Why Jennifer Garner Hesitated to Work with Ben Affleck During Their Marriage

Jennifer Garner, 52, once revealed she was hesitant to collaborate professionally with her ex-husband, Ben Affleck, 51, even during their marriage. In a 2010 interview, the “Family Switch” star explained that despite considering Affleck a “brilliant” actor, she wanted to avoid potentially altering their personal dynamics by working together on set.

Garner and Affleck have a history of working together on three films before tying the knot. Although they were married for 13 years, separating in 2015 and finalizing their divorce in 2018, they never shared the screen while together.

Their first collaborative effort was in the 2001 film “Pearl Harbor,” where Affleck portrayed a combat pilot, and Garner a nurse. They teamed up again in 2003 for “Daredevil” and reconnected in 2005 for “Elektra,” though Affleck’s scenes were ultimately cut from the narrative.

Their professional relationship blossomed into romance during the filming of “Elektra.” Garner’s marital status shifted around this time as she was previously married to her “Felicity” co-star Scott Foley from 2000 to 2004.

Affleck, meanwhile, ended his high-profile relationship with Jennifer Lopez, delaying their wedding amid intense media scrutiny and their celebrity couple nickname, “Bennifer.” They would reconcile and marry in 2022.

Garner’s reluctance to share the screen with Affleck during their marriage stemmed from a desire to preserve their relationship’s successful dynamic. In her 2010 cover interview with W Magazine, Garner, then 37, expressed no immediate plans to work with her husband again. She reasoned that their relationship worked well as it was, and there was no need to “rock the boat.”

“I think he’s brilliant at what he does, but why rock the boat?” Garner remarked. “It works between us pretty well the way it is.”

She humorously added, “I don’t know if I want to go to work with him. I’d be like, ‘OK already, you got the shot. Let’s go home!'”

Garner disclosed that she didn’t mind Affleck “working crazy hours,” but faced difficulties when they were apart due to his filming commitments. Discussing the time in Boston, Massachusetts, Garner admitted to struggling with the isolation from her friends and family home in Los Angeles.

“I miss my girlfriends!” Garner confessed, highlighting the challenges of being on location for someone else’s project. She explained that loneliness could set in when not surrounded by familiar faces.

She joked, “I can live with Ben working crazy hours. But I can’t live without girlfriends around to talk about men with! It’s fine if he’s not there; I just need someone to b***h about it to!”

Despite their marital split, Garner and Affleck have maintained a friendly relationship as they co-parent their three children: Violet, 18, Fin, 15, and Samuel, 12.