According to The Hollywood Reporter, her family announced that she died on June 2 at the age of 83 after being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in December. Beyond raising two Academy Award winners, Ben and Casey Affleck, she was also the inspiration behind one of the actor’s favorite childhood stories.
The Creative Parenting Lesson Ben Affleck Never Forgot
While looking back on his childhood during a 2020 appearance on The Kelly Clarkson Show, Affleck recalled how determined he was to convince his mother that he was ready for a dog. At just 10 years old, he insisted he was responsible enough, but Chris Anne had another idea before agreeing to bring a pet home.
Rather than simply saying no, she handed her son a leash and gave him an unusual assignment. “First, you have to walk an imaginary dog twice a day around the block, as if you had the dog, so I know that you’ll do it and you’re responsible enough to do it.” Affleck accepted the challenge, even though it meant strolling through the neighborhood holding an empty leash.
The experiment lasted for weeks, far longer than either of them expected. Recalling the moment with a laugh, Affleck said, “This woman gave me a leash, and I had to walk around the block with an empty leash.” By the third week, however, his mother decided the test had gone on long enough. “All right, forget it. I’m not giving you a dog.”
Although he never got the pet he wanted, the story remained one of Affleck’s favorite memories of his mother. Looking back, he joked that “she taught me the lesson of disappointment,” before adding that she eventually admitted, “I didn’t think you were going to follow through.” The playful challenge became a lasting reminder of the creative way Chris Anne Affleck approached parenting, long before her son became one of Hollywood’s biggest stars.
