Ben Affleck talks Jennifer Lopez's 'bananas'-level fame, why his kids are his legacy
Ben Affleck is opening up like never before.
The two-time Academy Award winner was the interview guest on the season 4 premiere of Kevin Hart's talk show, "Hart to Heart," and opened up about his childhood, starting out as a young actor, his "Good Will Hunting" success and much more.
He also got candid about his personal life, including his relationship with fame and with wife Jennifer Lopez.
Continue reading to see some of the highlights from Hart's interview with Affleck.
'Resting hard face'
When Hart asked Affleck if he prefers acting or working behind the camera, Affleck said while he enjoys acting, he sees himself more as "a filmmaker" and "a director."
He explained that while he prefers this role "because it engages not just the parts of me that are expressive," he also said it's partly because he's "a little bit shy."
"I also don't like a lot of attention," he continued. "This is why people see me and they're like, 'This dude always mad,' because somebody has their camera and [they're] sticking it in my face ... and also 'cause I'm with my kids and you're taking my picture."
Affleck, who has spawned memes of him looking sad or grumpy, further expressed his desire to protect his three children, all of whom he shares with ex-wife Jennifer Garner, and keep them out of the spotlight.
"I don't mind you taking my picture when I'm at a club, a premiere, whatever, with my wife. I don't give a f---. Go ahead. Knock yourself out. I don't notice you," he said. "But with my children, that's a different thing."
When Hart said he has a "resting b---- face," Affleck hilariously quipped that it's actually a "resting hard face."
Seeing his children as his legacy
Despite all of the accolades and box office wins, Affleck said what will truly define his life's story are his children.
"I know what's meaningful to me. It doesn't have to be meaningful to everybody else. Really, for me, actually, the meaning of my life is going to be these kids," he said. "That's really my story."
"The meaning of my life you will see manifest and imbued in them, and that's just the truth, because, you know, your children see you for everything that you are, and you have this deep relationship with how they're going to turn out and be, what kind of people they are," he added.
Affleck said he's "mindful of that every day" and said he prioritizes his life by doing what's right by them and "making their lives better."
Differing levels of fame with Lopez
While he's no stranger to the spotlight, Affleck said Lopez attracts attention like he's never seen before and said he realized "people love her, and she really represents something important to people."
"People are like, 'Hey, I like your movie,'" he joked about how fans greet him, comparing that to how they scream about how much they love his wife when he's out with her.
Affleck shared a story about how he and the "Jenny from the Block" singer, as well as their collective five children -- including two of Lopez's kids from her marriage to Marc Anthony -- were bombarded by fans when making their way through Times Square in New York City.
He recalled how they got out of their car to make it to a play, because they'd be late if they waited in traffic, and during the block-and-a-half walk to the theater, he realized how "f------ bananas" Lopez's level of fame was.
"I was like, 'Oh my God,'" he joked. "Then I'm moving. We got, like, our five kids, me and Jen, and ... it feels like hundreds of people, and they're all screaming."
