I first met her on the set of “Daredevil,” where I attempted to carry on a normal conversation with her even as a wardrobe assistant used a rag to buff every inch of her shiny skintight leather costume to a high shine. The fact that she didn’t file a restraining order against me is a testament to just how well I was able to maintain my professional focus, but come on… I’m only human. Even as she gets older, even after having kids, Garner still exudes a simple sweetness in person that is about more than her coltish cheerleader-next-door looks. There’s something decent about her, something almost reserved. She seems just plain too nice to be a Hollywood professional.

Out of all the people I interviewed on the set of “The Invention Of Lying,” she was the one I had the least time with, but even with only 15 or 20 minutes to talk, I still got a full dose of that sunshiney sweetness that made her the perfect person to star opposite Ricky Gervais, delivering hard, awful truths right to his face about his looks, his weight, and the genetic unsuitability of them as a couple.

Drew McWeeny: I have to say… the first time I read this, it seems to me like actor bait. To be able to come in and do something that nobody’s ever done… this world that they’re created is so unique, and I think such a great challenge for an actor. Was it an automatic response for you when you read it?

Jennifer Garner: Yup. Well, I did have a moment to pause with would my parents think it was blasphemy, you know?

Drew: Okay, then…

Jennifer Garner: And then I talked to them about it, and they said, “We have a sense of humor. We’re not humorless, you know? What do you think?” They were just like, “If it is important, do it. Do whatever you want.” But that was it.

Drew: And the cast is amazing. It’s dense with talent.

Jennifer Garner: It’s kind of crazy to be a part of it, yeah.

Drew: Did you guys talk about specifically how you would all get to that tone or what the tone was, or was it Ricky and Matt came in and had a very clear idea?

Jennifer Garner: I mean, really the first scene that we did was… the first line that came out of my mouth was, “Hi, you’re early. I was just masturbating.” And so I didn’t know what that was going to be, but we didn’t really talk about it that much in advance. We just went for it, you know? We just kind of came in and went for it.

Drew: So it was a process of discovery then?

Jennifer Garner: And also when you’re working opposite your director, he such a clear idea of what he wants that you take your cues from him.

Drew: Right. Were you a fan beforehand?

Jennifer Garner: Of course, yeah. And I have been for a long time, because J.J. Abrams was such a ridiculous fan, and so “The Office” was always playing somewhere on the “Alias” set in the first season when it was brand new, and J.J. actually talked Ricky into being in an episode of “Alias”, which was great.

Drew: Which was great. I agree.

Jennifer Garner: Yeah, we tortured him. Yeah. He was in hell. He’d never worked like that in his life. And now, after working on his set, I see how that was so not his cup of tea. So I knew him. I was a fan of his. I had loved working with him before. There was nothing that was going to make this not happen for me as far as I was concerned.

Drew: I can’t really think of a film to compare it to, which is unusual. Like normally you have a touchstone that you can refer to. I really can’t think of anything that this is like. The world itself is so different.

Jennifer Garner: Yeah, it’s the world, because there are elements like “Liar, Liar” or that sort of thing, but that’s different because everyone else… it was unusual here. No one has an edit button. Everyone says what they think, so it’s completely accepted.

Drew: And they were saying it’s even things like slang or metaphor or simile. It’s anything that deals with sort of…

Jennifer Garner: Any sarcasm. Anything where you’re not saying the actual… the thing that I realized in doing this is there’s no subtext.

Drew: That’s what I loved.

Jennifer Garner: You’re never spinning it at all. You’re never… never ever are you… you can feel things as you’re saying it, but you have to be feeling what you’re saying, really.

Drew: So I would imagine that this kind of makes you… as you then go back into daily life, you’re very aware of dropping back into our normal mode of conversation, because this really takes you completely out of it.

Jennifer Garner: Um-hum. Right. Even little things like you can’t really say gosh, because that’s a derivative of God, which you’d never use because he didn’t exist. You know, it’s stuff like that. It really touches your language and the way you use language in a million different ways.

Drew: It’s very layered. It’s not like any comedy I can think of. And has it been… it’s sort of mentioned that it’s a kind of a lot of improvisation in this, too. This is something where’s it’s fairly rigorously…

Jennifer Garner: Yeah, we kind of… look, if a script is this good you’re so grateful. You memorize it and you say every um and every the and every, you know? I was telling them over the weekend I would work on… last night, I couldn’t sleep I was so excited, because you just never have a scene, an 8-page scene that you love to do. I mean…

Drew: It’s a huge scene.

Jennifer Garner: Yeah, you just never have that. And I had worked on it so much over the weekend that I was like, “I get to do it. What’s it going to be?” like a little like, you know, before my first day of school.

Drew: In terms of preparation, they said they don’t do a lot of rehearsal for it, so it was literally just jump in and figure it out on the fly.

Jennifer Garner: Mmm-hmm.

Drew: Now how’s it… because it’s an unusual situation, having two directors.

Jennifer Garner: Mmm-hmm.

Drew: How has it been? Do you find they’re of one mind?

Jennifer Garner: Seamless, yeah. That’s never been an issue. They both have great ideas, and they seem to finish each others sentences, and I’ll take a note from anyone if they give good notes. So the more the merrier.

Drew: It’s always strange that the DGA is so down on the idea of dual directors.

Jennifer Garner: I know.

Drew: You have to fight to be able to do it. Not quite sure how they accomplished this, but…

Jennifer Garner: It’s not a DGA movie.

Drew: Well, that would definitely make it easy. But it seems to me, especially if they wrote it together, that they’d be a very unified front.

Jennifer Garner: Yeah, definitely. There is. I’ve never even thought about it.

Drew: Coming off of… because this is the second sort of stylized, in terms of verbal approach, comedy you’ve done recently. Obviously “Juno” was very particular and it’s Diablo Cody’s voice. By the way, I think you were the soul of that movie.

Jennifer Garner: Thank you. That’s nice of you to say, but thank you.

Drew: What I loved in that is that you took something that could very easily have been the character that you hate in that film, and she ends up… it’s such a nice reversal.

Jennifer Garner: It’s written that way. I mean, you know, it is written that way.

Drew: It’s still hard to play that sympathetically up front at all, because it’s certainly set up a certain way.

Jennifer Garner: I don’t think that because you are a perfectionist that that makes you necessarily automatically unlikable.

Drew: So often in Hollywood….

Jennifer Garner: It’s such a stereotype, yeah. But I have a lot of type A friends that I laugh at but adore.

Drew: And working with Jason [Bateman] again… do you have scenes?

Jennifer Garner: We shared one shot.

Drew: Okay.

Jennifer Garner: We made sure that we were in at least one shot again.

Drew: It cracks me up that in “Juno,” he and Michael [Cera] have no scenes together, which is like… how can you do that? How can you pass that one up?

Jennifer Garner: And he and Jeffrey Tambour in this have no scenes together.

Drew: Of course, yeah.

Jennifer Garner: And he just did “State of Play” with Ben, and he did “Smokin’ Aces” with Ben, so in the past couple years, we’ve done… between the Affleck family and Jason, we’ve done five movies together.

Drew: Oh, that’s awesome.

Jennifer Garner: Yeah. Isn’t that crazy? It’s like we can’t get rid of him.

Drew: I’m thrilled that he’s working as steadily as he is again.

Jennifer Garner: I know, because he’s so good.

Drew: Yeah. And he has really… I think that finally everybody finally gets it and they’ve been using him right.

Jennifer Garner: Yeah. Yeah.

Drew: Well, this whole cast is like that. With Tina and with Jonah and with Louis C.K. How is Louis C.K.? Because he’s not…

Jennifer Garner: I have a little bit of a crush on him.

Drew: Really?

Jennifer Garner: Mmm-hmm.

Drew: My wife is very proper, very kind of shy and retiring at first. Doesn’t like a lot of live comedy. I take her to see a lot of live stuff. Louis, though, kills her. Destroys her.

Jennifer Garner: Really?

Drew: And it blows my mind because of how blisteringly dirty some of his stuff is.

Jennifer Garner: See, I’ve never seen his actual stuff. I’m sure I would be red-faced and….

Drew: Honest. That’s the thing… it’s so real. If you’re married, you can not help but identify, and sometimes you may not want to.

Jennifer Garner: Right.

Drew: But he doesn’t come from really an acting background. He’s a very traditional standup, but I keep hearing people say he’s really phenomenal.

Jennifer Garner: Oh, he’s great. You know, because that’s what this is. It’s just real. You just say the lines and you are real and he can do that, you know?

Drew: And with guys who are such strong comics, though, this isn’t being played like as a comedy in terms of… it’s not like overtly ha-ha funny. It’s more in the situation and the reality of the characters.

Jennifer Garner: It’s one of those things where you… it’s very hard to make sure you’re not pushing too hard to find the comedy. Kind of like “Juno” in that way.

Drew: Was that a balance that you guys had to strike as you kind of got comfortable with it?

Jennifer Garner: Mmm-hmm. Well, yeah we’re still… I mean, you know you still are finding it all the time. Finding out how far can you go? Where should you push, or not push but where should you go for funny? And really kind of always you just err towards truth, you know?

Drew: Well, sounds like with the production designer or the D.P., or with anyone I’ve talked to today, it sounds like that’s always a concern… making sure they’re not pushing funny over real.

Jennifer Garner: Right. Yeah.

Drew: Have you seen any footage that they’ve edited yet?

Jennifer Garner: No.

Drew: Really?

Jennifer Garner: Yeah.

Drew: Is that because while you’re working you don’t like to watch, or…?

Jennifer Garner: No, not really.

Drew: I know everybody has different approaches.

Jennifer Garner: I think it’s educational sometimes. I like to watch playback occasionally but no, I just haven’t.

Drew: Okay.

Jennifer Garner: Have you?

Drew: Ah, no. I’m wondering if maybe before I go I might sneak a peek at something. If they show me something, should I let you know? Maybe try to sneak you in?

Jennifer Garner: [laughs] Definitely. I’ll be here. Let me know.

***

I see that they moved the release date for “The Invention Of Lying” to October 2nd now, and the film will also be screening at the Toronto Film Festival, where I hope to lay eyes on it.

Source: http://www.hitfix.com/

ComingSoon.net: I think we got the general premise of this movie in that everyone tells the truth, which seems like a very dangerous world. But no one ever gets mad. We never see any reactions to being told the truth.
Jennifer Garner: Yeah, it’s kind of just taken for granted that you’re going to see some truthful things throughout the day. Everyone understands that they dish it and they take it.

CS: Is it hard to deliver that kind of dialogue throughout the day completely deadpan like that?
Garner:The interesting thing about it is that there’s no subtext whatsoever. You always say exactly what you think and most of the time when you’re acting you’re looking for, “Okay, say this but this is what’s really going on,” and that isn’t there this time. You constantly have to strip that away and just be simple, simple just say the lines.

CS: Were there any lines that you felt bad delivering because they might be hurtful to the person you were saying them to?
Garner: Oh, everything I say to Ricky is horrible. I just put him down all the time, it’s just horrific, but he wrote it.

CS: So he kind of brought it on himself.
Garner: Yeah, he’s always adding stuff, too, making it worse and harder and more horrible.

CS: What does she see in Rob Lowe’s character Brad? He’s obviously good looking but what is the relationship between your character and the two guys?
Garner: She’s looking for her perfect genetic match and while she and Ricky are best friends and there’s a real connection there, genetically he isn’t at the same level as her genetics, so in this world, the whole purpose is to pass on your genetics to that possible candidate.

CS: That sounds very depressing for Ricky.
Garner: (laugh)

CS: Of course, he has the advantage, because he can lie. (Garner basically spoils the whole movie in this response.)
Garner: Yes, well he’s learned to lie and somehow developed the gene that allows him to lie, so he can suddenly have everything he wants. The one thing he won’t do is lie in order to get me, which is of course, ultimately wins him the girl in the long run.

CS: There seems to be a strange sci-fi aspect to this, including something about a “Man in the Sky,” so is this a “Truman Show” like set-up?
Garner: It’s definitely an alternate world. Every picture you see on the wall is of an actual thing. Nothing is imagined. There’s no painting of an imagined landscape. The movies are just somebody sitting in a chair telling you the truth. No one is making anything up. Do you know what I mean? So it’s definitely not the world that we live in. He made everything be a debate from mascara and high heels to… well, if you are only you, how much would you be allowed to add to yourself to make yourself more desirable? But I’m a girl so…

CS: Are you the only woman in the movie?
Garner: No, there are other women.

CS: You’ve done some comedies before but it’s not really your main thrust. Do you find it more fun to do this kind of film?
Garner: I don’t know. Whatever I’m working on I always think it’s my favorite film, but you really can’t get much better than this. It’s the particular cast but it’s an amazing script and if it does work and people laugh, there’s nothing more satisfying.

CS: I know Jason Bateman’s in this movie and you’ve done a couple movies together…
Garner: This is our third.

CS: Do you two actually have scenes together where you can continue your run?
Garner: We made sure that we share one shot and that’s it. We don’t talk to each other and when we were on set, we refused to talk to each other. (laughs)

CS: You two seem to be building this strange filmography of movies together.
Garner: But he’s also in the last couple of years, done two movies with my husband (that’s Ben Affleck) so that’s five altogether.

ComingSoon.net: Were you aware of Ricky Gervais’ shows before doing this or were you a fan?
Garner: I’ve been a fan from the very beginning because J.J. Abrams was into it from the beginning, and if J.J. likes something, there’s no getting around it. Everybody hears about it, everybody knows and he always knows the cool thing that’s coming out, so he actually somehow talked Ricky into being a guest star on “Alias.”

CS: So were you there at the Golden Globes when there was a big surprise win for “The Office”?
Garner: Yeah, I was there, and the next day, the day after he won, he started on our set, and he got there and you know, didn’t know what had happened.

CS: And how are he and Matt as co-directors, being that they’re both new to this?
Garner: They speak with one voice. I actually really like it. I’ve never worked with two directors before but I wouldn’t hesitate in the future. Maybe I’ve gotten an unrealistic experience because of them, but the more the merrier as far as I’m concerned. They are totally in sync. They wrote the script together, and they use each other as sounding boards.

CS: We haven’t talked to them yet so I’m not sure how they met.
Garner: They met because of the script.

CS: That’s interesting because usually when two people co-direct it’s because they’ve been working together for years and years.
Garner: No, I’ve never seen there been an issue. It’s been nothing but additive.

CS: Have you been here for the entire 12-week shoot?
Garner: I’ve been here six weeks?

CS: What’s been your Lowell, Massachusetts experience like?
Garner: I just did a movie right before this in Boston as well, so we’ve been in the same house for both movies in Cambridge, so I drive to Lowell every day. But I love Lowell. We’ve had a lot of people from Lowell work on the movie and they have been amazing. Really surprisingly great doing backgrounds and small parts. We’ve commented on it every time. “These are a great group of backgrounds.” Because we’ve asked for a lot of them. We’ve had these crowd scenes where they have to act and react and they’ve been very good.

CS: Do you think Boston is going to be the third big city after New York and Hollywood for movies?
Garner: I hope so. I love seeing it and I’m thrilled that it’s so busy right now.

CS: Ben must love it, since this is probably the longest he’s back in his old neighborhood.
Garner: Uh-huh. Ben really loves it because he was born here.

CS: Has the set been as fun as Ricky makes it look on his blog?
Garner: Yeah, definitely, of course. For one thing, he talks so much on the blog about how our days are so short but what that does it means that everyone comes to the set fresh and energized and you don’t have the thing you normally have on a set at the end of the movie where everyone is so tired from trying to get it done and get to the end. I don’t know how he does it. I keep wondering if they’re going to have enough stuff to cut together to make a movie, but it really make a big difference.

CS: It seems like this movie is very dialogue-driven just by the nature of the premise, so is that tough to memorize all of it and deliver it perfectly every time?
Garner: No, I think that’s what you are dying for. There was all of this pre-writers strike stuff out there, and this was one of them, and it was in the best shape of any script that I’ve ever read. We knew that no matter what happened–if they couldn’t write another word on it–it was going to be great. It had the best chance of any movie that I’d read to be a great film.

CS: Having done a lot of television, the strike really messed up a lot of that industry…
Garner: But not really for me. I just think about my crew and just how screwed they are. I think about them all of them and hope they’re okay.

CS: Are you at all nervous about the attention this movie will get because Ricky is so known in the comedy world and it is his first feature film?
Garner: You always get a little bit nervous but it
it doesn’t have to make $100 million to make it’s money back
I hope people like it and I hope it works and I hope what I do is funny and good and honest. What else can you do? (laughs)

CS: I’m afraid to ask Ricky about this but American audiences are very jaded and they’ll see this and think “Oh, it’s ‘Liar, Liar’”… how do you feel about that? Do you think that’s a valid criticism?
Garner: Actually, having seen that movie and laughed my head off, that was very different because that was one person that couldn’t lie. This does feel very different and it feels totally fresh and original. I mean, people can be jaded or they can absolutely embrace it, you never know.

CS: Does it have a lot of the sensibilities that Ricky has included in his various shows?
Garner: Yeah, yeah, I think so, where it feels improvisational but it’s not, it’s totally scripted.

CS: Does it feel very much like it’s set in America?
Garner: Yeah, it feels like it’s set… it could be anywhere. It could be Pittsburgh, it could be Ohio, it could be Kansas…

CS: Do you miss your days doing television?
Garner: There are things I miss about television for sure. I miss that group of people. Victor Garber was just here for a week visiting me, but I see him all the time and I see the rest of the cast pretty regularly but I miss, you know, my camera guys, my craft service lady, my sound guys. They’re all like my best friends from college who suddenly went away and I never talk to them anymore. We Email but it’s just not the same as being in it day to day.

CS: Yeah, I guess it’s similar to when you work with someone on a movie for five or six months and then don’t see them again after that.
Garner: But this was five years. So yeah, that’s part of it and being able to work at home. I’ve been out of town for a long time now, so that’s something you trade. I loved being on a show that people responded to and every week, people saw me in the street and went “Oh My God, last night…” you know, whatever it was. There’s a lot to be said for TV but I’m happy with what I’m doing right now and thrilled to be able to pick and just happy to be working.

CS: Do you keep in touch with J.J. at all?
Garner: Of course!

CS: Do you think we’ll ever see an “Alias” movie? That seems to be the thing that after a show’s been over for a few years…
Garner: I can see us working together again, certainly in the future. I know I would jump at the chance and we talked about it a couple of times, but I don’t know if an “Alias” movie is really… I think we told the story. I think we really did it, so really, the pilot could have been a movie, you know?

Source: http://www.comingsoon.net/

QUESTION: I WONDER HOW YOU LOOK AT YOUR CAREER THESE DAYS IN TERMS OF BALANCING WORK WITH EVERYTHING ELSE? IT SEEMS TO BE THE QUESTION THAT MOTHERS ALWAYS GET ASKED, BUT NOT DADS.
GARNER: Although he does. He does and that is a choice that he makes. I respect him for it because it’s not asked of Dad’s. He feels like ‘I’ve worked really hard in my life. Now I want to be with my kids and I’m going to be.’ I love that about him. How do I balance it? Every working woman, whatever you are doing, you feel the tug somewhere else. Every woman really, I’ve been home for nine months straight. I loved every minute of it but there were also times I felt like ‘I cannot have the same conversation one more time. I cannot think about how I’m running out of Tupperware.’ Your brain really does feel like ‘I need some adult working kind of stimulation.’ It’s a difficult balance.
QUESTION: DO YOU SAY TO AGENTS OR MANAGERS ‘I NEED SIX MONTHS HERE?’?
GARNER: When I need time I realize I just get pregnant.
QUESTION: SO RIGHT AFTER YOU DID ‘CYRANO’ ON BROADWAY?
GARNER: Right after I did this movie.
QUESTION: YOU GOT PREGNANT AND TOOK YOUR TIME. I JUST SAW AND SHE IS GORGEOUS. SHE WAS IN THE HALLWAY WITH HER LITTLE THING. SHE WAS BLINKING A LITTLE BIT AND SHE’S JUST A BEAUTIFUL BABY.
GARNER: Thank you. Yeah, she’s pretty cute.
QUESTION: HOW IS THE SIBLING RIVALRY WITH VIOLET?
GARNER: No, there is no rivalry.
QUESTION: NOTHING LIKE ‘I’M GOING TO PUSH HER OVER.’?
GARNER: Oh my gosh, no.
QUESTION: SHE LOVES HER BABY SISTER?
GARNER: Just sweetness, yeah.
QUESTION: DO YOU LOOK AT THINGS AND SAY ‘I WANT TO DO THIS TYPE OF MOVIE RIGHT NOW. I WANT TO DO SOMETHING LIGHT AND FUN.’
GARNER: I just read what comes my way and pick things based on timing, family, how it’s all going to fit in. Also, just based on the quality of the script. Who is directing it? Who do I get to work with? Then we kind of try to make our lives fit around that.
QUESTION: I THOUGHT IT WAS A CLEVER IDEA TO TAKE THE DICKENS ‘A CHRISTMAS CAROL’ AND TURN IT INTO SOMETHING ABOUT CASUAL SEX.
GARNER: That’s why I wanted to do it. The script was just different than your typical romantic comedy. I love romantic comedies. I love to watch them, I love to make them, and I love the whole thing about it. I love getting to fall in love. They are just a blast. But, I really like to do ones that ask a little bit more of you. I think this one does.
QUESTION: I THOUGHT YOU CHARACTER WAS SO IDENTIFIABLE BECAUSE THERE ARE SO MANY PEOPLE WHO KNOW THAT SO AND SO IS NOT GOOD FOR THE RELATIONSHIP BUT THEY STILL CAN’T GET OVER IT. DON’T YOU THINK THAT IS HER ISSUE THERE?
GARNER: Oh, without a doubt. My girlfriends and I have talked each other through this many, many, many times. Yes. She has known this guy since he was a kid. She has this idea of what and who he can be. She can’t get that out of her mind even though he’s proving to her the opposite. His actions prove over, and over, and over to her that he’s a disaster of a guy. She feels like ‘No, there is more to him and I can do it, I can find it.’ When she finally lets that go and just thinks ‘I’ll move on with my life.’ He realizes he’s about to lose her and it’s not quite too late.
QUESTION: DO YOU THINK THIS IS THE ULTIMATE CHICK FLICK? IT REALLY COMES OUT SO STRONGLY IN FAVOR OF THE GIVE A GIRL A BREAK, BE RESPECTFUL, HAVE SOME IDEA OF COMMITMENT, DON’T CAT AROUND MENTALITY?
GARNER: There are very few men who are like Connor, Matthew’s [McConaughey] character.
QUESTION: THERE ARE? WE HOPE.
GARNER: Well, there are few that are that extreme. I think it’s a good blend of a chick flick that a guy can find something in because Matthew is so great in the roles. His character is also so identifiable. Guys kicking and screaming, usually partnership, companionship, family, love, those things do tend to win out in the end. It seems to me to be relatable for both.
QUESTION: I THINK THAT THE TITLE MADE ME THINK IT WAS GOING TO BE A MOVIE ABOUT HOW PAST RELATIONSHIPS CAN HAUNT YOUR PRESENT RELATIONSHIPS. BUT THAT’S NOT IT AT ALL. DO YOU THINK THAT IS AN ISSUE FOR PEOPLE WHEN THEY GET TOGETHER? HIS BROTHER’S WIFE FREAKS OUT AND CALLS OFF THE WEDDING BECAUSE SHE WASN’T REALLY A GIRLFRIEND.
GARNER: Right. A dalliance. Certainly that can happen. Usually it feels like the past relationships are kind of the education really. They help you learn as you are growing up and you have to go through that stuff. One hopes.
QUESTION: WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING AT NEXT?
GARNER: The next thing coming out will be the movie that I did with Ricky Gervais called ‘The Invention of Lying’. [This Side of the Truth] that is really this kind of big idea in a little movie. It looks at the world and asks the question ‘What would the world look like if there was absolutely no artifice whatsoever and one person learned to lie?’ Ricky learns to lie and I’m the girl that he tries to get with his new talent.
QUESTION: AND THAT WAS THE FIRST THING YOU WENT BACK TO WORK ON AFTER THE BREAK?
GARNER: No, I did that right on the heels of this movie.
QUESTION: WHY DID YOU SAY YES TO THAT?
GARNER: Because I love Ricky Gervais. Because the script was really smart. Because it was small and I thought he would have the room as a writer director, which he did, to do what he wanted to do. I think if you trust your director it’s a great place to be. The cast just kept getting better, and better, and better. It was just something I really wanted to be a part of.
QUESTION: WHAT DID YOU GO BACK TO WORK FOR AFTER THE NINE MONTHS THEN?
GARNER: I haven’t gone back to work yet.
QUESTION: SO YOU ARE STILL LOOKING THEN?
GARNER: The next thing I will probably do is a movie that my production company is doing. It’s called ‘Butter.’ It’s also a small little movie about a woman who is taking over her husband’s role as the reigning butter carving champion.
QUESTION: IS IT BASED ON A BOOK OR SOMETHING?
GARNER: Nope. It’s this writer’s first script. He had a really brilliant and original voice. It’s kind of like Diablo Cody with ‘Juno’. I just fell totally and madly in love with it.
QUESTION: DO YOU THINK YOU WILL EVER GO BACK TO TV FOR A SERIES?
GARNER: I never say never. I had a great experience on television [WITH ‘ALIAS’]. I’m not a snob. I’m just happy to work. If it were something that fit into my life someday then yes I would. Right now it wouldn’t. I could never go back and work the kind of…
QUESTION: 16 HOUR DAYS?
GARNER: Yeah, I just couldn’t. It wouldn’t work for me.
QUESTION: IT WOULD HAVE TO BE A HALF HOUR SITCOM OR SOMETHING YOU WERE SHARING, AN ENSEMBLE?
GARNER: It’s so far from happening right now but I’m not a person to say never. ABC was great to me. My producing partner and I are going to be working on finding a couple of pilots for them. That is just such a good and natural relationship that I can’t imagine that not coming up at some point.
QUESTION: WHERE IS HOME NOW?
GARNER: Here in Los Angeles.
QUESTION: DO YOU GET BACK TO BOSTON VERY MUCH?
GARNER: We’re going on Tuesday and staying till Thanksgiving. So yes.
QUESTION: BECAUSE HE’S SHOOTING? HE’S DIRECTING HIS MOVIE FINALLY.
GARNER: Yes, he’s acting in a film there and then directing and acting in his film. We’ll be there for all of baseball season.
QUESTION: BEFORE THIS INTERVIEW I WENT ON THE INTERNET AND WROTE ‘JENNIFER GARNER’S CHILDREN’ AND ALL THESE FAN SITES CAME UP. HOW DO YOU HANDLE THE PUBLIC CURIOSITY OR ATTENTION?
GARNER: We try not to pay attention to it because it’s too upsetting. That is one thing we love about being in Boston. Our privacy has always been respected there. I don’t even know how to speak to that because it’s something we struggle with a lot. We wish we had some help in it legally. That there were some kind of protection for minors and there just isn’t. We adapt as best we can and we just go through it.

QUESTION: SINCE ‘ELEKTRA’ HAVE YOU WORKED TOGETHER?
GARNER: No.
QUESTION: AND YOU NEVER PLAN TO DO THAT? YOU WON’T MAKE A CAMEO IN HIS MOVIE?
GARNER: I don’t think so.
QUESTION: WOULD YOU WANT HIM TO DIRECT YOU?
GARNER: Yeah, I would love for him to direct me in something. But we will not play opposite each other again.
QUESTION: WHAT ABOUT YOU AS A DIRECTOR? ANY AMBITIONS?
GARNER: The hours are too hard to direct and have little kids right now for me. I do like directing. I do sometimes feel a little bit of an itch to be in charge. I will just be in charge of my house. I’ll boss all of them around.
QUESTION: MAYBE WHEN THEY ARE 12 OR 15?
GARNER: Sure. You never know. I’m totally content and happy to have one director in the house right now. He’s really good at it.

Source: http://www.bostonherald.com/

Q: Do you feel a particular connection to Connor or is it because it’s such a well written role?

Matthew McConaughey: I probably have to go with the second one but it really was a well written role. You usually don’t get to start off with, or I don’t get to start off playing a lead male that has such an opinion one way that’s crass and brash and not pandering where you’re going, “oh don’t say that! He didn’t just say that. Wait, is he saying that here?” To then, go through the story, learn some lessons and come out the other side the next day and it’s a new man. A guy that has lost his way and then finds his way and still has a journey to get his brother’s love back and then look up and still have his childhood love there for a second chance. It was a long way to go and our ways to get there; we had great elements to the story that helps us go there. It’s this ghost who would scare the hell out of me. And it’s comedic. In one night, ghosts visiting you, can really move your floor and change you a hell of a lot better than one night sitting down or one year of sitting down and going through therapy or something.

Jennifer Garner: That’s something to think about!

McConaughey: I was looking at some scenes thinking I just can’t wait to do that. It also adds a real honest heart at the end. For me, that completely connects to it, talking to you and talking to the wedding and talking to Lacey [Chabert] at the car. It was really well written.

Garner: It just makes it easy.

McConaughey: Yeah. You don’t have to act as much.

Q: What was the challenge of playing this character especially when he gets so cynical?

McConaughey: There are some things. A lot of what he and Uncle Wayne say in the scientific world, you could say, okay, that’s true. Whoever cares less has the most power. Then the question is, well is that what you really want? At first reaction, you go yeah then you sit back and go, wait a minute. You have all the power but it’s going to be lonely [and] like I said you are going to go to the funeral and no one is going to be there. Good for you if that’s what you are after. So he was cynical about love because if you love someone, hunker down. Instead it’s you and me. In his past, everyone he had done that with, he had lost. Mom, Dad, Uncle Wayne. Anyone he sat there kind of holed up with and said, all right, it’s just you and me. The only person he had left were his brother and then she (Jenny) comes back. So he wanted to go back that way and check out the youngen side of where his POV is coming from. That’s where it came from. That helped me not embrace his character. He didn’t have a negative look towards women.

Q: You have a great rapport on screen. How do you create that? Is it just luck?

Garner: I think it’s just luck. I mean you can work together and spend time together going over scenes and trying to make them more organic. Just being together you kind of start to feel an actual real relationship which was necessary for this because these characters had been the most important characters in each others lives but then it’s just you know…

McConaughey: But you don’t. I had a sense of who I thought you were.

Garner: I mean we dated those 2 years! (sarcastic)

McConaughey: One thing that I really liked and saw, okay this is really going to work with you and I is that she doesn’t bring any riff raff or extra BS drama from the outside.

Garner: We kind of approach work the same way. We have a good time with it but we show up to work.

McConaughey: You weren’t competitive in a non-creative way as some people can be.

Garner: Yeah they can and it’s no fun. It just takes the fun out of it.

Q: Both of you are in relationships now with children, was it fun or scary to go back in time where you are trying to get it right?

Garner: It’s always fun. The whole point of playing a role is that it’s not really you. I mean it was to go back and doing a romantic comedy you get to fall in love. It’s great! Nothing better!

Q: Matthew, can you talk about the flashback scene? With the hair? Was it meant to be that way?

McConaughey: We had a lot of discussions about that hair! I loved it!

Garner: The hair got caught in his mouth. He did a lot of this (imitating how he would brush the hair off his face.)

McConaughey: That was a move my brother used to do. Even if it wasn’t in his face! I think that longer hair and also going back to that time period, that was a great little, there was something fun about it that made me really comfortable in that decade. The silk shirt was a little too tight!

Garner: The silk shirt that was unbuttoned. You were so into it!

Q: Do you think this movie is more designed women than it is for guys in the sense that girls will learn not to hang out with D-Bags?

McConaughey: D-Bag?

Garner: (She leans over and whispers to Matthew) It means douche bag.

McConaughey: You thought he was a douche bag? Oh come on. What are you saying about her by saying that?

Garner: Thank you!

Q: But all the bridesmaids just want to sleep with your character and they know he doesn’t seem to have much respect for women.

McConaughey: I think he has a lot for respect for women.

Garner: But that’s the women’s fault. Are we really going to go down this road? Let’s just answer the question.

McConaughey: They just wanted a wedding shag.

Garner: Right, right. What does that say about them?

McConaughey: They were just young and having fun. It was a wedding shag.

Garner: (She mouths the word “sluts”.)

McConaughey: It’s more for women because it tells them not to go for the douche bag.

Garner: No, it’s more for me to say you have to risk love and commitment otherwise you’re going to end up alone in old aged makeup and sad. The beautiful woman is going to go off and marry someone else.

Q: What was your funniest moment working together?

(They both start whistling as if they’re trying to jokingly avoid the question and say there wasn’t a funny moment.)

McConaughey: The cake scene is a homerun.

Q: We hear Jennifer created that whole thing.

Garner: Oh yeah.

McConaughey: What did you do?

Garner: I told Mark [Waters] there should be a dance scene.

McConaughey: A dance scene?

Garner: At the wedding.

McConaughey: With you and…

Garner: Yeah with me and Brad. I just wanted to.

McConaughey: You love to dance.

Garner: I wanted to do it.

McConaughey: And you did. Good shot.

Garner: Then when we had endless dance rehearsals I kept my mouth shut. It was my fault.

McConaughey: I can’t imagine that scene not being in it. That scene with you two possibly getting together…

Garner: It was fun and Daniel [Sunjata] and I had also just worked together in New York doing “Cyrano” so it was really fun to get to work with him in a different way and to see him so quickly master dancing. It was great.

Q: Did you work with the actors that played the younger versions of you in the film?

Garner: Well I’ll start. The younger version of Jenny, the main teenage girl had actually played the younger version of me in “13 Going on 30.” So I suggested her for the role. I said I knew somebody who is a great young me. She’s kind of perfected and I’m kind of perfected being the older version of her. She’s a really sweet young actress.

McConaughey: I met the middle Conner I hung out with and I kept a closer eye on him than I did the youngest one. I hung with Logan quite a bit. Tell you what… talking about younger actors where my mind was going is you weren’t there, but it was the scene where we were shooting at the high school. Remember the girls that come up and go, “He’s wants to talk to you. He’s over there” and then scream and get so excited? I was so excited to see these young thespians. It’s a small part and you get to come up. Its three hours before we’re supposed to shoot and I walk through rehearsals and they’re on it 100% cue for cue and having the best freaking time. Then when the lights came on they were having the time of their lives. They were so committed to the work. Off screen lines they were going endlessly. They did it for 10 days and never got tired. I was kind of inspired to see the youth.

Q: Was it hard to do the scenes where he’s there, but you’re not supposed to see him?

Garner: We were just talking about this. I liked it. I felt like it informs the scene to perform them for him in a weird way. Just having his character witness what’s happening just gives it a little more depth.

Q: I was just wondering if it was hard to ignore him.

Garner: (Whispers) I had no problems ignoring him.

Q: Do you think you have a new career as a celebrity photographer?

McConaughey: Just turn the cameras back around on the paparazzi and start popping them. There’s money to be made.

Garner: Have you noticed since the economy has been tanking that people have been showing up from the middle of the country going (makes clicking sound) with their elecrolight cameras.

McConaughey: You get a little group. A certain group will follow me or a certain group will follow her and all of a sudden there’s a bunch of new people.

Garner: And then the other ones are mad at them because they get in the way. It’s a disaster.

Ghosts of Girlfriends Past opens in theaters on Friday, May 1st.

Source: http://www.comingsoon.net

Question: What can you tell us about him?
JG: It’s just embarrassing to talk about him when he’s here, so if you want to ask, do it now.

Question:How was it working with him?
JG: It was great. He’s like the nicest best guy, such a brilliant actor and I really, really liked him. I hope I get to work with him again!

Q:Was he that charming, as he was in the film?
JG: Yeah, he is, he really is [Mathew enters room now]…he really is a charming, smart, funny, nice guy who has a good sense of humor about himself. Good, I’m all done. I told them if you want me to talk about him, do it before he’s here.

Q:Jennifer, reflect on motherhood now with the second one at home?
JG: Same thing but crazier…no, everything is going really well, thank you very much. Everybody is happy, healthy and it feels like it’s only one more but it feels like three more…I don’t know if you any of you…yeah, okay, good – then you know what I mean.

Q:Then it doesn’t get any easier after the first?
JG: The second child is easier. The experience is easier with the second, but the overall thing is just chaos…happy chaos.

Q:It’ll be easier in about 20-25 years.
JG: Yeah, get back to me.

Q:Happy birthday, by the way.
JG: Thank you. Thank you.
MM: That’s right. That’s right…I just heard that. You know some people let you know or they let someone kind of let you know [in audible] you didn’t let anybody know, did ya? I had no idea.
JG: You know, this year it just doesn’t…life is full. I don’t need to – normally, I am the person that says ‘you know my birthday is in three weeks, just so you know. I’ll see you tomorrow. It’s my birthday,’ but, today, I figured you guys would be pretty on top of that.
MM: Happy birthday!
JG: Thank you. It’s a good one.

Q:With a romantic comedy, do you have to accept certain things, maybe a little unrealistic, that go with the territory that aren’t romantic?
JG: You mean like the ghosts?
MM: Yeah, the ghosts were a big unrealistic thing, but that’s just one of the things that made this one original. Because usually it’s just guy-girl, guy-girl, guy-girl, you know we’re going to split up, look at the poster, you we’re going to get together at the end but, hopefully, you’re going to be entertained in how we get together at the end. This had a huge twist. Ghosts, we had go back—
JG: We had flashbacks. We had flashbacks all the way back to
MM: –to kids. I go get fiancé to go back with brother to get them married and then get lucky enough to have second chance with childhood sweetheart. It was viewed in some really interesting ways, this one.
JG: I am going to celebrate it right here with you and the ghost of girlfriends past – no, that’s about as far as I’ve gotten.

Q:Did you learn anything from this?
JG: Well, I think yeah, of course, there are messages to the movie: that you have to take a chance on love. That it’s worth the risk.
MM: That partying with Uncle Wayne [Mike Douglas] is fun.

Q:For both: did you have someone/something you could think about when playing the role? Bad guys you couldn’t resist?
JG: I never had a problem resisting somebody that I knew was going to break my heart. Going after ‘the bad guy’ has not been a real issue for me. One thing that I liked about the role was that it sounded like a version of conversations I’ve had with tons of girlfriends where it’s just ‘stay away from him! Oh I can’t. I see what he could be…’ or, you know, just ‘leave it alone. It’s never going to happen.’ So that made it kind of fun.

Q:Matthew, have you ever used any of the lines he uses?
JG: Yeah, Matthew.
MM: What are his lines? Did Connor have lines?

Q:He uses the book ‘The Game.’
MM: Oh Connor was around long before there was a book. He learned from Uncle Wayne. The Game the book you’re talking about [someone explains the “The Game.”]
JG: Uncle Wayne invented The Game.
MM: Uncle Wayne’s game. No there wasn’t somebody I thought of besides the Uncle Wayne character written in. And he was sort of – I always saw him as this sort of Bob Evans type. But, then, he’s got some brilliant dialogue in the movie. And, so, to go ‘all right what was this guy’s advice?’ take it, heed it and then master that advice, that’s who Connor should be. And not someone who’s…I mean, that’s Connor’s thing. He loves women. He loves all women. That’s the problem here. So, he didn’t…there wasn’t anyone I necessarily thought of. It’s easy to be attracted to – it’s a fun role and you see those first like twenty pages – you usually don’t get a character that starts off with that much sort of bite in a movie like this that you’re going ‘I can’t believe they said that’ or ‘woe.’ And so it comes off in the beginning with a lot more bite and less pander than most sort of stories like this do. And, then, gives it further, I know for me I enjoyed, further distance to go through, and then you got ghosts that come in and scare the hell out of me, and scare some sense into me. That’s a much better movie device for me than having the conversation where they sit down and go, ‘now what you should do…’ So, no, it wasn’t anybody in particular, but it was sort of written in there – following Uncle Wayne and having that guy to look up to in the beginning, and the viewers get to see sort of who was my father figure and why I am who I am, and do what I do.

Q:I’ve heard you talk about what advice your father gave you and always worked?
MM: Respect women. That was the…I think I was asked recently and then asked about it today, what was the birds and bees talk that I had, and it was always pop talking about respecting a woman. I think I’ve said this before.
JG: You want me to tell it for you? So, um, his thing was that he said, look, you know you’re coming of an age where you’re going to start to have different kinds of feelings towards women, and you’re going to have certain desires and when you are with a woman, if she even hesitates for a split second, stop. Don’t go any further, don’t ask, leave it totally alone. Don’t go back there tonight. That night, leave absolutely alone. Chances are she’s going to want to come back. If she does, say no, and then next time, but absolutely respect the woman, and in doing that, you respect yourself.
MM: Bingo. That’s what he said. And so yeah, if that’s what you mean by worked, um, but it wasn’t like a play, it was never written in a book, but, yeah, that was it.

Q:Carrie Underwood has been apologizing for hitting on you at the CMA’s – do you think an apology was necessary?
MM: I heard something about this. I thought that was hilarious. That was a great off the cuff comment she made. I didn’t know that there was a big apology. [now talking to Garner] I told some story at the CMA’s about when I was a kid, me and my brother went to see Dwight Yoakum, met a couple girls, they got very interested in us, we got interested in them. They said ‘what do you all do for a living?’ and we just lied and said, ‘we custom make all George Strait’s boots.’ And we have an exclusive contract with him. Then they got really interested. So we said, ‘as a matter of fact,’ in the trunk of the car, in the parking lot, we have his next year’s, unreleased, exclusive signature series white ostrich quilt boots, if you want to see them.’ And they said, ‘can we? Can we?’ The point of the story is we got lucky that night, thank you, George, who was in the audience.
JG: Is that true?
MM: Yeah.
JG: I thought I knew all your shtick, okay. We can do another movie together if you still got that in there.
MM: So, yeah, then she won the award. And then I gave the presentation and among her saying thank you she was like, ‘I’d like to see those boots.’ And it was hilarious. It was a big laugh. Everyone in the whole stadium laughed. It was cute. It was really kind of adorable.

Q:Treading to close to what people…
MM: What? It was true. It’s a great story. I was seventeen. It was a great story. That’s all.

Q:Talk about Michael Douglas – what was it like working with him?
MM: It was a ball working him, and I really enjoyed some of the time offset between shots talking about producing and just the movie business as a whole. I learned a lot of cool things from him just talking the film business, making movies and just a lot of experiences he had, Wall Street, Coo Coos Nest, things like that.

Q:Did he offer you advice for your own production company?
MM: Yeah…yeah. I’m trying to seek and learn as much as I can on any producers and anyone that’s made successful films. Acting or producing, I’m always trying to seek out something.

Q:Talk about the invisible scenes?
MM: No actually you get more freedom.
JG: It was kind of weirdly nice to have you there in the invisible.
MM: Was it fun to act like
JG: Yeah, it felt like you were the audience of one and I don’t know it just gave it a different twist.
MM: That was really fun. When you’re getting married and I’m like right there in your face – and this was fun to do. And we talked about what were the rules. I couldn’t do this because obviously my hand would pass through.
JG: And that’s expensive.
MM: Yeah, that’s a lot of [inaudible]. But, yeah, to do this and to be yelling and then she’s having a conversation at this level with the guy behind me, was kind fun.
JG: Yeah, it was a different way of doing it.

Q:Was it hard for you, Jennifer?
JG: No, I liked it. It informed the scene to have Matthew there. Whether it was the scene with Brad where I was putting a cake back together – I know for everyone when Breckin was doing the he’s my brother speech, to have you there, that was – he really liked that. I remember you talking to him about it.
MM: And you just get to ignore me.
JG: Yeah, maybe that’s just my dream, just to ignore you.
MM: There he is – I don’t see you.
JG: As a matter of fact, you’re invisible to me right now.

Q:Ideal date and rules around marriage?
JG: The rule with marriage is the less you talk about it the better, as far as I can tell. So, go ahead, I’ll leave this to you, Matthew.
MM: I’m not married.
JG: Yeah, but the ideal date, Matthew – what’s it like?
MM: The ideal date?
JG: I’ll tell you – it has to do with food.
MM: Yep. It has to do with food. And I’m cooking it. My date’s cooking it. And we’re trying to make it last as long as possible because then we can have another glass of wine plus the later it comes on, the better it tastes because you’re really hungry. No, it is good. It changes…
JG: It’s very involved.
MM: Maybe a trip down to the store for something fresh on the meat side, but other than that, we want to basically may clean out of the fridge. And, we make bake something – we may also use the grill – and then we may end up with everything in the same pot by the time it’s time to eat.
JG: Same bowl. One bowl dinner. One bowl, one fork, good to go.
MM: But different marinades and different sauces, yeah.
JG: The McConaughey Way.

Q:What experience have you had with the angst of weddings? And did you feel comedy was harder than drama?
MM: You wanna talk about weddings? I’ve been in a couple of weddings where the coolest people that were the most day before so mellow and then the day of the wedding freaking out.
JG: Yeah, disaster.
MM: Not about getting married but about this is not being pulled off. What’s happening? The things that go wrong. At that time, you’re walking a tightrope I suppose.
JG: I was telling a story earlier this morning that I am usually part of the disaster of a wedding if I’m a bridesmaid which I’ve been lucky enough to be several times. One time I had my dress altered and had not tried it on again and there was four to six inches left of the hem and we had to duct tape it up, but last minute because I never get ready until to the last minute because I’m hanging out and chatting, doing girls’ makeup which I should not be doing. I went to walk down the aisle one time in front of my friend and the curlers were still in my hair. So I’m not a good bridesmaid in that way.
MM: But you also, I bet you didn’t freak out when that stuff happened.
JG: No. I say, “Somebody’s got duct tape.” “Does anyone have needle and thread?” I was like no, screw that. You can fix anything.
MM: Yeah, okay, I have curlers in my hair.
JG: They’re gonna come out. I’m going to have very bouncy ringlets. It’ll make the pictures funny.

Q:You’re doing another movie with a wild concept, a world where no one’s ever lied?
JG: Ricky Gervais, he wrote it with Matt Robinson and they directed it as well together. The concept, it’s just one of those little movies but it has a very big idea which is imagine a world with no artifice whatsoever. So for example, an add for Coca Cola would say, “Coca Cola, it’s bad for you but it’s sparkly and tastes good. Please continue buying Coca Cola. It’s really famous.” Ricky’s character is the one exception to the rule. He learns how to lie and just that one person learning how to lie changes the entire world. It’s really, really fun and there are a lot of great cameos in it. It’s just a kooky little movie.
MM: That guy’s timing is unbelievable.
JG: I know, he is good at what he does.

Q:What was it like being directed by him? Is he very specific?
JG: He is very specific about things. The worst thing about Ricky as a director is that if something is funny, if something is funny at all and it was very improvisational, he breaks and laughs and ruins your take. I would say, “It’s your movie. Just leave, just grr, just go in another room. Let me just do it because now…” He’s like, “Just do it again.” I said, “Ricky, it’s not the same. You suck.” But he knew exactly what he wanted.

Q:Matthew, will you be a groom in the future?
MM: Am I getting married in the future? Not today. Honestly, not today. I don’t have any plans for it. I was asked this earlier. It’s not an institution I’m against at all. I’m actually for it, believe in it and have seen it actually be very, very healthy for many relationships. Some people go through it some great ways. It’s just not something I plan on doing right now and that I feel like I need to do right now, but I’m not against it at all.

Q:First loves, 7th grade dances?
MM: I had mine at the dance, very similar to the dance in this film. I had mine. What did they say in the movie? “He’s a senior, there’s going to be tongue.” It wasn’t that. But I was buzzing for weeks after that because I pulled it off and went for it.

Q:What was the song?
MM: It was before Careless Whisper. Remember Careless Whisper? Wham.
JG: Sade?
MM: Wham. George Michael’s. It was before that.
JG: Careless Whisper on the dance floor. Mine was Groovy kind of Love which I knew because I had played it in the marching band for homecoming.
MM: Was that with the guy?
JG: The trumpet player, yes. But the bands for homecoming as the homecoming queen and her court were coming out, the band played Groovy Kind of Love and then at the dance, I was trying to dance with the trumpet player when Groovy Kind of Love was playing and my friends were saying, “Will you dance with her?” And he wouldn’t. It didn’t happen. It was my first dance.
MM: But you didn’t have your instruments on you?
JG: No, we did not take our instruments to the school dance, thank you.
MM: Oh, this is after the dance. Okay. So he wouldn’t dance with you. When’d you get the kiss?
JG: Oh, I didn’t get the kiss for a couple more years. I was like 18 when I.
MM: So that was the first time you wanted to kiss though, and you didn’t get it.
JG: Yeah, and my friends went and said, and he was like.
MM: Two more years of trumpet playing and he finally came around?
JG: I never got a kiss from him, no. He’s got four kids now. His name is Tim Miller. I think he lives in Kenova, WV.
MM: These guys come up a lot.
JG: Tim Miller? Yeah, you know, heartbreak.

Q:During filming, Matthew was about to be a father. Did you have any discussions, Jennifer give you any pointers?
JG: I give him lists all the time. I’m constantly e-mailing him, “Are you doing this? Please, can I have Camilla’s direct line because I would love to talk to her about this.” I mean, sure. I’m sure we talked about it.
MM: I’m sure we did too. I don’t remember exactly what we said now that I’m doing it. I’ve said this though, what she was great at in hindsight after now having a child, it was very seamless how you handled being a parent and being an actress. It was very seamless, at least it seemed seamless.
JG: To you.
MM: To the outside. It never felt like a stop start, okay, now I’ve got to get into this. You made it seem very, very seamless. Very dexterous.
JG: Thank you. I only had one then.
MM: Now it’s not as seamless?
JG: Yeah, now it’s messier.
MM: It’s like, yeah.
JG: Next time I work it’s just gonna be agh, agh.

Q:Talk about the movie stardom ride. Is it what you expected? How’s it going?
MM: I never had an expectation.
JG: Neither did I.
MM: Because I didn’t know what the hell it was about and didn’t expect it. I didn’t even know I was going to be acting until I was 21. I like how it’s going. I’m happy. I love my job. I’m starting to like it more actually than I used to. I think one, because I understand it a little bit better. I understand where and how my job’s more like the rest of my life and I also understand where it’s different and where it’s separate. Sometimes I want it to be very seamless with where I am in my own life at that time. Other times, I want it to be a complete trip for me, a journey away from where I am. So I’m enjoying it.

Q:What about the attention?
MM: The attention? I don’t have much of a strong opinion on that because, and I think I know what you’re getting at. You said public eye and you said attention, because it’s inevitable and I personally don’t choose to go, I’m not going to retreat or go hide out.
JG: You are very chill about it.
MM: I don’t get emotional.
JG: It doesn’t bother you. You don’t let it bother you.
MM: Appears, like you would on the set with the girl. No, I mean, something is inevitable unless I can work on changing some laws.
JG: Mm hmm, yeah.
MM: Unless you can handle it in a legal way, I go ahead and just don’t advertise it but take a breath and just go do what you do anyway.
JG: Oh, the movie stardom ride? I certainly never expected to be in front of a camera one day of my life. Even when I was studying acting, I wouldn’t even go into the film school of my school. I was only about stage. I was a total snob. And then when I moved to New York and was trying to get a job on stage and was buh-roke and got offered a TV movie, I was like, “Hot dog, put me in front of that camera. Let’s do it!” So now that it has continued to evolve, I too love my job and just looking at it as a working mom, there are a lot of great things about what I do as a mom. I work really intensely for a while but in a way and in a place where people are very respectful of my and of my kids and if I need to take a break and feed a baby, they let me, which isn’t always the case for women in the corporate world. I have help and I have the support that I need. I have a great partner in raising kids and he’s super involved and there with me and then I just got to take nine months off from work which who gets to do that? So it’s so far so good.

Q:How important is it to change it up? Like if this is a hit, would they force you to do another romantic comedy together? What about the Lincoln Lawyer?
MM: You’ve always seemed to do things different.
JG: What’s the Lincoln Lawyer?
MM: Lincoln Lawyer’s a very cool Michael Connelly book, courtroom, defense attorney gets a client.
JG: Oh, that’s cool. You didn’t have anything decided on last time I saw you.
MM: Yeah. To answer your question on my side, that’s, well, one, because of interest but two, yeah, I’m going to that and I’ve got another thing with Bob Benton that’s a political drama about LBJ. Then I’ve got a wild ass comedy called The Crackle. So keeping my eyes open for good comedies that have romance like this. This is a really good one and I like doing them and they’re fun and I’ve had some success with them. That’s pretty cool. But you’ve always kind of changed. I wouldn’t be able to connect you to a genre.
JG: It depends. I’ve been lucky to be able to change because I did become known out of the gate so much for action that I’m really happy that I didn’t get stuck there. But yeah, you guys have probably heard me say before, the whole point to me of being an actor is to get to do different things or else you might as well just go to an office and show up every day. Of course, you’re always looking for how to flip it for yourself, as well as how can I surprise people. That’s the fun.

Q:Any plans to celebrate your birthday?
JG: I am going to celebrate it right here with you and The Ghosts of Girlfriends Past. No, that’s about as far as I’ve gotten.

Source: http://www.collider.com/

Earier Jen was spotted at LAX aiport.

GALLERY LINKS:
- Movie Premiere Ghosts of Girlfriends Past
- Candids April 27 2009

Off-screen, Jennifer has her hands full with baby number two. But she’s getting lots of help from daddy Ben Affleck.

Guys and the “R” word.
“Guys are definitely romantic when they feel safe — not like they are supposed to be romantic — and they can do it because they want to. Sometimes you have to trick them into it by playing dead. All those special days like Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, anniversaries, and birthdays are just there to give a guy a little kick in the pants and make him do something romantic.”

How to deal with a player.
“I never had a problem resisting somebody that I knew was going to break my heart. Going after the bad guy has not been a real issue for me. I would flirt with them and enjoy that part of it. Then I’d be like, ‘Play somewhere else, not in my playground.’ One thing that I liked about the movie was it sounded like a version of conversations I’ve had with tons of girlfriends, where it’s just, ‘Stay away from him.’ ‘Oh, I can’t.’ ‘Just leave it alone. It’s never going to happen.’”

Baby number two.
“It’s the same, but crazier. It’s only one more, but it feels like three more. Having the second is easier but the overall result is just chaos, but happy chaos.”

Being a working mom.
“I work really intensely on films but in a place where people are very respectful of me and of my kids. If I need to take a break and feed a baby, they let me. And that isn’t always the case for women in the corporate world. I also have the support that I need. I have a great partner in raising kids. Ben is super involved and there with me.”

Ben as babysitter.
“He’s great and it’s me that gets paranoid. Maybe I wrote out a few lists of what he was supposed to do for our first child while I was gone. But Ben can handle it. He’s a great dad. I’m the one who is a wreck when I can’t be with the kids.”

When the babies sleep, the kicking and punching starts.
“Some people play Scrabble or watch TV. But Ben and I have a house that on some nights is sort of like a dojo. I have taught him some karate. He’s a yellow belt.”

Relationship secret.
“The rule with marriage is the less you talk about it the better, as far as I can tell.”

Bridesmaid memories.
“I’m usually part of the disaster at a wedding, especially if I’m a bridesmaid, which I’ve been lucky enough to be several times. One time I had my dress altered and had not tried it on again. There was like six inches hanging from the hem and we had to duct tape it up. I never get ready until the last minute because I’m hanging out and chatting, and one time I went to walk down the aisle and I still had curlers in my hair.”

First romantic song.
“Mine was ‘Groovy Kind of Love,’ which I played in the marching band for homecoming while the homecoming queen and her court were coming out. And then at the dance afterward, I was trying to dance with the trumpet player when ‘Groovy Kind of Love’ was playing. My friends were saying, ‘Will you dance with her?’ And he wouldn’t. And I never got a kiss from him either. He has four kids now. His name is Tim Miller and I think he lives in West Virginia.”

Being directed by Ricky Gervais in The Invention of Lying.
“The worst thing about Ricky, as a director, is that if something is funny he breaks up and laughs and ruins your take. And I would say, ‘It’s your movie. Just leave. Just go in another room and let me just do it alone.’ He was like, ‘Just do it again.’ I said, Ricky, it’s not the same. You suck.’”

Source: http://www.parade.com

Even with today being her 37th birthday, Jen is playing her own party pooper on her big day and with life in general.

The truth is that she doesn’t do parties or wild nights our or even breakdowns like other celebs because she’s quietly going about what she really loves – motherhood mixed with just a little Hollywood.

With three-year-old Violet and baby Seraphina, born just four months ago, Jen and husband Ben Affleck have found the kind of happiness denied to so many famous couples. The couple first met as friends on the set of Peal Harbour ten years ago but didn’t become more than that until teaming up in their skintight jumpsuits for comic book movie Daredevil in 2003. At the time Affleck was living the popstar life with another Jennifer – Lopez. Now he and Garner have clearly found their place with each other and their young family.

Jen is making what has become one of her rare returns to Hollywood over the past few years with romantic comedy Ghosts of Girlfriends Past.

The movie sees Jen play bridesmaid to her soon-to-be-wed sister and her womanising groom Matthew McConaughey. With Matt’s character struggling with a bad case of cold feet it takes a ghostly and Christmas Carol-like revelation to put the wedding back on track.

Here Jen talks about juggling babies with box office, how she’s coping with life as a famous mother and why she’s doing everything she can to keep her perfect life as boring as possible.

Q: Happy birthday, by the way.
JG: Thank you. You know, this year it just doesn’t feel like a birthday…life is full. I don’t need to celebrate. Normally, I am the person that says, ‘You know my birthday is in three weeks? Just so you know. I’ll see you tomorrow. It’s my birthday,’ But not this time.”

Q: How are you enjoying motherhood second time around?
JG: “It’s the same thing but crazier (laughs). No, everything is going really well, thank you very much. Everybody is happy and healthy. It feels like it’s only one more but it feels like three more.”

Q: What is your secret to keeping your family out of the tabloids?
JG: “We try to be boring (laughs). I try to stay away from it. Ben taught me that you cannot read that stuff, that it’s poison. It is horrible to read anything written about you. I would read the positive stuff if somebody read it through for me beforehand.”

Q: Did you learn anything from this movie?
JG: “Well, I think yeah, of course, there are messages to the movie: that you have to take a chance on love. That it’s worth the risk.”

Q: How weird was it to act out the scenes when Matthew is a ghost and invisible to your character?
JG: “It felt like he was an audience of one. It just gave it a different twist. I liked it. It informed the scene to have Matthew there. It was quite nice to just ignore him (laughs).”

Q: Have you had any experience of wedding angst like your character in this movie?
JG: “I am usually part of the disaster of a wedding if I’m a bridesmaid which I’ve been lucky enough to be several times. One time I had my dress altered and had not tried it on again and there was four-to-six-inches left of the hem and we had to duct tape it up. It was all last minute because I never get ready until the last minute because I’m hanging out and chatting, doing girls’ makeup which I should not be doing. I went to walk down the aisle one time in front of my friend and the curlers were still in my hair. So I’m not a good bridesmaid in that way.”

Q: Did you always want to be famous?
JG: “No. The whole movie stardom ride is totally unexpected. I certainly never expected to be in front of a camera even for one day of my life. Even when I was studying acting, I wouldn’t even go into the film school of my school. I was only about stage. I was a total snob. Then when I moved to New York and was trying to get a job on stage and was broke and got offered a TV movie, I was like, ‘Hot dog! Put me in front of that camera. Let’s do it!” So now that it has continued to evolve, I love my job.

Q: You’re doing another movie with a wild concept, a world where no one’s ever lied.
JG: “That’s right. Ricky Gervais wrote it with Matt Robinson and they directed too. It’s just one of those little movies but it has a very big idea which is to imagine a world with no artifice whatsoever. So for example, an ad for Coca Cola would say, ‘Coca Cola, it’s bad for you but it’s sparkly and tastes good. Please continue buying Coca Cola. It’s really famous.’ Ricky’s character is the one exception to the rule. He learns how to lie and just that one person learning how to lie changes the entire world. It’s really, really fun and there are a lot of great cameos in it. It’s just a kooky little movie.”

Q: What was it like being directed by Ricky Gervais?
JG: “He is very specific about things. The worst thing about Ricky as a director is that if something is funny, if something is funny at all and it was very improvisational, he breaks and laughs and ruins your take. I would say, ‘It’s your movie. Just leave. Just go in another room. Let me just do it.’ He’s like, ‘Just do it again.’ I said, ‘Ricky, it’s not the same. You suck!’ But he knew exactly what he wanted.”

Q: Would you like to do more romantic comedies or are you itching to go back to action roles?
JG: “I’ve been lucky to be able to change because I did become known out of the gate so much for action. I’m really happy that I didn’t get stuck there. The whole point to me of being an actor is to get to do different things or else you might as well just go to an office and show up every day. Of course, you’re always looking for how to flip it for yourself, as well as how can I surprise people. That’s the fun.”

Q: Would you like to do another movie with Ben?
JG: “A big part of it is that somebody’s got to raise the kids, so if we’re both at work, that’s a bummer for them. But there’s no rush. We’re not looking for anything to do together just now.”

Source: http://www.movies.ie/

“Sometimes,” says a smiling Jennifer Garner, the TV and movie star who is also the mother of Affleck’s two daughters, “I feel like Ben married me because I would be a good First Lady.”

While her comment no doubt is tongue-in-cheek, Garner does, however, acknowledge her 36-year-old husband’s aspirations.

Knowledgeable and articulate, Affleck was called on frequently for comment by America’s news networks during the presidential election and has openly expressed his interest in one day running for Congress.

“He’d be great,” says Garner, 37. “But it would be a long time from now. He needs to direct some (more) movies.”

In the meantime, she says, it is all they can do to raise Violet, three, and Seraphina, or “Sera”, who arrived in January, while also juggling their respective careers.

In one recent week, Garner helped move their family into a new home in Los Angeles; flew to Boston to visit Affleck, who is shooting The Company Men opposite Tommy Lee Jones and Kevin Costner and returned to LA for the premiere of her latest movie Ghosts Of Girlfriends Past; then went to New York to walk another red carpet.

“I just have to be super-chill about it,” she says. “I just take one thing at a time and don’t panic too much when work comes up because we’ll figure it out.

“When you get down to the nitty gritty it always seems to be fine. As far as balance is concerned, I used to do nothing but work, so now my life is much more balanced.

“I just really love, love, love being pregnant and being home and diving into the whole world of it, making dinner and baking bread and taking my daughter to school.

“You know, balance can be a nightmare for any working woman and I count myself among them, but I have help and support from my husband and I can hire people to help me do what I need to do, so I’m a very lucky working mum.”

Described recently by InStyle magazine as “girl next door gorgeous”, Garner, the former star of TV’s Alias, has been married to actor, director and Academy Award-winning writer Affleck since 2005.

It is her second marriage while Affleck was previously was engaged to singer and actress Jennifer Lopez.

Garner and Affleck became friends while working together on Pearl Harbour (2001) and also co-starred in Daredevil (2003) at a time when her first marriage, to her co-star from TV’s Felicity, Scott Foley, was disintegrating.

I was at a very vulnerable place in my life but he (Affleck) never hit on me, and that’s why I liked him,” Garner says.

“It was a surprisingly slow evolution, but once it evolved we were just like, `OK, let’s have a baby and get married’.”

In the romantic comedy Ghosts Of Girlfriends Past, Garner plays Jenny Perotti opposite Matthew McConaughey as Connor Mead.

Once childhood sweethearts, she’s now a doctor; he is a celebrity photographer and shameless womanizer.

Affleck originally was attached to the role of Connor, but Garner thinks real-life couples on screen don’t work.

“It would be weird,” Garner says. “It just wouldn’t work well for us or for the audience.

“I’m not saying never again, but just don’t expect to see us fall in love on screen. To me that would just be creepy.

“I would be in another film that he’s in, of course, if it makes sense, and I would love to be directed by him.”

But her biggest relief, after her action movie, The Kingdom, was at last being able to dress up again.

“I thought, `Oh, thank goodness I’m in nice clothes and my hair’s pretty and I smell good and I get to be a girlie girl and I get to kiss the boy!’ “Really, that’s how it works for me.”

Source: http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraphl