Rise to Success: Career Highlights of Jennifer Garner
Discover the career path of Jennifer Garner, from the first major opportunity to industry-changing achievements.
Jennifer Garner is an American actress born in Houston, Texas, and raised in Charleston, West Virginia. She studied theater at Denison University before beginning her acting career as an understudy with the Roundabout Theatre Company in New York City. She gained recognition for her starring role in the Fox teen drama series *Time of Your Life* (1999–2000) and supporting roles in films such as *Pearl Harbor* (2001) and *Catch Me If You Can* (2002).
1992: Summer Stock at Timber Lake Playhouse
In 1992, Jennifer Garner worked at the Timber Lake Playhouse in Mount Carroll, Illinois, during college summer.
1993: Summer Stock at the Barn Theatre
In 1993, Jennifer Garner worked at the Barn Theatre in Augusta, Michigan, during college summer.
1994: Summer Stock at the Georgia Shakespeare Festival
In 1994, Jennifer Garner worked at the Georgia Shakespeare Festival in Atlanta, Georgia, during college summer.
1995: Move to New York City
In 1995, Jennifer Garner moved to New York City, earning $150 per week as an understudy for a Roundabout Theatre Company production and made her first on-screen appearance in the romance miniseries 'Zoya'.
1996: Television and Film Appearances
In 1996, Jennifer Garner played an Amish woman in the television movie 'Harvest of Fire' and a shopkeeper in the Western miniseries 'Dead Man's Walk'.
1997: Move to Los Angeles and Leading Role in 'Rose Hill'
In 1997, Jennifer Garner moved to Los Angeles, gained her first leading role in the television film 'Rose Hill', and made her first feature film appearance in 'Washington Square'.
1998: Role in 'Felicity'
In 1998, Jennifer Garner appeared in an episode of 'Fantasy Island' and was cast as a series regular in the Fox drama 'Significant Others', before landing a role in J. J. Abrams' college drama series 'Felicity'.
1999: Starring Role in 'Time of Your Life'
In 1999, Jennifer Garner landed a starring role on the Fox teen drama series 'Time of Your Life'.
1999: Roles in 'Time of Your Life' and 'Aftershock: Earthquake in New York'
In 1999, Jennifer Garner was cast as a series regular in the Fox drama series 'Time of Your Life', appeared in the miniseries 'Aftershock: Earthquake in New York', and in two episodes of 'The Pretender'.
2000: Starring Role in 'Time of Your Life'
In 2000, Jennifer Garner continued her starring role on the Fox teen drama series 'Time of Your Life'.
2000: Role in 'Dude, Where's My Car?'
In 2000, Jennifer Garner played the girlfriend of Ashton Kutcher's character in the comedy 'Dude, Where's My Car?'.
2001: Role in 'Pearl Harbor' and Casting in 'Alias'
In 2001, Jennifer Garner appeared in 'Pearl Harbor' and was cast as the star of the ABC action thriller series 'Alias'.
2001: Role in 'Pearl Harbor'
In 2001, Jennifer Garner played a supporting role in the film 'Pearl Harbor'.
2001: Rising to Fame in 'Alias'
In 2001, Jennifer Garner rose to fame for her role as Sydney Bristow in the ABC action thriller series 'Alias'.
2002: Advertisement for Corey Palumbo
In 2002, Jennifer Garner filmed an advertisement for her childhood friend Corey Palumbo, who was running for the West Virginia House of Delegates, marking her involvement in local politics.
2002: Role in 'Catch Me If You Can'
In 2002, Jennifer Garner had a supporting role in the film 'Catch Me If You Can'.
2002: Singing in Alias
In 2002, Jennifer Garner sang a version of "Since I Fell For You" on an episode of Alias, even writing her own lyrics for the song.
2003: Co-starring in 'Daredevil' and Voicing Herself in 'The Simpsons'
In 2003, Jennifer Garner co-starred in 'Daredevil' as Elektra and voiced herself in an episode of 'The Simpsons'.
2003: Singing on Saturday Night Live
In 2003, Jennifer Garner sang "My Funny Valentine" while hosting Saturday Night Live, marking another instance of her singing in a public performance.
2004: Starring in '13 Going on 30'
In 2004, Jennifer Garner received further recognition for her starring role in the romantic comedy '13 Going on 30'.
2005: Reprising Elektra in 'Elektra'
In 2005, Jennifer Garner reprised the character of Elektra in the 'Daredevil' spin-off film 'Elektra'; it was a box office and critical failure.
April 4, 2006: Release of Unexpected Dreams – Songs from the Stars album
On April 4, 2006, the compilation album Unexpected Dreams – Songs from the Stars was released, featuring Jennifer Garner singing a solo version of "My Heart Is So Full Of You" from Frank Loesser's The Most Happy Fella.
2006: End of 'Alias'
In 2006, Jennifer Garner finished her role as Sydney Bristow in the ABC action thriller series 'Alias'.
2006: Rally for Jerry McNerney
In 2006, Jennifer Garner spoke at a rally in support of Democratic congressional candidate Jerry McNerney in Pleasanton, California.
2007: Global warming awareness video
In 2007, Jennifer Garner appeared in a global warming awareness video produced by the Center for American Progress Action Fund. In that same year, she also stated that she was "not a particularly outwardly political person".
2007: Starring in 'Juno'
In 2007, Jennifer Garner received further recognition for her starring role in the movie 'Juno'.
2007: Return to Work after Break
In 2007, Jennifer Garner returned to work after a one-year break, taking a supporting role in 'Juno' and playing an FBI investigator in 'The Kingdom'.
2007: Starring in 'Catch and Release'
In 2007, Jennifer Garner starred in the romantic drama 'Catch and Release', which failed to recoup its production budget.
2007: Broadway Debut and Neutrogena Spokesperson
In late 2007, Jennifer Garner played Roxanne in 'Cyrano de Bergerac' on Broadway and became a spokesperson for Neutrogena.
2008: Fundraisers for Barack Obama
In 2008, Jennifer Garner hosted two fundraisers for Barack Obama during the 2008 Democratic Primary.
2008: 'Cyrano de Bergerac' on PBS
In 2008, the play 'Cyrano de Bergerac', in which Jennifer Garner played Roxanne, was aired on PBS after being recorded before a live audience.
2009: Artist Ambassador for Save the Children USA
In 2009, Jennifer Garner became an artist ambassador for Save the Children USA, promoting national literacy, nutrition, and early education efforts.
2009: Co-starring in 'Ghosts of Girlfriends Past'
In 2009, Jennifer Garner co-starred in 'Ghosts of Girlfriends Past', portraying the childhood friend of a famous photographer and womanizer.
2009: Performance in 'The Invention of Lying'
In 2009, Jennifer Garner starred in Ricky Gervais's directorial debut, 'The Invention of Lying', playing the love interest of the first human with the ability to lie.
2010: Role in 'Valentine's Day'
In 2010, Jennifer Garner appeared in Garry Marshall's ensemble romantic comedy 'Valentine's Day', sharing scenes with Ashton Kutcher, Jessica Biel, and Patrick Dempsey.
2011: Supporting Role in 'Arthur'
In 2011, Jennifer Garner had a supporting role as a villainous deranged bride in the comedy 'Arthur', a remake of the 1981 film.
2011: Partnership with Frigidaire and Save the Children
In 2011, Jennifer Garner partnered with Frigidaire as part of her work with Save the Children.
2012: Starring in 'The Odd Life of Timothy Green' and 'Butter'
In 2012, Jennifer Garner played a mother in 'The Odd Life of Timothy Green' and produced and starred in 'Butter', also appearing in the YouTube short 'Serena' and became a spokesperson for Luvo.
August 2013: Testimony before California Assembly Judiciary Committee
In August 2013, Jennifer Garner testified before the California Assembly Judiciary Committee in support of a bill protecting celebrities' children from paparazzi harassment, marking her advocacy for privacy laws.
September 2013: Passage of paparazzi bill
In September 2013, the bill Jennifer Garner supported to protect children from paparazzi harassment passed, becoming California law.
2013: Dallas Buyers Club Release and Max Mara Spokesperson
In 2013, Jennifer Garner starred in the biographical drama Dallas Buyers Club, playing a doctor treating AIDS patients, which garnered critical acclaim. Also in 2013, she became the first celebrity spokesperson for Max Mara, an Italian fashion brand.
2013: Starring in 'Dallas Buyers Club'
In 2013, Jennifer Garner starred in the film 'Dallas Buyers Club'.
2013: Save the Children Gala
In 2013, Jennifer Garner took her daughter Violet to a Save the Children gala in New York, emphasizing the importance of making the world a better place.
2014: Donation to Wendy Davis campaign
In 2014, Jennifer Garner donated $25,000 to the campaign of Democratic politician Wendy Davis.
2014: Invest in Us campaign
In 2014, Jennifer Garner joined the Invest in Us campaign, further supporting early childhood education initiatives.
2014: Starring in 'Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day'
In 2014, Jennifer Garner starred in 'Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day'.
2014: Roles in Draft Day, Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day, Men, Women & Children and Capital One Spokesperson
In 2014, Jennifer Garner starred in Draft Day as a salary cap analyst. She also co-starred in Disney's Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day. Additionally, she appeared in Men, Women & Children. In late 2014, Capital One signed Garner as a spokesperson for their Capital One Venture Air Miles credit card.
2014: Support for "No Kids" policy
In 2014, Jennifer Garner supported the "No Kids" policy, adopted by media organizations, forbidding publication of photos of celebrities' children, and argued in favor of a United Kingdom-style system, where you have to blur out the face[s] of minor children in published photographs.
2014: Board of Trustees for Save the Children
Since 2014, Jennifer Garner has served on the board of trustees for Save the Children, advocating for early childhood education.
2015: Appearance in A Path Appears
In 2015, Jennifer Garner appeared in A Path Appears, a PBS documentary focusing on rural poverty among children in West Virginia.
2015: Supporting role in Danny Collins
In 2015, Jennifer Garner played a supporting role in the drama Danny Collins, inspired by the story of Steve Tilston. She portrayed the wife of Bobby Cannavale's character, receiving positive reviews for her performance.
2016: Miracles from Heaven and Nine Lives Appearances
In 2016, Jennifer Garner appeared in the Christian drama Miracles from Heaven as the mother of a sick child, and she also starred in the comedy Nine Lives. She also made an uncredited cameo appearance in Mother's Day (2016).
2016: Fundraiser and events for Hillary Clinton
In 2016, Jennifer Garner hosted a fundraiser in support of Hillary Clinton in Bozeman, Montana. She also attended voter registration and phone bank events for Clinton in Reno, Nevada.
2016: Singing in Mother's Day
In 2016, Jennifer Garner sang "Doin' It (All for My Baby)" in the Garry Marshall comedy-drama Mother's Day.
May 2017: Wakefield Premiere
In May 2017, Jennifer Garner appeared in the drama Wakefield, which premiered at TIFF and was released that same month.
August 2018: Hollywood Walk of Fame Star and Camping series
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, based on the British television show.
2018: Co-founding Once Upon a Farm
In 2018, Jennifer Garner co-founded Once Upon a Farm, an organic, fresh baby food company, where she serves as the chief brand officer.
2018: Roles in Love, Simon, Llama Llama, and Peppermint
In 2018, Jennifer Garner co-starred in Love, Simon, voiced Mama Llama in Netflix's Llama Llama, and starred in the action film Peppermint, marking several diverse roles in her career.
2018: Starring in 'Love, Simon' and 'Peppermint'
In 2018, Jennifer Garner starred in the films 'Love, Simon' and 'Peppermint'.
2019: Availability of Once Upon a Farm for WIC-eligible families
In 2019, Once Upon a Farm became the first refrigerated baby food available to WIC-eligible families, marking a significant milestone for the company.
2020: Home Movie: The Princess Bride
In 2020, Jennifer Garner starred in the Quibi comedy miniseries Home Movie: The Princess Bride, created to raise money for World Central Kitchen during the COVID-19 pandemic.
March 2021: Release of Yes Day on Netflix
In March 2021, Jennifer Garner produced and starred in the Netflix family comedy film Yes Day, directed by Miguel Arteta.
2021: Singing in Yes Day
In 2021, Jennifer Garner interpreted the Four Tops's 1964 chart selection "Baby I Need Your Loving" in the family comedy Yes Day.
2022: Starring in 'The Adam Project'
In 2022, Jennifer Garner starred in the film 'The Adam Project'.
2022: Starring in The Adam Project and guest appearance in Upload
In 2022, Jennifer Garner starred in the science fiction action film The Adam Project, reuniting with Mark Ruffalo. She also made a guest appearance in the Amazon Prime Video series Upload.
November 2023: Release of Family Switch on Netflix
In November 2023, Jennifer Garner starred as Jess Walker in the family comedy film Family Switch, which was released on Netflix.
2023: Series regular in Party Down and starring in The Last Thing He Told Me
In 2023, Jennifer Garner appeared as a series regular in the revival of the Starz sitcom Party Down. Also that year, she executive produced and starred in the Apple TV+ limited mystery drama series The Last Thing He Told Me.
2023: Starring in 'The Last Thing He Told Me'
In 2023, Jennifer Garner starred in the Apple TV+ drama series 'The Last Thing He Told Me'.
July 26, 2024: Release of Deadpool & Wolverine
On July 26, 2024, Jennifer Garner reprised her role as Elektra Natchios in the Marvel Cinematic Universe superhero film Deadpool & Wolverine.
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