Jennifer Garner is an American actress born on April 17, 1972, in Houston, Texas and raised in Charleston, West Virginia.
She began her acting career in the mid-1990s, appearing in various television productions, including Felicity and Alias.
Garner gained widespread recognition for her role as Sydney Bristow in Alias, which earned her four consecutive Emmy nominations for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series, four Golden Globe nominations and two Screen Actors Guild Award nominations.
Apart from acting, she is an activist for early childhood education and is involved in several philanthropic activities.
Net worth | $80 million |
Date of birth | April 17, 1972 |
Profession | Actress |
Nationality | American |
Background and parents
Garner is the second of three daughters of William John Garner, a chemical engineer for Union Carbide and Patricia Ann English, a homemaker and later an English teacher at a local college.
She has described herself as a typical middle child who sought to differentiate herself from her accomplished older sister.
While Garner did not grow up in a politically active household, her father was “very conservative” and her mother “quietly blue.”
He attended a local United Methodist Church every Sunday and was not allowed to wear makeup, paint her nails, pierce her ears or dye her hair as a teenager.
Garner has two sisters, Melissa Wylie and Susannah Carpenter.
She attended George Washington High School in Charleston, where she played saxophone in the marching band and was water girl for the football team.
Garner later enrolled at Denison University in Granville, Ohio, where she changed her major from chemistry to theater and was a member of Pi Beta Phi sorority.
She graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in theater performance in 1994.
Net worth
Garner has an estimated net worth of $80 million.
She has accumulated her net worth primarily through her successful acting career in film and television, including popular titles like Alias, 13 Going on 30 and Daredevil.
Garner has also earned significant income from lucrative endorsement deals with major brands like Neutrogena, Capital One and Mercedes.
Additionally, she co-founded her own organic baby food company, Once Upon a Farm, which has contributed to her wealth.
Garner’s net worth has also been influenced by her real estate investments and divorce settlement from her marriage to Ben Affleck.
Salary
Garner made $45,000 per episode for early seasons of Alias, which amounted to approximately $1 million for a full 22-episode season.
By the end of the show, her peak salary was $150,000 per episode, roughly $3.3 million per season.
For 2004’s 13 Going on 30, Garner earned $3 million and for 2007’s The Kingdom, she was paid $7 million
Endorsement deals
Garner’s endorsement deals include partnerships with Capital One, Neutrogena and Mercedes Benz among others.
She has been a spokesperson for Neutrogena for around 15 years, earning an estimated $10 million to $15 million per five-year contract.
Additionally, Garner’s deal with Mercedes Benz is valued at $15-20 million per year.
She partnered with Capital One as a spokesperson for the company and she likely receives a substantial fee for her services, which can range from $10-15 million for a multi-year contract.
These earnings are typically paid upfront or in installments over the duration of the agreement.
Real estate
Garner’s real estate properties and houses include a 1930s Brentwood estate purchased for $7.9 million in 2019, which she tore down to build her dream home.
She previously lived in a 10,568 sqft mansion in Pacific Palisades while constructing her new home.
Garner also owned a ranch-style home in Sherman Oaks, purchased in 1999 for $790,000, and a Spanish bungalow in Pacific Palisades, bought in 2002 for $1.05 million.
She has also owned properties in Brentwood and Pacific Palisades, including a Spanish-style hacienda bought in 2004 for $5.5 million and a $13.9 million traditional home in Pacific Palisades, which she started leasing.
Early career
Garner’s early career included small roles in films and television shows, such as Dude, Where’s My Car? and Law & Order.
She also worked as a waitress and took acting classes in college.
Garner’s first significant breakthrough came with the television series, Alias, where she starred as Agent Sydney Bristow.
She received four consecutive Emmy nominations for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series for her role in Alias.
Garner also appeared in films like Daredevil and 13 Going on 30, showcasing her versatility as an actress.
Before becoming an actress, her jobs included babysitting, working at a men’s clothing store, and building sets and cleaning toilets at a theater.
Garner also made scrunchies with her college roommate and sold them to other students.
His breakthrough role came in the television series, Alias, where she portrayed the lead character, CIA officer Sydney Bristow.
This role propelled her to fame in the early 2000s and garnered critical acclaim, earning her a Golden Globe Award and two Primetime Emmy Award nominations.
Awards and accolades
Garner has received numerous awards and accolades throughout her career, including a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Television Series – Drama for her role in Alias and a Screen Actors Guild Award.
She has also been nominated for four Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series for her work in Alias.
Philanthropic efforts
Garner is deeply involved in philanthropic work, supporting various causes and organizations.
She is an ambassador and board member of Save the Children, advocating for early childhood education programs and nutritious meals for children in need.
Garner co-founded Once Upon a Farm, an organic baby food company that aims to provide healthy food options while giving back to the community.
Additionally, she supports charities like Baby2Baby, Children Mending Hearts and the I Have a Dream Foundation, demonstrating her commitment to helping children and families in need.
Once Upon a Farm
Once Upon a Farm is an organic baby food company co-founded by Garner in 2017 with Cassandra Curtis and John Foraker.
The company grows organic fruits and vegetables on Garner’s family’s century-old farm and aims to provide nutritious food to children while giving back to the community.
In 2019, Once Upon a Farm became the first refrigerated baby food available to WIC-eligible families.
The company has also partnered with Save the Children, of which Garner is an ambassador and board member, to launch the A Million Meals initiative to help provide one million meals to kids in need in rural America by 2024.
The company’s vision is to provide nutritious food to children while also giving back to the community at the same time.
Personal life
Garner is a mother of three children, Violet, Seraphina and Samuel, whom she shares with her ex-husband, Ben Affleck.
They welcomed their children before separating in 2015 and divorcing in 2018.
Despite their separation, Garner and Affleck have been committed to co-parenting their children together.
Garner has been spotted spending time with Affleck’s stepchildren, and they have been able to maintain a healthy relationship for the sake of their children.
Garner has spoken candidly about the challenges of parenting and the importance of maintaining a healthy relationship with her ex for the well-being of their children.
She has also shared her thoughts on the media coverage of her ex and their relationship, stating that she tries not to read about them in the press.
Garner has been praised for her co-parenting skills, and her ex-husband’s current wife, Jennifer Lopez, has called her an “amazing co-parent.”