Jennifer Garner | Success Story of the Multifaceted Actress

Jennifer Garner is an American actress and producer. She rose to fame during the early 2000s after starring in ABC’s action thriller TV series Alias. Jennifer won a Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild award for portraying a CIA officer in the series. She has been a part of the entertainment industry for over two decades. In her long and successful career, Jennifer has acted in successful projects like Juno, Pearl Harbor, Dallas Buyers Club, Catch Me If You Can, and Daredevil. She is also a board member of the Save the Children Federation of the USA.

About

Jennifer Garner is one of the most prominent actors in the film and TV industry. She began her acting journey in 1995 with Danielle Steel’s Zoya. Jennifer is also Once Upon A Farm’s co-founder and chief brand officer. It is an organic baby food company that provides farm-fresh snacks and meals for babies, toddlers, and big kids. In her two-decade-long career, Jennifer has worked with iconic artists like Ben Affleck, Kate Beckinsale, Matthew McConaughey, Steve Carell, Jennifer Aniston, Julia Roberts, Ryan Reynolds, and Mark Ruffalo.

Early Life

On the 17th of April 1972, Jennifer Anne Garner was born in Houston, Texas, USA. Her father, William John Garner, was a chemical engineer. In contrast, her mother, Patricia Ann English, worked as an English teacher. Jennifer has an elder and a younger sister. The three sisters grew up in a conservative environment. Jennifer used to visit the local church every Sunday. During summers, she went to the Vacation Bible School. When Jennifer was three years old, the family moved to Charleston, West Virginia. As teenagers, Jennifer and her sisters were not allowed to wear makeup, apply nail polish, dye their hair, or pierce their ears. However, the three of them were okay with it. They didn’t argue with their parents about their conservative upbringing. 

For schooling, Jennifer attended George Washington High School in Charleston. As a child, she loved acting. Jennifer used to perform in many acting competitions in her hometown. After completing high school, she enrolled at Denison University in Ohio. Jennifer took chemistry as a major at the university. However, she later signed up for a beginning acting class. Jennifer read the play Crimes of the Heart and instantly changed her major from chemistry to theatre. In 1993, she studied at the National Theatre Institute in Connecticut during the fall semester. A year later, Jennifer graduated with a bachelor’s degree in fine arts. During her college years, she also performed at the summer stock theatre. Besides acting, Jennifer also helped in the maintenance services of the theatre. From selling tickets to cleaning the venue, she did it all.

Beginning of Career

Between 1992-94, Jennifer worked in several theatre companies. After graduation, she decided to move to New York. Jennifer was 22 at the time. She worked as a waitress and spent over nine months sleeping on the kitchen floor to save money. Later, an agent saw her and asked if she could act in a Shakespeare monologue. Jennifer was confident about her acting skills due to her prior theatre work experience. As a result, she started working as an understudy at the Roundabout theatre company. Jennifer was earning $150 a week for the job. Later, in 1995, she got her first on-screen opportunity. Jennifer played the role of Mellisa Gilbert’s daughter in the TV movie adaptation of Danielle Steel’s romance novel Zoya. The following year, she acted in another television movie called Harvest of Fire.

Initial Years

During 1996-97, Jennifer made frequent appearances on TV. She played minor roles in Swift Justice and Law & Order. Jennifer also did a part-time job as a hostess in a Manhattan restaurant. In 1997, she decided to move to Los Angeles. Upon moving, Jennifer landed her first leading role. Christopher Cain cast her as Mary Rose Clayborne in the television film Rose Hill. She starred in her debut big-screen movie Washington Square in the same year. The film failed to gain commercial success but achieved critical acclaim. Between 1998-99, Jennifer continued to act on various projects. However, some of them got canceled due to poor ratings. She did not lose hope and ventured on to new projects. During the early 2000s, Jennifer started getting more significant roles.

Pathway to Success

In 2000, Danny Leiner cast Jennifer as Ashton Kutcher’s girlfriend in the commercially successful Dude, Where’s My Car? The following year, she played a minor role in the war drama Pearl Harbor. After spending over five years in the industry, Jennifer finally gained a promising position in J.J. Abram’s Alias. It became a massive critical and commercial hit. In 2002, Jennifer won her first-ever Golden Globe award for Best Actress in a Television Series Drama. The same year, legendary filmmaker Steven Speilberg cast her in a minor role in Catch Me If You Can. Later, in 2003, Jennifer starred in the commercially successful Daredevil alongside her future husband, Ben Affleck. She gained wider recognition as an actor after starring in the coming-of-age drama Juno. The film was a critical and commercial success. Jennifer’s performance earned her appraisal across the industry. Through these roles, she became a prominent star in Hollywood.

Also read: Kate Winslet | The success story of the ‘Titanic’ star