Ben Affleck Praises Jennifer Lopez and Reveals Why Jennifer Garner Turned Down a Role Opposite Him
The Actor Opens Up About a Casting Change, Co-Parenting, and Why He Wants to Keep Working Close to Home
Ben Affleck was supposed to direct his longtime friend Matt Damon in the thriller Animals. When Damon became unavailable and Affleck stepped into the lead role, a second casting decision suddenly felt more complicated. Jennifer Garner, who had been lined up to play the lead character’s wife, decided to pass.
Affleck understood why. In an October 2026 interview with Variety, he said he still hoped to work with Garner and explained why their real-life history could distract audiences from the characters. In the same conversation, he praised Jennifer Lopez’s acting and offered a glimpse of the school pickups and family dinners that shape his schedule in Los Angeles.
Why Garner Passed on Playing Affleck’s Wife
The original plan for Animals had Damon in the lead and Garner as his on-screen spouse. Damon’s commitment to The Odyssey left him unavailable, so Affleck took over while remaining the film’s director. The switch meant Garner would be playing opposite her former husband in a story centered on a married couple.
Affleck later described Garner’s decision to turn down the role as wise. He saw a practical concern for both performers. Viewers familiar with their marriage could bring that knowledge into scenes that depended on them believing in two fictional people.
Kerry Washington ultimately played Abigail Kimball, the wife of Affleck’s character, Los Angeles mayoral candidate Mark Kimball. The thriller follows the couple after a late-night call from someone claiming to have kidnapped their son. With that family crisis at the center of the film, Affleck wanted viewers to focus on what was happening between Mark and Abigail.
He remains open to working with Garner on a different project. He spoke appreciatively of her as both a performer and a friend, leaving open the possibility that the right roles could bring them together on screen.
