Jennifer Garner Won't Apologize For Balancing 'Selfish' Acting Career And Motherhood

When it comes to prioritizing her career amid motherhood, Jennifer Garner chooses gratitude over remorse. During a June 2026 interview with InStyle, the 54-year-old described acting as a "very selfish" career that still brings her joy. Her children –  Violet, 20, Seraphina, 17, and Samuel, 14 — have reportedly taken her absence from games and routine activities well.

"When I work, I don't apologize to my kids for it," Garner stated. "I do thank them for being so sweet about it. But that's part of life. Working hard is part of life, and messing up is part of life. Tripping and falling — there's room for all of it."  

The "The Five-Star Weekend" actor took a break from acting to raise her three kids and to heal following the separation from their father and her now-ex-husband, Ben Affleck. Notably, Garner didn't participate in filming any projects in 2014. She and Affleck announced their separation and pending divorce in June 2015 just a day after their 10-year anniversary, People reported. Amid the announcement, Garner was in production for "Miracles from Heaven," which was released in 2016. Despite the sacrifices her job requires, Garner is happy to be back doing what she loves. She explained, "I gave everything to mothering. I'm still their mom, I'm not going anywhere, I'm still all-in. I'm also really grateful to have this part of my life back."

During a February 2026 appearance on the "Not Gonna Lie" podcast with Kylie Kelce, who lives quite the lavish life with her husband Jason, Garner explained that working with child actors on set gives her practice with parent-child interactions and friction. "I love the intimacy of that relationship, whether ... I get to become best buddies with a toddler, or whether it's a little kid, or a teenager, or a young adult," the "Elektra" star shared. "I love them, and they help give me perspective on myself as a parent." 

If that isn't enough to balance, the Hollywood mom also runs a food company for kids and babies called Once Upon a Farm. Like fellow actor Sandra Bullock, who returned to acting with a sharp rebuke to workplaces that aren't parent-friendly, Garner has set some boundaries when it comes to her career, so that she can tend to other aspects of her life. Those boundaries include not moving her family for extended periods for gigs and not punishing herself for working. "You have to raise yourself at the same time," she told InStyle. "And just be so radically kind to yourself about how imperfect it is ... There's no such thing as balance. There's no such thing as doing it right." Similarly, Drew Barrymore, a child star who grew up without boundaries, can attest to how learning to speak up for herself in Hollywood has helped her with motherhood.