While Ben Affleck was snagging the spotlight from just about everyone some distant moons ago, younger brother Casey was building his own body of work. While avoiding riding his brother’s coattails, Casey did get his start with the Affleck brother’s favorite director Gus Van Sant in “To Die For” in 1995. A couple years later, Casey was a supporting member in two of Ben’s movies, the award-winning “Good Will Hunting” and Kevin Smith’s “Chasing Amy.” But it was Steven Soderbergh’s “Ocean’s Eleven” that established Casey as his own actor. Since then, he has gone on to make a name for himself.
Casey was born in Massachusetts in 1975. School didn’t appeal to him much, and after stints at George Washington University and later Columbia, Casey dropped out to focus on acting fulltime. A spell in Los Angeles proved short-lived as well. Upon returning to the East Coast, Casey was more successful with his auditions, carefully accepting parts that would both hone his skills and shape his career. In 2002, Casey co-wrote “Gerry” with Matt Damon and the two starred in the picture directed by Van Sant. While by no means a box office smash, the art film establishes Casey as a serious actor with the ability to take the commercial route on occasion as well, such as in “Ocean’s 12” and “13.”
In 2006, Casey married Joaquin Phoenix’s sister Summer and now the couple has two children. The mid 2000s have been Casey’s breakout years, with roles in “The Last Kiss,” “The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford” (in which Casey plays Ford), and “Gone Baby Gone,” in which he co-stars with Michelle Monaghan under the guiding directorial hand of his brother, Ben. The next few years should see Casey break out even more on his own, though he undoubtedly won’t forget the circle of people who helped him out: Gus Van Sant, his brother, Damon, and his collaborators Pitt and Clooney. All of them play off each other splendidly, and are unique talents in their own right. Casey is no exception.
Casey on the Screen
Casey’s worked three times for director Gus Van Sant: he makes his movie debut with “To Die For” in 1995 with Nicole Kidman, “Good Will Hunting” in 1997, and is co-writer and co-star of “Gerry” in 2002. He plays young Bobby Kennedy in the TV series “The Kennedys of Massachusetts” in 1990, is Little Kid in “Chasing Amy,” Tom in “200 Cigarettes,” an uncredited Tom Myers in “American Pie” and its sequel, Bobby Calzone in “Drowning Mona” in 2000, Fortinbras in “Hamlet,” and Virgil Malloy in the three “Ocean’s” films. He’s the lead in “Lonesome Jim” directed by Steve Buscemi, Chris in “The Last Kiss,” and Jesse James’ assassin Robert Ford.
Casey Says
On recognition:
“People bitch about losing their anonymity and then get insulted when someone doesn’t recognize them from whatever success they’ve had.”
On partners:
“You sleep with people all the time that you hate.”