The actress opens up to 'Allure' about motherhood, being the 'nice girl' and navigating the spotlight.
Jennifer Garner is a Golden Globe award-winning actress, but says her kids don't want to watch her movies.
In a cover story interview with Allure, the actress opens up about being in the spotlight, motherhood, and her "always nice" persona. Additionally, Garner is seen with various hair colors and over-the-top outfits in the magazine.
"The problem with, 'Oh, she’s so nice' is that when I have any kind of boundary, people think of it as much more than it actually is. The problem is being recognized on a day where I'm not so nice or when I have blackness in my soul," says Garner.
"I’ve definitely had days where I just can’t do it. I scowl at people before they can walk up to me. I’m not perfect, and I don’t think I’m rude, but I’m not good at being fake. I’m an open book of a person."
Garner got her big acting break in 2001 when she starred in ABC’s Alias from 2001 to 2006, beginning when she was just 28 years old. In 2002 she won the Golden Globe for Best Actress – Television Series Drama for playing Sydney Bristow in the hit series.
After starring in 2003's Daredevil together, Ben Affleck and Garner became close friends and ultimately married in June 2005. The 51-year-old actress initially split from Affleck in 2015 and the former spouses finalized their divorce in 2018.
The couple have three children: daughters Violet, 17, Seraphina, 14, and son Samuel, 11.
Despite gaining the respect of Hollywood and her peers, her children haven’t quite caught on.
"They don’t mind watching their dad, but they kind of want me to be their mom. They don’t want to see me upset and women cry more in what we do. And they don’t really want to see me in a romantic thing," she explains why her kids watch Affleck's movies and not hers.
Garner is constantly posting videos on social media of herself and her friends baking, gardening or just having fun, giving fans an opportunity to see into her life -- but it wasn’t always like that.
“There were two decades where it was really hard to hold a conversation. Not in a woe-is-me, poor celebrity way. I was on baby watch every single day. The day after I had a baby, the paparazzi were watching again. They kind of rush you through your life because they’re just trying to get to the next stage of something they can sell,” Garner tells Allure.
"I learned a while ago that I’m way too sensitive to what is written about me, my family. The only things I have on my phone are The New York Times, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal. I can’t even have CNN."
Last month, the actress spoke with Hoda Kotb and Savannah Guthrie on Today to plug her upcoming Apple TV+ series, The Last Thing He Told Me, in which she plays stepmom to a brooding Angourie Rice. The conversation quickly turned to social media and her real-life role as a mom.
"I just said to my kids, 'Tell me, show me the articles that prove that social media is good for teenagers and then we'll have the conversation,'" Garner said. "Find scientific evidence that matches what I have that says that it's not good for teenagers, then we'll chat."
As for her kids' reaction to the rule, Garner said, "My eldest is grateful."
"We'll see," she continued. "I mean, it's a long haul. I have a couple more to go. So, just knock on wood, we'll see if I really hang in there."
Garner also spoke to ET about her teenage children thinking she's "extra."
"I think my children live feeling that way," Garner quipped. "They would tattoo it. They don't even need to say it. It is fact."
RELATED CONTENT:
