Ben Affleck appears to be spending plenty of quality time with his loved ones. Just days after marking his 54th birthday, the actor stepped out again in Santa Monica, where he was seen sharing a laid-back day with two of his children, Violet and Fin.
The trio headed out for dinner together and appeared dressed casually for the evening. Affleck opted for a light blue button-down shirt with black trousers and sneakers, keeping his look simple and understated.
Fin opted for a casual look, pairing brown overalls with a gray sweater, glasses and eye-catching red Vans. Violet, currently enjoying her summer vacation from Yale University, added a brighter touch to the outing in a gray sweater teamed with a bold red skirt and gray sneakers. She was also seen wearing a protective face mask.
The family chose Fia, a popular California-Italian restaurant in Santa Monica known for dishes prepared with fresh ingredients. Interestingly, Jennifer Garner and her boyfriend had also been spotted dining at the same restaurant just two weeks earlier.
The dinner came shortly after another important family gathering. Affleck turned 54 on August 15 and marked the occasion surrounded by those closest to him. He was photographed at Farmshop with his three children and his former wife, Jennifer Garner.
The occasion also carried extra significance, marking one of Affleck’s earliest appearances in public since losing his mother, Chris Affleck. She had recently passed away following a battle with pancreatic cancer.
Affleck has spoken warmly about his mother throughout his career. She worked as a public-school teacher, studied at Harvard and later earned her master’s degree there. She was also by her son’s side during one of the earliest major milestones of his Hollywood career, accompanying him to the Academy Awards when he received recognition for writing “Good Will Hunting.”
The actor has previously contrasted his parents’ backgrounds, explaining that while his mother pursued higher education and teaching, his father lived a more working-class life and held jobs including auto mechanic, bartender and janitor at Harvard.
Now, following an emotional period for the family, Affleck appears to be spending plenty of time close to his children — with his latest Santa Monica dinner offering another rare glimpse of the actor simply enjoying an evening as a dad.
