Affleck on "Gone Girl," wife Jennifer and Batman

This piece originally aired on Sept. 30, 2014.

Like so many real-life murder plots played out on television, Ben Affleck's new film "Gone Girl" centers on an unsuspecting husband, thrust into the spotlight when the love of his life Amy is missing.

Although Affleck shares no personal connection to the film's protagonist Nick Dunne, who is condemned by the public for murder, he admits to feeling similarly trapped by unforgiving press that at times can be difficult to control.

"You go ahead and do something and you see the way it gets covered by tabloids or folks who want to sensationalize it or make you look unduly bad for whatever reason, and you go, 'This bears no relationship to who I am,'" Affleck said Tuesday on "CBS This Morning." "It's like a whole other person."

Affleck explained he was attracted to the film in part because of director David Fincher's desire to explore the media's extrapolation of a person's life.

"It's like watching a soap opera that an actor is in, reading lines that I don't want to say, in a part that I don't want," Affleck said. "So I used that sense of frustration and kind of helplessness and irritation to connect with a guy who is obviously on a whole other level.

Despite the classic whodunit rhythm of the film, "Gone Girl" explores the complexities and evolution of a husband-wife relationship at its heart. Scenes of the heart-pounding investigation weave around flashbacks from Amy's diary -- a diary that details the progressive downturn of their marriage.

"The thing that David pitched to me and that I thought was the most interesting, was it's about how in that phase of ... courtship, seduction, dating, we tend to show our partners the side of ourselves that we think is the most attractive -- that they might like the most," Affleck said. "And they do the same with us. And eventually, whether it's because you get tired of holding up that weight, or you get married and you close the door, the masks come off and you find out who you're really with.

Though for Affleck and his wife of nine years, Jennifer Garner, it's difficult foreseeing any problems in sight.

"The person I found out that I married was almost better than what I thought," Affleck said.

On the side, Garner has been working with actress and friend Halle Berry in an effort to block paparazzi from following their kids. Affleck says the attention had gotten so bad, they were thinking about leaving LA.

But thanks to Berry's passion and perseverance, the intrusions subsided.

"It has changed a great deal," Affleck said. "And I think that we understand that children deserve special protections under the law."

Affleck is now focusing on his role as Batman in the next installment of the DC Comics series.

"In all the movies I've done combined, I've never had so much enthusiasm," Affleck said.

And just like any other film he's been in, Affleck was met with criticism. But despite being much older than what audiences might expect, he said he doesn't take it personally.

"What's meaningful is, you have to go out and do your job, and do it well," Affleck explained. "If the movie works, people will say it's good. If it doesn't, they'll say it wasn't. That's just about as simple as it is."

It's no surprise with an attitude like that, Affleck continues to set his sights high.

His career is marked by a slew of accolades, most recently highlighting both his acting and directing. "Argo," was recognized with an Oscar in 2012 as the Best Motion Picture of the Year and subsequently earned a Golden Globe for best direction.

Having played on both sides of the camera, Affleck continues to find directors that provide fulfilling and genuine opportunities.

"Your big fear as an actor is that you're going to work really hard and do stuff you're really proud of, and you're not going to see it in the movie," Affleck explained. "And what you're going to see in the movie is something that you'll go, 'Wait a minute, this doesn't bear any relationship to what we talked about or what I hoped for.'"

Affleck credits his experience and as both a director and actor for knowing who to work with.

"With a guy like David [Fincher] you anticipate that it'll be better than what you hoped for, which in this case, I think it is," Affleck said. "I'm in a really optimal place. I couldn't have hoped to be in a better place."