Affleck bemoans intrusive paparazzi, ungracious gift recipient

By Stone Martindale Sep 1, 2006, 20:13 GMT

Ben Affleck poses for a photo on Thursday, 31 August 2006, in Venice at the end of the press conference to promote Allen Coulter\'s movie \'Hollywoodland\', that will be shown today in contest at the 63rd Venice film festival. EPA/CLAUDIO ONORATI

Actor Ben Affleck was at loss for words when a TV host handed him a snow globe for his baby daughter Violet.

The actor has just wrapped Gone, Baby, Gone in Boston, returning to publicize his new film Hollywoodland at the Venice Film Festival.

Appearing on ITV morning chat show GM.TV today, Affleck was flustered when reporter Carla Romano handed him a gift of a snow globe for his baby, Violet.

Affleck said, "Thank you. That's cute. But by the time she's old enough to know what it is, it won't snow in New Orleans anymore because of global warming."

TMZ reports that Affleck is tired of all the media focus put on his personal life, and says it's hurting his career.

"I think more and more people pay attention to actor's private lives ... it makes it difficult to suspend disbelief when you are going to watch their movie because really what you are thinking about is whatever you have read about them in a magazine rather than the performance they are giving and it makes the actors job harder."

Affleck told reporters "the movies become incidental pit stops and commercial breaks in the soap opera of their life."

TMZ.com speculated that must be why "Daredevil" and "Gigli" were so poorly received -- the audience focused too much on Affleck's life with J. Lo and not his brilliant on-screen performances.