Q&A: Ben Affleck directs 1st film

Gone Baby Gone is Hollywood actor Ben Affleck's first directing role. It is in cinemas now - nine months after it was initially due for release. It was delayed because it's about a child abduction, and the little girl in it looks similar to Madeleine McCann. The three-year-old vanished from a holiday apartment in Portugal last May.

This is your first time directing. Are you pleased with the positive reaction to the film?

I'm very happy to have a film come to the UK and have it be seen by the folks here. There was a bit of a wait. I also supported the postponement but I'm definitely glad that the movie will be out and will be seen and I'm pleased with the reaction so far although that doesn't mean much considering no-one has actually paid any money for a ticket yet.

If this film makes money does it affect what you do next?

It definitely has an impact although it's already done most of its journey in the States and it's done fairly well. I have been offered some jobs as a director. So it looks like at the very least I could direct maybe a slasher movie! No, it's been certainly better than my worst fears. I'm happy with the outcome and I'm hoping people here like it.

You've had ups and downs in your career. Do you see directing as your future or are you going to do more acting?

I'm going to continue to do both - acting and directing. I did Hollywoodland and I directed this movie and I've just acted in a movie called State Of Play which is a remake, in fact, of a BBC mini-series which I liked a lot and which had a great cast and a wonderful director. So, as long as I can keep that level of company I think I'll be very fortunate.

Were you involved in any of the decision making to delay the film because of the Madeleine McCann case?

I was not involved in the decision making to delay the film but I certainly support the decision. I certainly didn't object to it. And I respect the fact they made it and I respect the reasons why and I support the movie coming out now, later. It's a very difficult thing, it's very hard to know what the right thing is, so you make the best decision you can. At the end of the day, I think it was the right decision to hold off and I think it's the right decision for the movie to come out now.

Being a dad now, are you overprotective of your daughter? Do you worry a lot about her safety?

Yes I am and yes I do. Particularly being in the situation that I am. The obtrusiveness of the media - it's something that I think about every day.

Do you have to take certain steps to try to keep her out of the public eye?

I take a lot of steps but none of them are any good and I wish that there was something I could do to prevent the photographs from being published. It's a difficult thing. She's very young now, that's one thing. It's part of the life that I'm in and obviously it affects me and life and my wife and we've made those bargains and we live with them. But your children don't make those decisions so as a father I do what I can do to protect my children.

On a lighter note, lots of your friends like Matt Damon have kids. Do you have cute play dates with his children?

I have cute play dates with Matt Damon. We play with blocks and wrestle.

I know you're very good at impressions. I'm hoping because you've been working on State Of Play with Russell Crowe that Russell is now in your repertoire?

Australians are very hard to do - I mean he's a little bit Kiwi, a little bit Australian but they're very hard to do. He's deceptively hard. Maybe by the time we get to promote the movie I'll have a Russell Crowe. but I do not have a good Russell Crowe yet and I spend a lot time with him. He's tough. Australians are very tough and they'll let you know. You'll do it and they'll say, "That's the worst accent I've ever heard. That's horrible.' So they'll let you know."