“I just realized that I liked drama … At the time, I planned a career in the theater; I didn’t even consider film or TV,” Garner told the Independent. “I certainly never expected to be in front of a camera one day of my life.”
Garner said she was “a total snob” and only wanted to do theater—until the paychecks came in and she realized that film paid more. Her first shot at the big leagues was the 1995 television movie Zoya.
It didn’t take long for Garner to move from the stage to the screen, desperate for steady pay—and the sacrifice paid off.
Over the past three decades since, Garner has become a mega-celebrity from Hollywood hits like 13 Going on 30, Juno, and Dallas Buyers Club.
Garner starred in a slew of TV shows, Law & Order among them, before uprooting her life and heading to the movie capital of the U.S.: Los Angeles.
Garner made her foray into film with Rose Hill, also taking on a number of roles in movies like Pearl Harbor, Ghosts of Girlfriends Past, and Valentine’s Day. Post–New York, she’s also continued her work in television, including spy thriller Alias.
Aside from the entertainment industry, she’s made a name for herself in the food business.
Garner joined Once Upon a Farm as a cofounder and chief brand officer in 2017, just two years after Curtis created the nutritional baby food brand.
