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Ben Affleck Opens Up About Co-Parenting Kids At A 'Crossroad'

Ben Affleck Opens Up About Co-Parenting Kids At A 'Crossroad'
Jennifer Garner and Ben Affleck step out in Los Angeles on September 26, 2016.
BG004/Bauer-Griffin via Getty Images
Jennifer Garner and Ben Affleck step out in Los Angeles on September 26, 2016.
Jennifer Garner and Ben Affleck step out in Los Angeles on September 26, 2016.
BG004/Bauer-Griffin via Getty Images
Jennifer Garner and Ben Affleck step out in Los Angeles on September 26, 2016.

The Affleck brood reportedly still live in the same house, vacationed together in Europe all summer and regularly attend the farmer’s market on weekends, as if Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner’s separation after 10 years of marriage was some kind of celebrity-induced fever dream.

It’s been a year of upheaval for the estranged couple, but the one thing that’s remained the same is their dedication to parenting their three children, Violet, 10, Seraphina, 7, and Samuel, 4.

Speaking at a press conference for his upcoming action film “The Accountant” in Los Angeles on Friday, Affleck drew parallels between his own chlidrearing experience and how his character was raised in the film.

In “The Accountant” Affleck stars as math prodigy, Christian Wolff, who grows up to be ― you guessed it ― an accountant to some of the world’s biggest criminals. He is also on the autism spectrum, which leads his father to take an almost militaristic approach to parenting, in fear that his son won’t succeed on his own.

“That’s what I thought was the most heartbreaking thing about the story and it was definitely moving to me as a parent,” Affleck said, according to People. “I face dilemmas that we all do every day about what’s the right way to raise children, what’s the right thing to teach them? Every moment there comes a crossroad.”

“When you have kids, what’s that expression, ‘Your heart is outside your body,’ all of the sudden you feel so vulnerable and this fear of a child being vulnerable is very very powerful,” he continued. “I can see why it made for a really interesting character in the father. Here’s a guy out of love and compassion and fear for his son, actually ends up kind of brutalizing him and abusing him and it’s a really interesting look at what’s the appropriate way to channel the intense emotions we have as parents, it’s not easy.”

One parenting decision he is resolute about, however, is not letting his kids see the R-rated action flick.

“They’re like, ‘When do you do a movie we can see?’” Affleck said. “They just want to know what the rating is. [I reply,] ‘You can see this when you’re 25.’”

Until then, unfortunately, they’re stuck with “Nine Lives.”

“The Accountant” hits theaters Oct. 14.

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