She’s quirky, she’s down-to-earth and she can whip up a batch of cloud cookies like nobody’s business. Not to mention her stellar acting skills and unforgettable fashion moments—like the elegant black gown she donned during Paris Fashion Week. Of course, we’re talking about our pretend BFF, Jennifer Garner.
The actress first won our hearts as undercover spy Sydney Bristow in the sci-fi action thriller, Alias, then solidified her status as America’s sweetheart after starring in the iconic rom-com, 13 Going on 30. In an interview with Molly Sims, she revealed that it’s one of her favorite roles to date. She said, “I’m so defined by 13 Going on 30. We were young and we were so excited, it was Judy Greer and Mark Ruffalo and me, and for all three of us it was the biggest paycheck we’d ever had, it was the biggest role we’d ever had and we just couldn’t believe it. We were all doing it together, and we loved our director.”
The actress has since starred in dozens of films, like Juno, Love, Simon and The Adam Project—but she’s not just making waves in Hollywood. The Deadpool & Wolverine star is also the co-founder of the baby food company, Once Upon a Farm, and she’s a proud ambassador for Save the Children USA. Keep reading for more details about the star.
Early Life & Rise to Fame
Jennifer Garner was born to chemical engineer William John Garner and college teacher Patricia Ann English in Houston, Texas. She’s one of three girls, including her big sister, Melissa, and her younger sister, Susannah. All three were raised in Charleston, West Virginia (Jennifer moved with the family at age three), and the actress has been quite vocal about her tight-knit relationship with the two.
You may have spotted a few throwback photos of the trio on her Instagram page, where she has shared heartfelt tributes to her siblings. In honor of National Siblings Day this year, Jennifer posted a slideshow of childhood pics and wrote, “I sure lucked out with these two. I love my sisters.”
Jennifer trained in ballet for nine years and attended George Washington High School in Charleston before enrolling at Denison University in Granville, Ohio. Initially, she pursued a degree in chemistry, but later discovered her passion for theater and switched her major. Garner told CNBC, “I was lucky to have parents who didn’t impose their ideas on me. When I went to college as a chemistry major, my mom said to me, ‘Why aren’t you switching your major? Just study what you love. You can always go back and become a doctor or a lawyer.’ I came out with a BFA (Bachelor of Fine Arts). I remember thinking how forward-thinking my parents were to give me that freedom.”
Following her graduation, Jennifer moved to New York in 1995 and worked as a hostess while pursuing acting. According to The New York Times, she earned $150 a week as an understudy for a Roundabout Theatre Company production of A Month in the Country. Then, she went on to make her acting debut as Melissa Gilbert’s daughter in the miniseries Zoya.
Top Movies & TV Shows
In 1997, Garner moved to Los Angeles and landed her first leading role in the TV film, Rose Hill. During the late ’90s, she also appeared in projects like Deconstructing Harry, Significant Others, Felicity and Time of Your Life. However, her big break came when she got cast in ABC’s Alias. The series aired for five seasons and earned Garner a whopping 27 award nominations, including four Emmy nods and four Golden Globe nominations, one of which she won.
During the show’s run, she starred in successful films like Daredevil and Pearl Harbor—both of which made over $100 million at the box office. But perhaps her most popular is 13 Going on 30, which was met with high praise from critics and became a big commercial success, thanks to her charming performance.
On the film’s 15-year anniversary, Garner wrote on IG, “I feel so, so lucky to have had the experience of making this joyful movie. And even luckier to be part of something that, all of these years later, can still make people smile.”
Most recently, Garner starred in the 2023 fantasy comedy, Family Switch, and in 2024, she revived her role as Elektra Natchios in Deadpool & Wolverine.
Jennifer Garner’s Social Media
We confess, seeing Garner’s Instagram content is one of the biggest highlights of our day, thanks to her fun and wholesome social media presence. If you take a look at her feed, you’ll notice that her posts range from movie promotions and nostalgic family throwbacks to TikTok trends and funny candid moments (like that one time she got stuck in an elevator). Still, nothing quite compares to her “Pretend Cooking Show,” where Garner walks her fans through how to make a variety of meals and snacks—complete with the best commentary.
Just to give you an idea of what she’s whipped up in her kitchen, she has done recipes for whipped cream cake, espresso pancakes, hashbrowns and brown butter sage pasta. And as a bonus, Garner’s mother has made surprise appearances.
For instance, Garner tried her hand at her mom’s classic recipe for Chiffon Pie, and so of course, she enlisted the help of the master chef herself.
Garner wrote on Instagram, “Mom’s pie had an irresistible crunch-chew ratio. Just sweet enough, not a bit more. And the filling—peaked whipped cream with berries and/or whatever stone fruit smelled fresh at the fruit stand—absolute summer heaven. Perfect for company, but with middle-of-the-week ease, this Southern Living standard felt just right for a Pretend Cooking Show with Pat Garner.”
Personal Life
During her brief stint on Felicity in 1998, Garner met her co-star, Scott Foley and they started to date. The pair tied the knot in October 2000, but Garner filed for divorce in May 2003. She started dating her Alias co-star Michael Vartan, in August 2003, but they called it quits in 2004.
In 2005, Garner married her second husband, Ben Affleck, with whom she worked on Daredevil and Pearl Harbor. Together, they welcomed three children: Violet Anne Affleck (18), Fin Affleck (15) and Samuel Garner Affleck (12). However, after 13 years of marriage, they divorced in 2018.
ROBYN BECK/AFP via Getty Images
During her appearance on the Today show in 2023, Garner got candid about her parenting style and said, “I want to be around. But I also think it’s OK if they suffer from a little bit of benign neglect. Their lives are their own. I’m not trying to live their life, and I don’t mind that they see that I love mine.”
Although the proud mom has parted ways with Affleck, she is now dating her longtime boyfriend and businessman, John Miller. The pair briefly broke up in 2020, but they rekindled their romance in 2021 and have been going strong ever since. One insider told Us Weekly in 2023, “Jen and John are in a great place. They used to go out of their way to keep a low profile, but they’ve both become very secure with their relationship and how it’s all worked out.”
Personal Style
We can always count on Garner to deliver dazzling looks on the red carpet, from her flirty red dress at the 2023 Family Switch premiere to her monochromatic suit at “The Big Night Out” Gala in 2022. More recently, she channeled Jackie Kennedy in her classic black gown while in Paris for fashion week. Dior featured the actress on their Instagram page and wrote, “True to Christian Dior’s words, @Jennifer.Garner does everything with zest, especially as she gives her look a final once-over, radiating a spirited demeanor, all set for the #DiorSS25 show by @MariaGraziaChiuri.”
Among her go-to brands are Versace, Prada, Roland Mouret and Oscar de la Renta. But while we appreciate her stunning looks at red carpet events, it’s worth noting that she also looks chic and classy in casual wear, from denim jeans and cozy sweaters to rompers.
Net Worth
According to Celebrity Net Worth, Garner is worth $80 million, thanks to her real estate, her thriving baby food company and, of course, her successful shows and movies. The site reports that she made a hefty sum from several of her movies, including $3 million for 13 Going on 30 and $7 million for The Kingdom. She also earned an impressive $3.3 million ($150,000 per episode) for the final season of Alias—a huge bump from her starting salary of $40,000 per episode.
Additionally, Garner’s company, Once Upon a Farm, is worth $100 million. She told CNBC, “Once Upon a Farm, which was teeny tiny when I came around, was a no-brainer. It solved a problem that I had as a mom, and that I didn’t see anyone else solving—using technology called high-pressure pasteurization, or high-pressure processing, to make kid products [that retain their nutrients and taste while still killing harmful bacteria].” (FYI, the company was worth less than $1 million before Garner hopped on board.)
The actress currently resides in a gorgeous Los Angeles home that’s worth $8 million. Plus, she’s had lucrative partnerships with brands like Neutrogena, Capital One and Mercedes. Celebrity Net Worth estimates that she made about $10 to $15 million through her partnership with Mercedes alone. NBD.
Career Achievements & Awards
For her starring role in Alias, Garner earned a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Television Series Drama (out of four nominations) and a Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series. Her performance also earned her four Emmy nods for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series—but this isn’t the only role that scored her accolades. She also has three People’s Choice Awards to her name, including Favorite Female Action Star for Elektra, and her role in Daredevil earned her an MTV Movie Award for Best Breakthrough Female Performance.
