Ben Affleck

Ben Affleck: Smokin' Aces Made Me Quit Smoking

02/03/2007 at 06:00 AM EST

For the last year or so, Ben Affleck’s biggest role has been playing dad to 1-year-old Violet and husband to Jennifer Garner. But last month's Golden Globe nod for Hollywoodland and a new role in Smokin' Aces has landed him back in the spotlight.

The actor, 34, tells PEOPLE about early-morning baby duty, working with brother Casey and getting back into the Hollywood swing of things.

Are you enjoying awards show season?
The tilt-a-whirl is nice every now and then. ... But, like anything, you can overdo it.

You may not have won, but congrats on the Golden Globe nomination.
I was very happy. My wife was up early with our child and [woke me up] to tell me I'd been nominated – and to get me to change the baby.

You play a chain-smoking bail bondsman in Smokin' Aces. You're a smoker, right?
The whole week that I shot, I smoked, like, five packs a day. By the time the movie was over, I was so sick of smoking, I just didn't want to do it anymore, and I quit. I have this celluloid record of the last time I smoked.

How was directing your brother Casey, 31, in Gone, Baby, Gone?
A pleasure. It was like directing anybody else, except I could fantasize that if it came down to it I could throttle him.

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