Jennifer Garner Didn’t Plan on Becoming an Actress: ‘I Didn’t Think That Was a Possibility’

Jennifer Garner attends The Daily Front Row's 8th Annual Fashion Los Angeles Awards in Beverly Hills, Calif., on April 28, 2024. Jon Kopaloff/Getty Images

Jennifer Garner is an award-winning actress with a career spanning nearly three decades. But when she reflects on her younger years, making it in Hollywood was never part of her plan.

On Monday’s episode of the “Lipstick on the Rim” podcast, the “13 Going on 30” star told co-hosts Molly Sims and Emese Gormley that as a devoted ballet dancer, the thought of an acting career never crossed her mind growing up.

“I didn’t think that that was a possibility, and I didn’t think about it anyway,” the 52-year-old said. “It was an extracurricular that took over my life.

“And so, I danced every day after school. I taught ballet to the 3-, 4-, and 5-year-olds, and then I would have my classes,” she said. “And then I would either have rehearsal for the dance company and whatever ballet we were working on, or I would have rehearsal with the Charleston Light Opera Guild.”

Although she was set on her path, Garner remembered facing skepticism from her loved ones.

“I was pretty myopic, but still, my dad would sit me down and say, ‘Jennifer, it’s wonderful that you’re doing this, but shouldn’t you be focusing just on something real to study in and to study for?’” she recalled.

Earlier in the episode, the “Alias” star shared about the day her “tough” ballet instructor told her she was proud of her after winning a scholarship for a dance intensive in North Carolina, adding that her instructor’s tutelage impacted her later on.

“It makes me choke up thinking about it because those people in your life who ask so much of you, they are gold, they’re gold,” she said. “Whenever I see someone be tough on my kid, if they have integrity, I’m just so grateful to them because that shapes you.”

From Dancing to Acting

Garner was born in Houston, Texas, on April 17, 1972, and raised in Charleson, West Virginia. In 1994, she graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in theater performance from Denison University in Ohio. After moving to New York City the following year, Garner made her first on-screen appearance in “Zoya,” a miniseries based on the book by Danielle Steel.

Soon after Garner moved to Los Angeles, she landed her first leading role in the 1997 television film “Rose Hill,” and made her feature film debut in 1997’s “Washington Square.” However, Garner got her breakthrough when she landed the role of agent Sydney Bristow in the ABC series “Alias.” During the show’s five-season run, Garner received a Golden Globe Award, a Screen Actors Guild Award, and four Primetime Emmy nominations.

Garner’s first leading film role was in the 2004 romantic comedy “13 Going on 30,” alongside Mark Ruffalo. Other film appearances include 2003’s “Daredevil,” 2007’s “Juno,” 2009’s “Ghosts of Girlfriend’s Past,” and 2010’s “Valentine’s Day.” Her most recent feature film role was as Elektra in 2024’s “Deadpool & Wolverine.”

Garner has three children with her ex-husband and former co-star Ben Affleck.