When it comes to being a mother, Jennifer Garner may seem like your typical mom. But with three kids and a Hollywood career, she’s anything but ordinary. In a recent interview, the actress opened up about her children’s preferences when it comes to watching their parents on screen. It turns out her kids don’t particularly like watching Mom but have no problem “checking out” their Dad Ben Affleck, and honestly the reason makes a lot of sense.
Garner, who shares three children with ex-husband Ben Affleck, explains in a recent interview with Allure that her children don’t typically want to watch her work on the big screen because they prefer to see their mother as just mom. According to the Alias alum, part of the reason is that women are often asked to cry or perform romantic scenes, which her kids, for good reason, have no interest in watching. Garner told the publication:
They don’t mind watching their dad, but they kind of want me to be their mom. They don’t want to see me upset and women cry more in what we do. And they don’t really want to see me in a romantic thing.
Unsurprisingly, Garner and Affleck’s offspring, aged 11 to 17, prefer their pops' onscreen performances. After all, Ben gets to don the iconic Batsuit in the upcoming DC movie The Flash, which absolutely blew us away at CinemaCon. But as someone who’s no stranger to superhero films (read her recollection of her experience playing Elektra and struggling with hter costume), Garner makes a solid argument about the double standards actors face in the industry based on gender. Who can blame their kids for not wanting to see their mother in that sort of role and gravitating to their father's work? Not I.
Despite separating eight years ago, Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner have remained close as co-parents and friends. Today, the former couple has moved on with their respective partners, with Garner dating John Miller and Affleck marrying Jennifer Lopez. Even though the two seem to be getting along great, Affleck’s recent media coverage regarding his new movie, Air, his marriage, and his viral Dunkin’ commercials prompted a reporter to ask Garner about the attention their family has received. Garner, who rarely speaks publicly about Affleck, expressed her discomfort with all the press they’ve been receiving and that she works hard not to see either of them in the media because It doesn’t make her “feel good.”
Affleck and Garner seem to be living their best lives while co-parenting their children and maintaining their blended family. They’re also keeping themselves busy with exciting projects this year. Affleck recently made his directorial comeback with the real-life story behind the creation of Nike’s most iconic shoe, Air, which received some great reviews. If his kids haven’t seen it yet (but let’s be honest, they probably have), they can catch it now with an Amazon Prime subscription. On the other hand, Garner starred in a new show called The Last Thing He Told Me that hit the 2023 TV schedule. Though her kids might have skipped it, you don’t have to! The show is available with an Apple TV+ subscription.
