I’ve always thought Ben Affleck was a good dude, and he’s made some pretty good flicks over the years. Armageddon was apocalyptically cool, Paycheck was neat, and he was a welcome appearance in many a Kevin Smith movie. His career has had a resurgence of late, with his brilliant directorial effort Gone Baby Gone and its follow-up, The Town, opening in two weeks and starring Affleck, Jeremy Renner and Jon Hamm. Affleck graces our cover this weekend — with sunglasses, a five o’clock shadow and a teddy bear, to boot — and told Marco R. Della Cava in the cover story about how his days of living in the glare of paparazzi flashbulbs and big-budget-movie lights is much different than now. He’s busy raising two young girls with wife Jennifer Garner, drawing attention to the plight of Congolese refugees and reshaping a career with an eye toward directing, writing and acting. “When you read about stars you often get this brief snapshot, not a deep evaluation or analysis of who that person is,” Affleck tells us. “As a result, it was often hard to distinguish between a picture of me, and the real me. Between my real life and the life that was happening around me.” So while he couldn’t leave his house back during the “Bennifer” period (aka, his high-profile engagement to Jennifer Lopez), he has no problem just standing on busy L.A. thoroughfares relatively undisturbed today. “I just love what I’m doing these days, which is deeply satisfying,” he says. “When you work on things that you feel are connected to who you are as a person and an artist, it’s a wonderful feeling.” If you want to see the work he’s up to now, check out this clip from The Town featuring him and Renner.