Ben Affleck is on the rise once again. Thought you’d never hear those words didn't you?

Well, Affleck thought so himself and for the past decade the actor-turned-director has been down, but not out, and he’s happy to finally have some recognition coming his way. And it’s a healthy dose of recognition too, with five Golden Globe nominations for Argo, which he directed and starred in, are nothing to be sniffed at. The film tells the story of a 1979 rescue attempt for US hostages in Iran, and is Affleck’s fifth directorial effort. A previous success of his came with The Town, but despite being a critics’ darling, the film never quite managed blockbuster status. Also, lets not forget to mention that this was way back in 2010, which makes it about a century ago in internet time.

Things are definitely looking up, however, and Affleck is nothing if not grateful for the turn of events. "There were an awful lot of mornings where I woke up and nobody nominated me for anything. And, there were also times when I woke up and not only was I not getting any good news, but I was getting bad news," he says, quoted by USA Today.

“So, if you're going to deal with the downside, I think it's OK to enjoy the upside. It's definitely been a while for me, in this sense, so it really is exciting. It's exciting. When you've been kicked around a little bit, you have greater appreciation for a good thing.”

Truer words have never been spoken, especially for the A-list actor, who spent a decade living down a certain tabloid-bait breakup (cough, Bennifer, cough). With the Golden Globe recognition, however, and Argo already being rumoured for Oscar success, it’s set to be a good year for Affleck.