Jennifer Garner shares how motherhood and divorce reshaped her acting career

Jennifer Garner has revealed that her acting career took a back seat for years as she focused on raising her children and navigating the aftermath of her divorce from Ben Affleck.

In a candid interview with InStyle, the 53-year-old actress reflected on how motherhood reshaped her priorities, leading her to significantly reduce her workload during her children’s early years.

Garner explained that she intentionally stepped away from the fast pace of Hollywood as she devoted more time to family life and parenting responsibilities.

“When my kids were little, I worked so little,” she said, noting that her career naturally slowed during pregnancies and the years that followed.

The Alias star added that her family faced a particularly challenging period after her separation from Affleck, which further influenced her decision to remain largely absent from the screen.

“We had such an upheaval in our family that I really hardly worked for a long time,” she said.

Garner and Affleck married in 2005 and announced their separation in 2015 before finalizing their divorce in 2018.

The former couple share three children — Violet, Seraphina, and Samuel — and have continued to maintain a cooperative co-parenting relationship.

The actress also acknowledged that work-related absences were difficult for her children, though she praised them for their resilience during challenging periods.

As her children have grown older, Garner said she has gradually returned to taking on more professional projects, including her upcoming film The Five-Star Weekend.

The 13 Going on 30 and Elektra actress admitted that returning to acting has reminded her how much she enjoys the profession, even while recognizing the intense commitment it requires.

Describing acting as a job that demands complete focus, Garner said she still finds fulfillment in the craft despite spending years prioritizing family over career ambitions.