She's the Smartest Woman in Hollywood

There's no question that Jennifer Garner and Ben Affleck are one of Hollywood's cutest, most drama-free, high-profile couples. And while this version of Bennifer may seem like a rock-solid couple (well, for Hollywood, anyway) Jennifer Garner wants fans to know that there is more to her than just her marital status.

According to the September issue of Allure magazine, Garner believes that it's important to separate her identity as an individual and as an actress from her role as Ben Affleck's wife. In fact, her desire to keep those parts of her life distinct is what causes her to walk some red carpet events solo.

It’s a very conscious decision. Sometimes it’s a pain because my heels are so high and it would be nice to have his arm. And he’s such a great date! But it can be too much. I think especially for women, they can really lose their identity and just become 'wife of.'

But what about the events where both parts of the pair need to be there? Well, if you're hoping for a Garner/Affleck joint film venture — like in 2003's critically panned superhero film Daredevil — it looks like that won't be happening any time soon. As Garner says:

Really, you don’t want to see a couple onscreen ...There’s no mystery... People are sick of us.

We have to applaud Garner for her stance — it's way too easy for talented celebrities to fall into the trap of becoming more well-known for being part of a Hollywood couple than their own work. Justin Theroux has a number of films under his belt, yet he's more famous for being the fiancé of Jennifer Aniston. Even the "It Couple of the Century" Brangelina — err, Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie — can't escape being clumped together, despite their numerous individual efforts. Garner is being smart to think of herself as both an actress with her own unique identity and a wife and mother — one shouldn't overly affect the other.

But it's not just Garner who feels this way. After his Best Picture Oscar win for Argo, Ben Affleck thanked his wife, while thanking her for helping make their marriage work over the years:

I want to thank you for working on marriage for ten Christmases. It’s good, it is work, but it’s the best kind of work, and there’s no one I’d rather work with.

Aww. So while the couple may not be into working together on the set, it's probably because they'd rather put the effort into making their marriage the best it can be.

While Bennifer might be a strong couple, their separate career lives may mean that we miss out on a couple of adorable shots of this adorable couple. Sorry, guys.