'I'm not very present': Ben Affleck confesses Jennifer Garner does the hard work raising their children

PUBLISHED: 22:23 EST, 13 September 2012 | UPDATED: 12:04 EST, 14 September 2012

He's known for being a doting father and husband, who is always on hand to spend time with his three children.

But it appears Ben Affleck doesn't think he does enough around the house, as he has confessed he lets Jennifer Garner do most of the hard work raising their three children.

The Argo director explained that while he rakes in piles of cash working both in front and behind the camera, his wife is the one who has to pick up the slack at home.

Father figure: But Ben Affleck has confessed he lets Jennifer Garner do most of the work raising their three children

However the 40-year-old did concede that he admires the Elektra star's maternal temperament, which comes to the fore while he is dreaming about the next directorial shoot when he is actually at home.

The workaholic star told Details magazine: 'I am not very present in the rest of my life.

'My wife's very patient. She does everything.

Discussing the Details: Ben spilled the beans in the new issue

'If I have time, I try to spend time with the kids, even if just to be a physical presence, the bath, whatever.

'But my mind's always going, 'How are we going to light that shot tomorrow?

'What's the master shot for that scene? Is there even going to be a master?'

'Just ruminating endlessly. Because for me -- I wish it was discipline or being a great artist. But it's just anxiety."

Ben is a father to Violet, six, Seraphina, three, and six-month-old son Samuel.

But despite his preoccupation with his career, the Pearl Harbor favourite admit his attitude to work has changed fundamentally since becoming a husband and father.

He said: 'Anytime you think, "I'm wasting my time here," the first thought you have is "I could go home and be with my kids."

But he joked it is not long before the pace of looking after his brood makes his change his mind.

He said: 'Now, you may go home and be with your kids and very quickly start thinking, "I wonder what's on the work front?"

Kept busy: Jennifer is always on her toes looking after her three children

'Because running around after three kids is very trying.'

And the Gigli star said he is now a lot more choosy about what projects he will take on now his time is at a premium.

He said: 'Now everything has to compete with being with my family. I don't want to be a stay-at-home dad. Work is very important to me.

'I like to work. So does my wife. But I need my work to mean something to me in order for me to not be home with them.'

Big Ben, who is 6'2" tall, also compared himself to Barack Obama as he talked about the worst year of his career.

The staunch liberal said: 'In our culture, we get very much into short- handing people.

Happy: Jennifer managed to be in a good mood even when she was getting her husband's impounded car in Santa Monica

'And I got shorthanded as That Guy: Jennifer Lopez, movies bombed, therefore he must be a sort of thoughtless dilettante, solipsistic consumer blah blah blah.

'It’s hard to shake those sort of narratives. If you were looking at that one-liner on me in 2003, which was definitely the annus horribilis of my life.

'I made a bunch of movies that didn’t work. I was ending up in the tabloids. I don’t know what the lesson is, except that you just have to find your compass.

'People bring up 2003, and I get it. Jennifer Lopez, and Gigli, and all this s*** just kind of blew up. But, you know, in 2003, Barack Obama was a state senator in Illinois! Okay?”

Annus horribilis : Ben does not like to be reminded of 2003 and his time with Jennifer Lopez

He also poked fun at Blake Lively, revealing she did not know he was friends with Matt Damon.

He said: '.I was with Blake, and I saw Matt’s childhood home. And I said, “Oh yeah, that’s where Matt grew up.”

'And she said, “Who?” And I said, “Matt Damon.” And she said, “Oh my God! You know Jason Bourne?!”

'She really didn’t know. And I thought, “There it is. The first age of people who are adults who missed the whole Matt and Ben propaganda campaign!"'

To find out more about Details magazine click here

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Is he bragging or complaining? If he's not happy with himself, he should do something about it.

- gobnait , this fresh hell, 14/9/2012 13:56

Click to rate Rating 71

Wow what does he do all year? how many movies does he direct or act in?? or perhaps i have not noticed. Harldly seen him with his children though..

- Adored , Sydney Australia, 14/9/2012 13:50

Click to rate Rating 110

He is so lucky to have her in his life.

- LizbethWren , San Diego, United States, 14/9/2012 13:44

Click to rate Rating 204

Ooh, big words, Ben! *eyeroll* I admire his work ethic and appreciation for Jennifer. I also find him incredibly handsome. But he'd drive me bonkers with all this. (I'm sure he's very bothered to learn that, too - ha!)

- Mel , Rochester, 14/9/2012 13:32

Click to rate Rating 53

My husband travels but when he's home he's 100% present. I tell him that he's a better father 2 days a week than most dads are in 7. That strikes me as the same with Ben. He is pictured more active with his kids in daily duties than most other Hollywood stars. I think that he is just being kind and considerate to jenn and publicly acknowledging how she holds down the fort while he's gone. But I don't think that in anyway minimizes what kind of father he is.

- Southerntwinb , Usa, 14/9/2012 13:23

Click to rate Rating 92

He married the right woman, I bet his mother was so relieved. That truly cringe-worthy film Gigli he made with Lopez is the worst film, I have ever seen. The verbal content and Lopez was shameful.

- Big Mama Mai , london, 14/9/2012 12:58

Click to rate Rating 78

@ DJ , Charleston SC, 14/9/2012 08:57****Glad he's not my husband... he wants an absent minded husband and father, who is more concerned with work while he's with you and the children??!! Not me!****You're right! In the end, Jen will get fed up and end their marriage. Or Ben will fall for a guy without kids. I'll give them one more year. You can see on Ben's and Jen's face - they are so TIRED.

- Newground , Europe, 14/9/2012 12:36

Click to rate Rating 23

Glad I am not his wife! If you want to spend more time working and thinking about work than being with your children, do not have children then. She must be a traditional mother and wife, I could not do that

- Lola , Madrid, 14/9/2012 11:33

Click to rate Rating 39

Refreshingly honest.

- Jay , Dublin, Ireland, 14/9/2012 10:33

Click to rate Rating 63

This article needs editing for the misspellings and typos. You are looking at a future first couple of the USA. Wait and see. They'll end up in the White House in place of John John Kennedy and his wife. He's very intelligent and well-informed, wasn't born with a silver spoon in his mouth, and he's been political since he was young. When he's older, I'd vote for him.

- godforsaken-Yank , Alaska, 14/9/2012 10:06

Click to rate Rating 23

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