Jennifer Anne Garner was born on April 17, 1972 in Houston, Texas, to a chemical engineer father and an English professor mother. She was the second of three daughters, all of whom were young when the family relocated to Charleston, West Virginia.

The Garner household was a conservative one, wherein makeup and earrings were prohibited, making for a great discrepancy between the appearances of the young Jennifer and the older one that television audiences have come to know.

Jennifer Garner studies acting

As a child, Jennifer was an aspiring ballerina, practicing for up to six hours a day. Over the course of her youth, this passion for performance translated into an interest in acting and, after graduating from George Washington High School in Charleston, Jennifer enrolled in a theater program at Denison University in Granville, Ohio.

Jennifer’s love for acting blossomed fully during her undergraduate years, and she shunned the traditional college party lifestyle in favor of honing her craft. Upon her 1994 graduation from Denison, Jennifer decided to forego her previous plans to extend her theater studies at Yale University, opting instead to move to New York City. Her plan was to try her hand at some auditions to see how far her training to date would take her.

Jennifer Garner tv roles

Whether attributable to good schooling, innate talent, extremely photogenic looks, or a more likely fusion of all three, it did not take Jennifer long to find stage work. Within a month of her arrival in New York, Jennifer landed an understudy role in a Broadway production of A Month in the Country. Now fully conscious of her capabilities as an actress, Jennifer moved to Los Angeles to seek out television and film work. Again, success did not elude her, and she soon made her screen debut in the made-for-television movie Zoya.

Over the next two years leading up to 1998, Jennifer found consistent screen work. Although the roles she landed were often small ones, their situation among popular sitcoms and successful films raised Jennifer’s profile in Hollywood. Guest spots on the programs Spin City and Law & Order, and appearances in films such as Deconstructing Harry (1997) and In Harm’s Way (1997) all contributed greatly to Jennifer’s acting resume. In 1998, she was cast in a leading role on the FOX drama series, Significant Others.

Jennifer Garner on felicity

Due to poor ratings, Significant Others was pulled off the air after only a month. Out of work, Jennifer auditioned for a spot on the popular WB series Felicity and, after four further auditions, won the job. Her role, that of Noel Crane’s meddling ex-girlfriend Hannah, was initially forecast as a onetime guest spot, but Felicity producer J.J. Abrams was sufficiently impressed with her performance to call Jennifer back for several additional appearances.

Felicity provided Jennifer with more than consistent work; it was on the set of the show that her relationship began with actor Scott Foley (who portrayed her fictional ex-boyfriend, Noel), which led to the couple’s marriage in the fall of 2000. However, like many Hollywood marriages, it didn’t last forever: the couple divorced in March 2004.

Jennifer got a second stab at a leading role in 1999, when she was cast in the Jennifer Love Hewitt series, Time of Your Life. Although Jennifer’s individual performance was critically acclaimed, the Party of Five spinoff shared the same fate as Significant Others and was canceled after a brief stint on the air. Despite its failure, Jennifer’s appearances on the show had contributed to her ever-heightening visibility, and she went on to portray roles in such large-scale projects as the films Pearl Harbor (as Nurse Sandra) and Dude, Where’s My Car? (as Ashton Kutcher’s girlfriend).

Jennifer Garner in alias

In 2000, Jennifer was approached by Felicity producer J.J. Abrams with an offer to audition for his new project, an action series he was putting together for ABC. Her interest was aroused by his description of the show — called Alias — and she enrolled in martial arts classes in preparation for her audition. Jennifer’s perseverance paid off, and a month later she was cast in the leading role of Sydney Bristow, a CIA agent who juggles multiple identities as well as a host of slinky getups.

In a welcome change from Jennifer’s previous experiences, Alias has enjoyed respectable ratings and a strong critical reception. The program has spawned a loyal fan base and, in February of 2002, Jennifer was awarded the Golden Globe for Best Performance by an Actress in a Drama.

Jennifer Garner in elektra

In the meantime, Jennifer has continued to expand her acting experience. In 2002, she had a small role opposite Leonardo DiCaprio in the Steven Spielberg feature, Catch Me If You Can. The following year, she appeared alongside Ben Affleck in a film adaptation of the comic book Daredevil. Once again, she found romance on the set and has been dating J.Lo’s ex ever since.

In 2004, Jennifer appeared in the romantic comedy 13 Going On 30 and, in 2005, she took on the title role in Elektra, the followup to Daredevil.

While Alias has been moved to Wednesday nights, Jennifer is keeping busy with the release of 2005′s Catch and Release and 2006′s Charlotte’s Web.

Buying a cigarette is the perfect type of a perfect pleasure. It is exquisite, and it leaves one unsatisfied. What more can one want?

Filmography

Year Title Role Notes
1997 In Harm’s Way Kelly
1997 Deconstructing Harry Woman in Elevator
1997 Washington Square Marian Almond
1997 Mr. Magoo Stacey Sampanahodrita
1998 1999 Annabell Alternative title: Girls & Boys
2000 Dude, Where’s My Car? Wanda
2001 Pearl Harbor Nurse Sandra
2001 Rennie’s Landing Kiley Bradshaw Alternative title: Stealing Time
2002 Catch Me If You Can Cheryl Ann Cameo Role
2003 Daredevil Elektra Natchios MTV Movie Awards for Breakthrough Female Performance

Nominated—MTV Movie Award for Best Kiss (shared with Ben Affleck)

Nominated—Teen Choice Award for Choice Movie Chemistry (shared with Ben Affleck)

Nominated—Teen Choice Award for Choice Movie Actress – Drama/Action Adventure

Nominated—Teen Choice Award for Choice Movie Breakout Star – Female

2004 13 Going on 30 Jenna Rink Nominated—MTV Movie Award for Best Musical Performance (shared with Mark Ruffalo)

Nominated—Teen Choice Award for Choice Movie Chemistry (shared with Mark Ruffalo)

Nominated—Teen Choice Award for Choice Movie Blush

Nominated—Teen Choice Award for Choice Movie Actress – Comedy

Nominated—Teen Choice Award for Choice Movie Hissy Fit

Nominated—Teen Choice Award for Choice Movie Liplock

2005 Elektra Elektra Natchios Nominated—MTV Movie Award for Best Kiss (shared with Natassia Malthe)

Nominated—Teen Choice Award for Choice Movie Actress: Action Adventure/Thriller

2006 Catch and Release Gray
2007 Kingdom, TheThe Kingdom Janet Mayes Alternative title: Operation: Kingdom
2007 Juno Vanessa Loring Nominated—Online Film Critics Society Award for Best Supporting Actress
2009 Ghosts of Girlfriends Past Jenny Perotti
2009 Invention of Lying, TheThe Invention of Lying Anna
2010 Valentine’s Day Julia Fitzpatrick
2011 Butter Post Production
2011 Arthur Filming
Television
Year Title Role Notes
1995 Danielle Steel’s Zoya Sasha Television movie
1996 Harvest of Fire Sarah Troyer Television movie
1996 Dead Man’s Walk Clara Forsythe Miniseries
1996 Swift Justice Allison Episode: “No Holds Barred”
1996 Law & Order Jaime Episode: “Aftershock”
1996 Spin City Becky Episode: “The Competition”
1997 Player, TheThe Player Celia Levison Television movie
1997 Rose Hill Mary Rose Clayborne Television movie
1998 Significant Others Nell 6 episodes
1998–

2002

Felicity Hannah Bibb 3 episodes
1999 Aftershock: Earthquake in New York Diane Agostini Television movie
1999 Pretender, TheThe Pretender Billie Vaughn 1 episode
1999–

2001

Time of Your Life Romy Sullivan 19 episodes
2001–

2006

Alias Sydney Bristow 105 episodes

Saturn Award for Best Actress on Television

Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Television Series Drama

Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series

Teen Choice Awards for Television – Choice Actress

Nominated—Saturn Award for Best Actress on Television (2004, 2005, 2006)

Nominated—Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress – Drama Series (2002, 2003, 2004, 2005)

Nominated—Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Television Series Drama (2003, 2004, 2005)

Nominated—Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series

Nominated—Satellite Award for Best Actress – Television Series Drama (2003, 2004, 2005)

Nominated—Television Critics Association for Individual Achievement in Drama

Nominated—Teen Choice Awards for Choice Television Actress – Drama

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