Jennifer Garner facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jennifer Garner
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Garner in 2024
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Jennifer Anne Garner
April 17, 1972 Houston, Texas, U.S.
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| Alma mater | Denison University (BFA) |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1995–present |
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Works
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Full list |
| Spouse(s) |
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| Partner(s) | John C. Miller (2018–present) |
| Children | 3 |
| Awards | Full list |
Jennifer Anne Garner (born April 17, 1972) is an American actress. She was born in Houston, Texas, and grew up in Charleston, West Virginia. Jennifer studied theater at Denison University and started her acting career as an understudy in New York City.
She became well-known in the 2000s for playing secret agent Sydney Bristow in the TV show Alias (2001–2006). For this role, she won a Golden Globe Award. She also gained recognition for her roles in popular movies like 13 Going on 30 (2004), Juno (2007), and Valentine's Day (2010). More recently, she has starred in films such as Yes Day (2021) and The Adam Project (2022).
Besides acting, Jennifer Garner is a strong supporter of early childhood education. She is also a co-founder of Once Upon a Farm, a company that makes organic baby food. She has also spoken out against paparazzi taking photos of celebrity children to protect their privacy.
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Early Life and Education
Jennifer Anne Garner was born on April 17, 1972, in Houston, Texas. When she was three years old, her family moved to Charleston, West Virginia. Her father, William John Garner, was a chemical engineer, and her mother, Patricia Ann English, was a homemaker and later an English teacher. Jennifer has two sisters.
She attended George Washington High School in Charleston. In 1990, Jennifer went to Denison University in Granville, Ohio. She first studied chemistry but later changed her major to theater. She graduated in 1994 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in theater performance.
Acting Career Highlights
Starting Out in the 1990s
While in college, Jennifer performed in summer theater shows. She also helped with selling tickets, building sets, and cleaning. After college, she moved to New York City in 1995. Her first on-screen appearance was in the miniseries Zoya. She also appeared in TV movies like Harvest of Fire and Dead Man's Walk.
In 1997, Jennifer moved to Los Angeles and got her first main role in the TV film Rose Hill. She also appeared in her first feature film, Washington Square. In 1998, she joined the cast of the college drama series Felicity, created by J. J. Abrams. In 1999, she was a regular on the Fox drama series Time of Your Life.
Rising to Fame in the 2000s
In 2000, Jennifer appeared in the comedy Dude, Where's My Car?. In 2001, she had a small role in the war film Pearl Harbor. The same year, she was cast as the lead in the ABC action thriller series Alias. The show's creator, J. J. Abrams, wrote the character of Sydney Bristow specifically for her. Alias ran for five seasons, from 2001 to 2006. During this time, Jennifer won a Golden Globe Award and a Screen Actors Guild Award for her performance.
While working on Alias, Jennifer also appeared in movies. She had a small but memorable role in Steven Spielberg's film Catch Me If You Can (2002), starring Leonardo DiCaprio. Her first co-starring film role was as Elektra in the superhero movie Daredevil (2003), alongside Ben Affleck.
Jennifer's first main role in a film was in the romantic comedy 13 Going on 30 (2004). She played a teenager who magically becomes a thirty-year-old. Critics praised her performance, and the movie was a big success, earning $96 million worldwide. She played Elektra again in the 2005 spin-off film Elektra, but this movie was not as successful.
After a short break, Jennifer returned to acting in 2007. She had a supporting role in Juno, playing a woman who wants to adopt a child. This role was seen as a turning point in her career. She also played an FBI investigator in the action thriller The Kingdom.
In late 2007 and early 2008, Jennifer performed on Broadway in Cyrano de Bergerac. Critics praised her performance. In 2009, she starred in two romantic comedies: Ghosts of Girlfriends Past and The Invention of Lying.
Work in the 2010s
In 2010, Jennifer was part of the large cast in the romantic comedy Valentine's Day, which earned over $216 million worldwide. In 2011, she had a supporting role in the comedy Arthur.
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In 2012, Jennifer played a mother for the first time in the drama The Odd Life of Timothy Green. She also produced and starred in the satirical comedy Butter. In 2013, she reunited with Matthew McConaughey in the biographical drama Dallas Buyers Club, playing a doctor. This film was highly praised and successful.
In 2014, Jennifer starred in the sports drama Draft Day and co-starred with Steve Carell in the Disney film Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day, which made $101 million worldwide. She also appeared in the dramedy Men, Women & Children.
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In 2015, Jennifer played a supporting role in the drama Danny Collins. In 2016, she starred in the Christian drama Miracles from Heaven, playing a mother whose daughter has a near-death experience. She also appeared in the comedy Nine Lives.
In 2018, Jennifer co-starred in Love, Simon, a film based on a popular young-adult novel. She also voiced Mama Llama in the Netflix animated series Llama Llama and starred in the action film Peppermint. In August 2018, Jennifer Garner received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. She also had a leading role in the HBO comedy series Camping.
Recent Work in the 2020s
In 2020, Jennifer starred in the comedy miniseries Home Movie: The Princess Bride, which was a "fan-made" recreation of the 1987 film. She also produced and starred in the Netflix family comedy film Yes Day, released in March 2021.
In 2022, Jennifer starred in the science fiction action film The Adam Project, where she reunited with her 13 Going on 30 co-star Mark Ruffalo. In 2023, she appeared in the Starz sitcom Party Down and executive produced and starred in the Apple TV+ mystery drama series The Last Thing He Told Me.
Jennifer also starred as Jess Walker in the family comedy film Family Switch, released on Netflix in November 2023. She reprised her role as Elektra Natchios in the Marvel Cinematic Universe superhero film Deadpool & Wolverine, which was released in July 2024.
Other Activities
Singing Performances
Jennifer Garner has shown her singing talent in various projects. In a 2002 episode of Alias, she sang a version of "Since I Fell For You". She also sang "My Funny Valentine" when she hosted Saturday Night Live in 2003. In 2006, she sang a solo version of "My Heart Is So Full Of You" on the compilation album Unexpected Dreams – Songs from the Stars. In 2021, she sang "Baby I Need Your Loving" in the film Yes Day.
Advocacy for Children
Since 2009, Jennifer has been an artist ambassador for Save the Children USA. She helps promote programs for reading, healthy eating, and early education for children. Since 2014, she has been on the board of trustees for the organization, working to support early childhood education. She often visits families involved in the Early Steps to School Success program, which helps parents teach their young children.
In 2015, she appeared in A Path Appears, a PBS documentary that looked at poverty among children in West Virginia.
Protecting Children's Privacy
Jennifer Garner has actively campaigned for laws to protect children from paparazzi. In August 2013, she spoke before the California Assembly Judiciary Committee to support a bill that would protect children of celebrities from harassment by photographers. The bill passed in September 2013 and became California law. This law makes it illegal for photographers to behave in ways that "seriously alarms, annoys, torments, or terrorizes" children, or to "lie in wait" outside their activities.
She has spoken about how many photographers used to wait outside her home and her children's school. She supports the "No Kids" policy, adopted by many media organizations, which stops the publication of photos of celebrities' children.
Once Upon a Farm Company
In 2018, Jennifer Garner co-founded Once Upon a Farm, a company that makes organic, fresh baby food. She is also the company's chief brand officer. In 2019, Once Upon a Farm became the first refrigerated baby food available to families who qualify for the WIC program.
Working with Save the Children, Jennifer and her team are dedicated to providing 'A Million Meals' to children in communities across America who do not have enough food.
Angel City FC Ownership
Jennifer Garner is also part of the ownership group for Angel City FC, a professional women's soccer team in the National Women's Soccer League.
Personal Life
Relationships and Family
Jennifer Garner met actor Scott Foley on the set of Felicity in 1998. They married in 2000 and later divorced in 2004. She then dated her Alias co-star Michael Vartan for a period.
Jennifer began dating Ben Affleck in August 2004, after they had become friends while working on Pearl Harbor and Daredevil. They married on June 29, 2005. Jennifer and Ben have three children together: Violet Anne Affleck (born in 2005), Fin Affleck, and Samuel Garner Affleck. The couple announced their intention to divorce in 2015, and their divorce was finalized in October 2018.
She has been in a relationship with businessman John C. Miller since mid-2018.
Religious Beliefs
Although Jennifer stopped attending church regularly after moving to Los Angeles, her three children were baptized as members of the United Methodist Church in her hometown of Charleston, West Virginia. In 2015, she and her family began attending weekly Methodist church services in Los Angeles.
Filmography and Awards
See also
In Spanish: Jennifer Garner para niños
