Ben Affleck Praises Jennifer Lopez and Reveals Why Jennifer Garner Turned Down a Role Opposite Him

The Actor Opens Up About a Casting Change, Co-Parenting, and Why He Wants to Keep Working Close to Home

Ben Affleck was supposed to direct his longtime friend Matt Damon in the thriller Animals. When Damon became unavailable and Affleck stepped into the lead role, a second casting decision suddenly felt more complicated. Jennifer Garner, who had been lined up to play the lead character’s wife, decided to pass.

Affleck understood why. In an October 2026 interview with Variety, he said he still hoped to work with Garner and explained why their real-life history could distract audiences from the characters. In the same conversation, he praised Jennifer Lopez’s acting and offered a glimpse of the school pickups and family dinners that shape his schedule in Los Angeles.

Why Garner Passed on Playing Affleck’s Wife

The original plan for Animals had Damon in the lead and Garner as his on-screen spouse. Damon’s commitment to The Odyssey left him unavailable, so Affleck took over while remaining the film’s director. The switch meant Garner would be playing opposite her former husband in a story centered on a married couple.

Affleck later described Garner’s decision to turn down the role as wise. He saw a practical concern for both performers. Viewers familiar with their marriage could bring that knowledge into scenes that depended on them believing in two fictional people.

Kerry Washington ultimately played Abigail Kimball, the wife of Affleck’s character, Los Angeles mayoral candidate Mark Kimball. The thriller follows the couple after a late-night call from someone claiming to have kidnapped their son. With that family crisis at the center of the film, Affleck wanted viewers to focus on what was happening between Mark and Abigail.

He remains open to working with Garner on a different project. He spoke appreciatively of her as both a performer and a friend, leaving open the possibility that the right roles could bring them together on screen.

What Affleck Said About Jennifer Lopez’s Acting

Affleck was also asked about Lopez’s performances in Kiss of the Spider Woman and Hustlers. He had been a producer on Kiss of the Spider Woman, and the interviewer raised the question of whether Lopez had received enough recognition for her work in both films.

“I’m biased,” Affleck said before expressing his admiration for what Lopez can do as a performer. He went on to discuss how much personal taste influences awards voting and how often his own preferences differ from the results.

His comments made room for both his personal connection to Lopez and his professional judgment. He also praised Lopez and Garner for the work they put into building their own audiences, an aspect of the entertainment business he said he would struggle to do himself.

School Pickups and Dinner With His Children

Affleck and Garner share three children. In the interview, he described a routine in which the children spend a week with him and then a week with their mother. When they are with him, his day can include finishing work, picking them up from school, and having dinner together if they are willing to hang out with him.

There was affection in the way he described those evenings, including his joke about whether the children would agree to spend time with him. He also said he was grateful for the relationship they have with Garner.

That arrangement played a part in his early thinking about Animals. Affleck had considered whether he and Garner could coordinate their work schedules around time with the children. Once Damon’s departure changed the casting, the two still had their established parenting routine to consider.

Why Affleck Wants to Keep Making Films in Los Angeles

Affleck linked his preference for working in Los Angeles to the fact that his children live there. Their lives are moving quickly, he explained, and he wants to be around for those years. He acknowledged that being able to choose where he works is a privilege.

Keeping productions in Los Angeles is also one of his goals for Artists Equity, the company he co-founded with Damon. Animals was filmed in and around the city, where its story is set. For Affleck, that meant making a film in the same place where he wanted to spend his time off set.

When asked what life looks like away from work, he came back to the ordinary details. There is a school pickup to make, dinner if the kids are up for it, and another week when they will be with their mom. For Affleck, those are the days worth staying close to home for.