Ben Affleck Urges His Kids to Pursue Passion Over Fame—Why He’s Steering Them Away From Hollywood

So, Ben Affleck has zero interest in nudging his kids onto a movie set. Not that this is actually surprising, given everything he has to say about growing up under Hollywood's microscope—but he does lay it out in a way that's brutally honest, even for him.

Affleck on Acting and His Own Kids ('No Thanks')

Chatting with E! News, Affleck explained his parenting philosophy when it comes to Hollywood: he basically wants his kids to run in the opposite direction. That doesn't mean he's anti-showbiz, but he's crystal clear about not repeating his own childhood under the spotlight. In his words:

'You put something on your children when you have a public life, and that's complicated. We really want to give them room to figure out what they want to do. I wouldn't push them into that. They're brilliant and lovely and wonderful, and we love them, and we're proud of them. I hope they don't waste their life acting.'

A little harsh, but classic Ben—he's not sugarcoating the realities of a kid actor's life. He started early himself, showing up on PBS in The Voyage of the Mimi way before he and Matt Damon wrote their way to Oscar gold. Affleck gets that the business is rough, even if it comes with perks. And unlike his own start—relatively anonymous, scrappy, nowhere near the A-list—the dynamic for his kids is totally different. They were born into fame, whether they like it or not.

Meet the Kids (and Why He Wants Them Out of the Biz)

• Violet, 20
• Seraphina, 17
• Samuel, 13

Affleck shares all three kids with Jennifer Garner—still friendly co-parents, by the way, even though they've split up. The two of them have been spotted together pretty regularly, apparently maintaining the rare Hollywood smooth-divorce dynamic.

Lessons from a Lifetime in the Spotlight

Affleck seems genuinely relieved that his kids don't have to go through what he did, at least in terms of anonymity. He describes his own early years as 'a blessing to anonymity, to struggle, to where we started, which was just in the middle of nowhere.' That's not something his kids will ever get to experience—unless, somehow, the paparazzi all lose interest at once.

For Affleck, it's not about rejecting Hollywood outright (he's still working, with a couple of projects slated for 2026). But when it comes to his own family, he's hoping the Affleck-Garner kids opt for something—anything—other than acting. It's actually kind of refreshing to hear from a card-carrying member of the Hollywood club, and maybe not the most popular advice if you ask his industry peers.