_34-3">[35] Affleck attends benefits and spoke to Congress to advocate for the charity,<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-People_-_Bio_8-8">[9] <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-People_2_34-4">[35] and in 2007 was the keynote speaker at the graduation ceremony of Falls Church High School in Fairfax, Virginia, from which Kindregan was graduating.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-60">[61]

In June 2008, he appeared in an ABC News exclusive report exploring the humanitarian crisis in the Eastern Congo. Affleck travelled to the African nation and interviewed refugees, warlords, and members of parliament. "I think the more painful something is, the more you want to distance yourself from it," he said. "I think the hard part is actually to let some of that go and to realize that when you see some of these images of people suffering in some way or another, to kind of remember that these are people who are in fact just in different circumstances than you are, but that are kind of dealing with [those circumstances] in a pretty brave and enduring way."<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-61">[62] In December 2008, he teamed up with the United Nations releasing a short film highlighting the plight of Congolese refugees,<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-62">[63] and in March 2010, Affleck announced the formation of the Eastern Congo Initiative, which he founded as "the first U.S. based advocacy and grant-making initiative wholly focused on working with and for the people of eastern Congo."<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-63">[64]

[edit] Political activism
In the final weeks of the 2000 Presidential campaign, Affleck promoted the Democratic ticket, supporting Al Gore and repeatedly delivering a get-out-the-vote plea: "It's very important to vote. The president will appoint three or four Supreme Court justices."<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-2000_election_64-0">[65] During the final week of the race, Affleck – along with Helen Hunt, Martin Sheen, Rob Reiner and other actors – spent an hour at a phone bank calling registered Democrats.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-65">[66] "People in my generation have a low voter turnout. One of the reasons that I'm here is to demonstrate that no matter who you are going to vote for ... I think it's important to get involved and get out and vote," he told reporters. "But I'm going to tell people to vote for Gore."<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-2000_election_64-1">[65]

On October 28, 2000, Affleck flew with Hillary Clinton, who was running for a Senate seat, to Ithaca, New York, where he introduced her at a Cornell University rally. He told the college crowd that Clinton had been advocating for women and working families since "Rick Lazio was running around the frat house in his underwear". Lazio, then a Long Island congressman, was Clinton's Republican opponent.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-66">[67] Affleck on the set of The Rachel Maddow Show, April 16, 2009On November 6, 2000, the final day of the campaign, he was one of several high-profile celebrities summoned to Miami Beach by Miramax Films boss Harvey Weinstein for a late-night Gore rally, just hours before polls opened nationwide.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-2000_election_64-2">[65] The Gore campaign's last event, a final effort to energize South Beach voters, did not end until about 1:00 a.m., but Affleck flew back to New York that morning and made a surprise live appearance on The Rosie O'Donnell Show. It was 10:15 a.m. when he made his final public pitch from a Rockefeller Center studio, noting that he was "a little bit tired ... I've been out getting involved, doing stuff and trying to get people to vote. And that's why I came by here". Also, "Today is the get-out-the-vote day and ... I think this is the time to get involved, especially the young folks who are here ... I'm about to go vote," He then said, "I am personally gonna vote for Al Gore".<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-2000_election_64-3">[65] <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-67">[68]

As votes were tallied that night, Affleck told Salon.com's Amy Reiter, "I'm nervous this evening, but one of the things that's exciting to me is the number of people who voted. No matter who wins, I think it's a healthy thing for our country that so many voters have come out and participated in the process. Either way, I think the most important number will be the turnout".<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-68">[69]

In the May 2001 issue of GQ, Affleck said, "My fantasy is that someday I'm independently wealthy enough that I'm not beholden to anybody, so I can run for Congress on the grounds that everyday people should be in government".<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-69">[70] However, when he was asked about his political ambitions in an April 2009 interview to promote the 2009 film, State of Play, Affleck said, "I really like my job that I have now. Plus, unlike in Hollywood where you need one director to hire you, in politics you have to have a lot of people to vote for you. I think it's harder work. I really am happy with what I'm doing now. In fact I've never been at a place where I've felt better about going to work everyday. I'm more engaged and very, very happy."<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-70">[71]

In 2004, Affleck actively campaigned for Democratic presidential nominee John Kerry.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-71">[72] During the first day of the 2004 Democratic National Convention, he was featured on Larry King Live with Tucker Carlson and Al Sharpton.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-72">[73] Larry King asked if he would consider running for office, and Affleck admitted to contemplating the proposition. Specific attention focused on whether he would run for Kerry's open Senate seat (as Affleck was from Massachusetts). He noted that the line between politics and entertainment is becoming increasingly blurred, as Ronald Reagan and Arnold Schwarzenegger both came from the entertainment business.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-73">[74]

Affleck supports legalizing gay marriage, saying in 2004, "I don't think the government should be involved in any way in people's bedrooms or lives. With so much hatred and unpleasantness in the world, why would you want to get in the way of people who love each other marrying each other? Anybody who wants to be able to get married to anybody else should be able to. It's not my business."<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-74">[75] He also appeared in a print advertisement with his openly gay cousin in support of Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-75">[76] Though supporting the Democratic ticket in 2004, Affleck disagreed with their position on regulation of firearms and increased gun control.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-76">[77]

Despite his opposition to George W. Bush's policies as president, in an interview with Bill O'Reilly in July 2004 Affleck said, "I had the pleasure of and the honor of meeting the President of the United States at the Daytona 500. I found him to be a collegial, affable, kind guy." He went on to say Bush "is a patriot and he’s a man who believes in the country. He's trying to further an agenda he believes in. I happen to disagree with most of his policies, but I respect the man."<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-77">[78]

On December 21, 2010, Ben Affleck appeared on NPR and criticized CEOs for making so much money. "CEOs' pay shouldn't be 200 times the average worker. It used to be nine times."<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-78">[79] On November 4, 2010, Affleck was commended for returning a second check for $250,000 that was mistakenly sent to him for appearing at the opening of a casino at the Greenbriar resort.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-79">[80]

[edit] Personal life
Affleck has described himself as a lapsed Protestant.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-dyny_10-1">[11] Affleck at the 2008 World Series of Poker.An avid poker player, Affleck has regularly entered local events. He has been tutored by poker professionals Amir Vahedi and Annie Duke, and won the California State Poker Championship on June 20, 2004, taking home the first prize of $356,000, which qualified him for the 2004 World Poker Tour final tournament.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-80">[81] He is a fan of the Boston Red Sox,<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-81">[82] New England Patriots,<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-82">[83] Boston Celtics,<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-83">[84] and Boston Bruins.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-84">[85]

[edit] Family and relationships
Affleck had a high-profile romance with actress Gwyneth Paltrow in 1998, following her breakup with actor Brad Pitt.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-People_-_Bio_8-9">[9] In 2002, he began dating actress/singer Jennifer Lopez, whom he had met prior to filming Gigli.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-People_2_34-5">[35] The same year, his engagement to Lopez was announced, and the relationship between the two received much attention from the entertainment media, who dubbed the couple "Bennifer".<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-People_2_34-6">[35] Despite a wedding planned for September 14, the couple broke up in 2004, both blaming the media attention - including an alleged incident in which Affleck partied with Christian Slater and some lap dancers in Vancouver.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-85">[86] The negative publicity and media attention carried over to the 2003 film Gigli, which also was a box office failure.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-86">[87] <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-87">[88]

He subsequently began seeing his Daredevil co-star, actress Jennifer Garner, and the two were engaged after nine months of dating.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-People_2_34-7">[35] Affleck and Garner were married on June 29, 2005 in Turks and Caicos, located in the Atlantic Ocean north of Haiti and the Dominican Republic.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-88">[89] They have two daughters, Violet Anne, born in December 2005<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-89">[90] and Seraphina Rose Elizabeth, born in January 2009.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-90">[91] It was announced on August 22, 2011 that the couple is expecting their third child, due in early 2012.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-91">[92] They have a vacation home in Savannah, Georgia.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-92">[93]

[edit] Quitting alcohol and smoking
Affleck entered alcohol rehab in 2001, with a spokesman for the actor saying that "Ben is a self-aware and smart man who had decided that a fuller life awaits him without alcohol."<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-93">[94] He quit smoking after starring in Smokin' Aces, in which he was required to smoke heavily, and lost his taste for it after a week of chain-smoking for his role.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-94">[95]

[edit] Filmography
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