Jennifer Garner Biography

Jennifer Garner made her name as the lean, athletic star of the action-adventure television series Alias (2001-06), in which she played American superspy Sydney Bristow.

Jennifer Garner began her acting career in New York in the mid-1990s, then moved to Los Angeles and won small roles in various TV productions. Her regular appearances on the college-angst series Felicity (1998) led to movie roles, including the comedy Dude, Where’s My Car? (2000, with Ashton Kutcher) and the big-budget action flick Pearl Harbor (2001, starring Kate Beckinsale).

More importantly, Felicity creator J.J. Abrams tapped Garner for the lead role in Alias (2001, co-starring Bradley Cooper), the hit show that made her a star.

She made her way into feature films, including a small role in Catch Me If You Can (2002, starring Leonardo DiCaprio), and as comic-book heroine Elektra in the films Daredevil (2003, starring Ben Affleck) and Elektra (2005). After marrying Affleck in 2005, Garner became less visible as she took time to raise their three children, but she remained a reliable Hollywood star, mostly in romantic comedies. Garner and Affleck filed for divorce in 2017.

Her other films include 13 Going on 30 (2004, with Mark Ruffalo), Juno (2007, starring Ellen Page), Ghosts of Girlfriends Past (2009, starring Matthew McConaughey), Valentine’s Day (2010, with Patrick Dempsey), the 2011 remake of Arthur (with Russell Brand in the title role), Dallas Buyers Club (2013) and the musical dramedy Danny Collins (2015).