Ben Affleck Wants His Kids to Avoid Wasting Time on Acting Careers
Ben Affleck is hoping his children will chart their own paths rather than follow in his footsteps.
“Having a public life places certain expectations on your kids, and that can be challenging,” Affleck, 53, shared in an interview with E! News published on January 14. He was reflecting on his three children with ex-wife Jennifer Garner. “We really want to allow them the space to discover their own interests.”
Affleck, who has Violet, 20, Seraphina, 17, and Samuel, 13, with Garner, emphasized that he would never impose a career in acting on them.
“They’re intelligent, wonderful, and we love them dearly,” he added with a chuckle, “And [we] hope they don’t end up wasting their lives on acting.”
While Samuel and Seraphina have mostly stayed out of the spotlight, Violet has been an advocate since her early years. When Affleck and Garner’s eldest daughter was in kindergarten, she campaigned for her own privacy and was instrumental in a 2013 bill that limited paparazzi from photographing children.
“Violet’s incredibly articulate — she’s Ben Affleck’s daughter, and she stood on a chair in a cute velvet dress, hair styled and glasses on, and expressed: ‘We didn’t ask for this. We don’t want these cameras, they’re frightening. The men are scary; they push each other, and it’s hard to feel like a kid when you’re being chased,’” Garner recounted in a 2021 interview with The Hollywood Reporter.
Now a student at Yale University, Violet has also participated in White House state dinners and United Nations assemblies advocating for clean air and mask mandates in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“In 2019, I contracted a post-viral condition,” Violet shared during a 2024 L.A. County Board of Supervisors meeting. “I’m fine now, but I learned that medicine doesn’t always provide answers for the effects of even minor viruses. The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted this very clearly.”
Later, speaking at the United Nations General Assembly in September 2025, Violet stated, “We can recognize access to filtered air as a human right, just as we do for filtered water. We can establish clean air infrastructure that is so common and essential that future generations won’t even question its necessity.”
Violet’s parents beam with pride at her dedication to her beliefs.
“It’s thrilling,” Garner remarked about Violet starting college during a 2023 appearance on Live With Kelly and Mark. “I can see the stress — the excitement and stress often go together. But she’s managing it incredibly well and is very proactive. I don’t have to ask, ‘Are you doing this, are you doing that?’ She’s self-motivated. And I’m proud of her, no matter what.”
Meanwhile, Affleck expressed to Access Hollywood in 2025, “She definitely takes after her mom. She’s amazing. I feel so fortunate to have a wonderful partner and to raise such great kids. It’s the highlight of my life, and I’m incredibly grateful. They bring me joy every single day.”
