Ben Affleck Says He Considers Time with His Kids When Picking Jobs: 'These Years Are Too Important'

Photography by Austin Hargrave for The Hollywood Reporter

Ben Affleck is staying close to home for the next phase of his career, with his focus on his family.

The actor, 50, sat down with The Hollywood Reporter to talk about his budding production company with friend and frequent collaborator Matt Damon and the first movie from that effort, Air.

In discussing his decision to get into the production side of things, Affleck revealed that he was seeking out ways to expand his career while staying in Los Angeles.

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The Hollywood Reporter Ben Affleck on the cover of The Hollywood Reporter

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"One of the reasons I did it was, I'm divorced. I share custody. I don't want to go to Austin and New Orleans and Georgia anymore and not see my kids," explained the father of three.

The Argo director and actor shares son Samuel, 10, and daughters Seraphina, 14, and Violet, 17, with ex-wife Jennifer Garner. He's also stepdad to wife Jennifer Lopez's 15-year-old twins Max and Emme.

"It just doesn't work. These years are too important. If I miss them, I'll regret it for the rest of my life," he continued. "And then I thought, 'OK, well, if I'm in Los Angeles and I'm in an office and I'm doing this work, I can step out for the basketball game or the jazz performance.' So I protect those things."

Photography by Austin Hargrave for The Hollywood Reporter Ben Affleck

Asked if he found that was working for him, Affleck said, "I've found that people are taking me quite seriously."

"As an actor, people look at you, like, 'He doesn't really mean that.' But [in business] they treat it as sacrosanct. They'll go, 'Yeah, well, we were going to have that meeting with the heads of the Five Families, but you had your kid's basketball game.' " he continued.

"Now, my parents never came to one Little League game ever, once. But in the modern era of raising children, with three kids, 11, 14, and 17, and three schools with their individual activities, it turns out that is in and of itself a total full-time job."

Photography by Austin Hargrave for The Hollywood Reporter Ben Affleck

Elsewhere in the interview, Affleck discussed how movies are competing with streaming services, sharing that daughter Violet has questioned his commitment to the medium.

"My daughter is 17. She lives her life largely in opposition to the work her parents have spent their lives dedicated to, where she'll say things like, 'I'm not sure film is really … Do you think it's a genuine art form?' " he shared.

"I like the fact that she has this silver rapier tongue. But anyway, I went into it going, 'OK, these movies aren't f------ working anymore. And these are the ones I like.'"