Ben Affleck recently opened up about a terrifying encounter from his early teens that took an even darker turn years later. The two-time Oscar winner, 54, recalled the dangers he faced while growing up in the streets of Cambridge, Massachusetts.
During the premiere episode of actress Kerry Washington‘s Street You Grew Up On podcast on September 30, 2026, Affleck recalled the time he was held at knifepoint, and he realized years later that he may have dodged a more serious attack as he recognized one of the boys.
Ben Affleck believes he escaped a potentially life-threatening attack for recognizing the attackers
Affleck recalled being around 14 when he was held at knifepoint while walking home from high school in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The Gone Girl actor said he was walking through the College Street neighborhood when he noticed two boys wearing what he described as “literal hoods” across the street. He shared:
“I remember I was walking home from high school; I was 14, maybe, and I saw these two kids in, like, literal hoods on the other side of the street. And, you know, it’s kind of one of those things where you’re like, ‘All right.'”
The actor recalled how, despite wanting to run, the boys crossed the street. However, he decided not to, as “the worst thing you could do is run.” Affleck continued:
“They cross the street, and then it’s that thing of like, ‘Okay, me going to run?’ But of course, that like the worst thing you could do is run; totally sensible thing to do. But instead, I’m like, ‘I’m going to go,’ and immediately, they pass me, grab me, take a knife out, give me your money, and I was like, ‘Oh!’ I was scared.”
But then, something changed. As the confrontation unfolded, Affleck realized he recognized the boys from playing baseball. The recognition appeared to change the situation, and he was able to walk away without any physical harm. The actor shared:
“I cornered my eye, and I realized who they were. I recognized them from playing baseball, and they were like older boys that I knew, and they were like, ‘Oh yeah, what’s up?’ And so I guess I was like, ‘I guess I’m off the hook.'”
Affleck later learned that one of the boys involved had gone on to commit a fatal knife attack. He told Washington that one of the kids eventually ended up in jail after he allegedly killed somebody with a knife. He was later convicted and sentenced to 20 years in prison. He revealed:
“Actually, that kid who robbed me ended up, I don’t know, three or four years later, killing somebody with a knife and going to prison for 20 years. So there was that, you know what I mean? And you were kind of aware of it.”
Ben Affleck reflects on his growing up years in Cambridge
During the podcast, Affleck reflected on growing up on Cottage Street in Cambridge in what he described as a working-class neighborhood. He told his Animal co-star that violence and tension were familiar parts of the environment around him. It was one of the reasons that he became aware from an early age of the difficult circumstances some people faced.
Despite those experiences, the actor couldn’t help but feel warmly about the people and bonds that shaped his childhood, particularly his longtime friendship with Matt Damon, who is now more of a brother than a friend. Decades before they rose to become two of the most celebrated actors in Hollywood, Affleck and Damon grew up in the same neighborhood in the Boston area.
The pair eventually went on to write Good Will Hunting together, winning the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay. Reflecting on their creative success, Affleck said in the podcast that their high school drama teacher, Jerry Speca, deserved much credit. He recalled how their teacher helped him and Damon realize that writing and acting could become more than childhood interests. He said:
“Matt and I would never have written Good Will Hunting or thought we could write or were writers if we had not been in that class.”
Affleck and Washington are also co-stars in their upcoming film, Animals, which is scheduled to arrive in theaters and on Netflix on October 9, 2026.
Image courtesy: YouTube, social media
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