Jennifer Garner says she works without excuses

Jennifer Garner, 54, says she doesn’t apologize to her kids for returning to acting, insisting, “I’m still their mom.” In an InStyle interview published Wednesday, Garner said she limits acting roles to those primarily filmed in Los Angeles and cherishes being

Jennifer Garner isn’t talking about balancing work and family like it’s a negotiation she has to win.

In an interview with InStyle published on Wednesday, the “13 Going on 30” actor, 54, said she’s grateful her children understood the demands of her acting career—even as her life shifted back toward work after years spent largely focused on motherhood.

“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 InStyle. She shares three children with her ex-husband Ben Affleck. They split in 2015 after 10 years of marriage, and divorced three years later. Garner said they continue to co-parent their kids.

As she spoke about dedicating more time to her career now. Garner described the job as “very selfish.” Her point was blunt: acting schedules don’t bend for school pickups or dinner plans. “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,” she said.

Garner said she made the practical choice to take work only when it keeps her family from being uprooted. “That said, Garner only takes acting jobs that are primarily filmed in Los Angeles, so she wouldn’t have to uproot her family.”

Her latest role adds an extra layer to the way she frames the moment. Speaking about her latest role in Peacock’s coming series “The Five-Star Weekend. ” Garner said she connected with her character. a widowed food blogger navigating a new chapter in life. “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,” Garner said.

She also described how she’s moved into a stage of life where she can give time to her children and to herself at the same time. “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,” Garner said.

Garner isn’t the only Hollywood parent to speak out about what “motherhood” and “identity” can mean when a career is still in the picture. In August. Ayesha Curry said she doesn’t want her whole identity to be tied to being a mother. saying. “Like. for me. being married and with my husband. if you lose all of those things that were interesting about you. even for yourself. even the things that made me feel confident and cool. then like. what are you doing?” In October. Keira Knightley said her mother gave her no-nonsense advice about being a working parent: “There is a reality to it. You do just make it work,” Knightley said. “It does look different for absolutely everybody, and it’s always a mess.”.

Jennifer Garner Ben Affleck InStyle interview Peacock The Five-Star Weekend working mother Los Angeles filming co-parenting 13 Going on 30 Ayesha Curry Keira Knightley