Ben Affleck Sets The Record Straight: No Hollywood Pressure For His Kids

The Affleck Approach to Parenting

Hollywood heavyweight Ben Affleck is making headlines for his refreshingly hands-off approach to parenting. Known for his roles both on the screen and in the public eye, Affleck is determined not to push his kids into the limelight. The 53-year-old actor shares three children with ex-wife Jennifer Garner: Violet (20), Seraphina (17), and Samuel (13).

Affleck opened up to E! News, explaining, “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." The actor, who married Garner in 2005 before splitting in 2018, stressed his desire for his kids to pursue their own passions.

“I wouldn't push them into that. They're brilliant and lovely and wonderful and we love them and we're proud of them, and hope that they don't waste their life acting.”

From Humble Beginnings

Affleck, who didn't grow up with the same level of privilege as his children, believes that struggling from the bottom has its advantages. “In some way, it was kind of a blessing to anonymity, to struggle, to where we started, which was just in the middle of nowhere,” he reflected.

These revelations showcase a softer side to the actor, one that values individuality and the lessons that come from facing life's challenges head-on.

Ben's Take on AI in Filmmaking

Affleck hasn’t just been talking about family. He’s also been sharing his insights on the future of filmmaking at CNBC’s Delivering Alpha 2024 investor summit. The actor sees AI as a tool that can streamline the movie-making process by eliminating the "more laborious, less creative" tasks, but he doesn’t believe it poses a threat to true artistic expression.

“AI can write you excellent imitative verse that sounds Elizabethan. It cannot write you Shakespeare,” Affleck commented. He remains confident that the magic of live actors and their creative collaboration is irreplaceable, at least for the foreseeable future.

Affleck's optimistic view is that AI will democratize filmmaking, lowering costs and barriers to entry, thereby giving more creators the chance to showcase their unique visions. "What AI is going to do is dis-intermediate the more laborious, less creative, and more costly aspects of filmmaking," he said, suggesting that this could lead to a renaissance of fresh voices and original stories in the film industry.