Ben Affleck no longer being Affleck
By Anthony Breznican (USA TODAY)
Updated: 2006-09-15 10:53
Affleck has spent his downtime writing and directing the crime thriller Gone, Baby, Gone, set for release next year, and playing a supporting part as a murderous creep in the action-comedy Smokin' Aces, out next March.
He's not unhappy about going from leading man to character actor. "If someone says, 'We're gonna spend $500 million on a movie,' I'm probably not the first guy on the list that they come to for that. But I've been in movies that earned a lot of money that ... I wish I wasn't in, honestly."
He's more choosy now, and he wants to focus on writing and directing. "I was a little cavalier before, but having a child makes me think about things differently. The only thing that matters to me is my daughter being able to be proud of her old man.
"I have to prove myself all over again, but I don't mind that," he says. "Once I realized where things were going, I just said, 'OK, let me make sure I'm in a place where I don't have to worry about being on Family Feud for dough in five years and then I'll just do what I can be proud of.' "
Another change: His private life is off limits now.
"It took me a while to learn how to set certain boundaries. I learned my lesson."
So here goes: How is life with Garner and little Violet?
"It's great. Fabulous. Wonderful," he says. "When you have problems in your life, there's a lot more to say. I love being a father, I love my life, and that's good."
