Newly reported death-certificate details have provided additional information about the illness that preceded the death of Christopher “Chris” Anne Affleck, the mother of actors Ben and Casey Affleck.
Chris died on June 2 at age 83, several weeks before her family publicly announced the news through an obituary.
According to the certificate, she died from cardiopulmonary arrest, with pancreatic adenocarcinoma listed among the conditions leading to her death.
She had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in December 2025 and, according to her obituary, was told that she had approximately six months to live.
She Died While Visiting One of Her Sons
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The death certificate, obtained by Us Weekly, states that Chris died at 10:52 a.m. while “visiting son’s residence.” The outlet reported that public records connect the Los Angeles address listed in the document to Ben. No autopsy was performed. Her family publicly shared the news in an obituary published through The Boston Globe on July 24, more than seven weeks after her death.
Chris Reached Her Final Goal Two Days Before Her Death
After receiving her diagnosis, Chris’ greatest wish was to see her grandson graduate from high school. She fulfilled that wish on May 31, attending Atticus Affleck’s graduation with her family. She died two days later.
Her obituary described her five grandchildren as “the animating force of her last two decades.” Chris was proud of their accomplishments but reportedly found particular satisfaction in watching them question, challenge and thoughtfully engage with authority. She is survived by Ben and Casey, as well as her grandchildren Indiana, Violet, Atticus, Fin and Sam.
Her Life Extended Far Beyond Her Sons’ Hollywood Careers
Born Christopher Anne Boldt in New York City in 1942, Chris graduated from Harvard University and spent nearly four decades working as a public school teacher. She retired from education in 2008. Her involvement in social and political causes began long before her sons became famous.
Chris taught literacy classes in Mississippi during the 1964 Freedom Summer campaign and participated in demonstrations against the Vietnam War. Decades later, she volunteered during Barack Obama’s presidential campaign.
After traveling to Israel and Palestine in 2009, she returned as an organizer with the Alliance for Water Justice in Palestine. She also served as a founding board member of the Sustainable Cape project in Truro, Massachusetts.
When one of her granddaughter’s student activist groups needed a location for training sessions, Chris offered her home in Truro and attended every workshop herself, taking notes alongside the younger participants.
Chris Helped Ben and Casey Begin Acting
Chris encouraged her sons’ early interest in acting while making sure they understood that entertainment offered no guarantee of a stable career. She helped Ben make an important early industry connection by introducing him to a former Harvard roommate who worked as a casting director.
Ben and Casey eventually became Academy Award-winning actors. Ben also won an Oscar with Matt Damon for writing Good Will Hunting, while Casey received the best-actor award for Manchester by the Sea. Chris accompanied Ben to the 1998 Academy Awards, where he and Damon won Best Original Screenplay for Good Will Hunting.
Both men had brought their mothers to the ceremony and embraced them after their names were announced. During the acceptance speech, Ben thanked his mother and Damon’s mother, calling them “the most beautiful women here.”