Jennifer Anne Garner (born April 17, 1972) is an American actress. Born in Houston, Texas and raised in Charleston, West Virginia, Garner studied theater at Denison University and began acting as an understudy for the Roundabout Theatre Company in New York City. She had a starring role on the Fox teen drama series Time of Your Life (1999–2000) and supporting roles in the films Pearl Harbor (2001) and Catch Me If You Can (2002). Garner rose to fame in the early 2000s for playing the secret agent Sydney Bristow in the ABC action thriller series Alias (2001–2006), for which she earned a Golden Globe and four Primetime Emmy Award nominations, among other honors. She received further recognition for her starring roles in the romantic comedies 13 Going on 30 (2004), Juno (2007), Ghosts of Girlfriends Past (2009) and Valentine's Day (2010), and for playing Elektra in the superhero films Daredevil (2003), Elektra (2005), and Deadpool & Wolverine (2024). Garner has since starred in the films Dallas Buyers Club (2013), Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day (2014), Love, Simon (2018), Peppermint (2018), Yes Day (2021), and The Adam Project (2022). She also starred in the Apple TV drama series The Last Thing He Told Me (2023—present). Aside from acting, Garner works as an advocate for early childhood education and serves on the board of Save the Children USA. She is also the co-founder and chief brand officer of Once Upon a Farm, an organic baby food company. Additionally, Garner is a vocal advocate for anti-paparazzi campaigns aimed at protecting the children of celebrities.