NEWSBen Affleck Says He Doesn't Want to 'Outlive His Children' After Parents' Deaths: 'That Would Be the Worst Thing I Could Imagine'
Ben Affleck revealed that losing both parents within two months made him face his mortality and cherish time with his children.
Oct. 8 2026, Updated 8:40 a.m. ET
Ben Affleck opened up about how losing both of his parents within a two-month span completely altered his perspective on the future.
"You think about your own mortality and your own life and your own children and what you want to do with it," Affleck, who shares three children, Violet, Seraphina and Samuel, with his ex-wife Jennifer Garner, said during an interview published Tuesday, October 6.
"I certainly don't want to outlive my children," he declared. "That would be the worst thing I could imagine."
Affleck Lost Both Parents Within Two Months
Ben Affleck admitted the back-to-back family losses reshaped how he approaches his current lifestyle choices.
Affleck's mother, Chris Affleck, died in June at 83, while his father, Timothy Affleck, died earlier in the year.
"It's a big year of life," Ben remarked. "My brother and I, our parents died just two months apart, beginning of April and June."
The back-to-back deaths brought his childhood and family history into sharper focus.
"And you realize, yeah, we only get so much time," he added.
The 54-year-old actor also reflected on how the experience changed the way he viewed his parents and the life he had built for himself.
His Mother's Death Deepened His Appreciation
Ben Affleck admired his mother's brave life, noting her final words inspired him to prioritize what truly matters now.
The two-time Academy Award winner spoke particularly warmly about Chris, describing her as "extraordinary and brave."
"Her death really did cause me to even more deeply and fully appreciate her and her life," he continued.
He recalled one conversation that stayed with him: His mother told him she had lived a great life without regrets but thought 83 years would feel longer.
"I get it," Ben recalled thinking. "It makes you think, 'Okay, how do I want to spend the rest of this time?'"
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Ben Described His Relationship With His Father as Complicated
Ben Affleck admitted his relationship with his father remained complicated and distant.
His reflections on Timothy were more complicated.
The veteran Hollywood star acknowledged that they had not been close during the final years of his father's life, describing their relationship as complicated but declining to discuss the reasons publicly.
The experience also reinforced something Ben had learned earlier in life: unresolved issues do not necessarily disappear with time.
"Stuff you haven't fixed in life stays unfixed," he noted.
'Not Tragic'
Ben Affleck accepted his parents' passing as the natural life cycle, declaring that losing a child remains his worst nightmare.
Despite the pain, Ben views his parents' deaths as part of the natural order of life.
"It is horrible, but it's not tragic," noted the Good Will Hunting co-writer.
"This is the way it's supposed to go," he observed.
