Jennifer Garner has been acting for decades, and fans love her for both her acting skills and the enthusiasm she brings to raising her three kids: Violet, Seraphina, and Samuel. Jennifer has often been happy to share quite a bit about her life in a controlled way, and a recent appearance on the British podcast Happy Mum, Happy Baby underscored this idea.
While both Jennifer and her ex-husband, Ben Affleck, have been justifiably protective of their children, they've both shared plenty of things about their own lives. In this interview, Jennifer opened up about her "very strict and very conservative" childhood as well as how becoming a mom impacted her career and the choices she's made professionally.
It turns out that Jennifer Garner was raised by pretty strict parents. In fact, she says her dad was so strict that she called to get his permission to pierce her ears … at the age of 47:
"My dad is very strict and very conservative. Garner girls did not have their ears pierced. I just got mine pierced during the pandemic for the first time."
She adds that she pierced her ears because she got so tired of looking the same way in Zoom meeting after Zoom meeting. Relatable!
"It was because I couldn't look at myself over Zoom without something new. That's why I cut a fringe as well. I couldn’t even stand to look at myself anymore.
"I'm 48. I called my parents and said 'Dad I'm going to pierce my ears.' He said, 'OK Jennifer.' We didn't wear makeup, we didn't have our nails painted. We were very good girls."
It's telling that even at the age of 48, Jennifer still refers to her and her sisters as "good girls" because they weren't allowed to pierce their ears or paint their nails. Ear piercings and nail polish are often used by children and adults to express parts of one's personality; limiting the ability of someone to do so could be seen as a control tactic.
Jennifer also speaks at length about motherhood and how becoming a mom has shaped and changed her career as an actress. She says that she knew she would always be a mom:
"I was one of those little girls who always had baby dolls tucked under the arm. My first job I was a babysitter, I had a babysitting company with a friend. It never occurred to me that I was not going to be a mom. I always knew I would."
However, becoming a mom definitely changed how Jennifer approached working in Hollywood. Her first pregnancy wasn't exactly planned, and it impacted nearly everything at her job at the time:
"It was a mess when I first got pregnant. I was in the middle of a TV show, I had a movie coming up, I had to call everyone and tell them. I was terrified and I wouldn't trade it for anything; there is no right time. After that I really did try to plan [my pregnancies]."
She did add that one thing about motherhood and her work has been frustrating: the way people are constantly wondering if she is pregnant again.
"I have so many girlfriends who have that [bounce back] physique and I'm so happy for them," she said. "I am not one of them. That's not my gig. I can work really hard and I can be really fit and I can still look like a woman who has had three babies and I always will."
Unlike previous interviews, Jennifer didn't really mention ex-husband Ben Affleck at all — not even in terms of co-parenting. Many sources close to each person have noted that they get along, but that "it's always a work in progress."
Jennifer and Ben divorced in October 2008.
A source also told Us Weekly that Jennifer and Ben are always trying to make sure their kids are centered: "Things come up between them, but they are committed to doing the best they can for the kids. They stay on top of things and have a lot of meetings and check-ins. They want to be the best parents they can for the kids."
In fact, it sounds like Ben Affleck generally sits back and lets Jennifer run the show.
"She's a great mom and knows what she's doing," the source said. "He gives her a lot of credit for getting them to where they are today as a family."
