Ben Affleck for Details Magazine October 2012

On wife Jennifer Garner taking care of their kids: "I am not very present in the rest of my life. My wife's very patient. She does everything. 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."

On whether he questions having to divide his time between work and family : "Absolutely. Anytime you think, 'I'm wasting my time here,' the first thought you have is 'I could go home and be with my kids.' Now, you may go home and be with your kids and very quickly start thinking, 'I wonder what's on the work front?' Because running around after three kids is very trying. 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."

On what made him decide to star in 'Argo': "I liked the idea of being in the movie, pushing it forward. As an actor, you can steer a scene in another direction by playing it a little differently. And honestly? I like being an actor, and I want to keep having a career. It'd be very easy for me to get lost in directing for a year and a half or two. It's a business with a very short memory."

On whether he thinks he'd like to direct again: "I'd like to find another movie to do this fall. Or if not, not. Because I'm gonna whistle-stop this movie. Between Europe and here, it'll be two months of promotion. Which I would never do if I just acted in a movie. But if you direct, you'll basically do anything. It'll be exhausting, but there's a lot to talk about. Politics, Hollywood, history, the seventies, seventies movies! It's not just 'Do you remember your first kiss?'"

Credit @ Details Magazine