Jennifer Garner opens up about difficult family chapter after Ben Affleck divorce: 'No such thing as balance'

Jennifer Garner is opening up about one of the most challenging periods of her life and how it ultimately shaped her approach to motherhood.

In a new interview exclusive to InStyle ahead of her upcoming role in Peacock's adaptation of 'The Five Star Weekend,' the actress reflected on stepping away from Hollywood while raising her three children and navigating a major transition within her family.

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Garner, who shares Violet, Fin and Samuel with ex-husband Ben Affleck, revealed that her career took a backseat during those years as she focused on her children amid significant changes at home.

“When my kids were little, I worked so little, and then we had such an upheaval in our family, that I really hardly worked for a long time,” Garner told the publication.

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The actress explained that motherhood taught her an important lesson about accepting imperfection rather than striving for an unattainable balance between work and family life.

“You have to raise yourself at the same time. And just be so radically kind to yourself about how imperfect it is. And that it is just going to be imperfect. There’s no such thing as balance. There’s no such thing as doing it right. And when the big moments happen, you are okay, and that’s on you to know and understand so your child feels your okayness.”

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Garner also shared why she has never felt the need to apologize to her children for pursuing her career.

“When I work, I don’t apologize to my kids for it. 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.”

Now that her children are older, Garner says she has been able to embrace acting again in a way that wasn't possible for many years.

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“[It’s a gift] to have this year and a half where I just indulged [in acting], because this job is very selfish. It’s all about your schedule. It’s not about what the kids have going on at school. It’s not about pickups and drop-offs and making it home for dinner.”

The actress said she sees similarities between her own life and the character she portrays in 'The Five Star Weekend,' a woman entering a new stage after dedicating herself to raising a family.

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“I relate to that feeling of like, Okay, 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.”

While Garner remains fully committed to motherhood, she admitted she is enjoying having more freedom to focus on her professional passions once again.

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The 54-year-old also spoke about her love of acting and her desire to continue taking on physically demanding roles while she can. “I can knife fight. I can do a compound bow and arrow. I've learned how to do all of this stuff. I want to use it.”

“I’m 54, I’m not going to be able to do it forever.” Despite her decades-long career, Garner said her motivation remains simple. “I feel lucky because I really come at [acting] from a place of joy. I’m not tortured. It’s not filling a hole. I just really love to do it. And I love to be around people who love to do it.”