Jennifer Garner is an American actress and film producer with an estimated net worth of $80 million. Jennifer also works as a paid product ambassador for companies such as Capital One and Neutrogena.
Early Life
Jennifer Garner was born on April 17, 1972, in Houston, Texas. Her father, William, was a chemical engineer, and her mother was a housewife turned college English teacher. When she was three, Garner moved with her parents and two sisters to Charleston, West Virginia. She grew up in a conservative household, attending a local Methodist Church every Sunday and Vacation Bible School. The teenagers were not allowed to wear makeup, paint their nails, pierce their ears, or dye their hair.
Garner enrolled at Denison University in Granville, Ohio after graduating from George Washington High School in 1990. After three years, she changed her major from chemistry to theatre and spent the fall semester of 1993 studying at the National Theater Institute in Waterford, Connecticut. She graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in theatre in 1994 and moved to New York City to pursue acting.
Career
Garner moved to Los Angeles in 1997 after landing some minor roles in various miniseries following graduation. She landed her first starring part in the TV movie “Rose Hill”, and made her first feature film appearance in the historical drama “Washington Square.” She was featured in the Woody Allen film “Deconstructing Harry”, but much of her performance was deleted from the final edit of the film. Garner was cast in J.J. Abram’s popular college drama “Felicity” in 1998, which was her most major part yet. She earned tiny roles in big-name movies including “Dude, Where’s My Car?” in 2000 and in 2001’s military epic “Pearl Harbor.”
Garner’s career took a turn in 2001 when she landed the role of Sydney Bristow in ABC’s “Alias.” Abrams, the show’s creator, had written the part with her in mind. “Alias” ran for five seasons, with Garner’s salary gradually increasing until it reached $150,000 per episode by the end. The musical was successful amongst spectators and critics alike, and Garner garnered several award nominations and awards for her performance.
While she was working on “Alias”, she continued to work intermittently in film. Steven Spielberg personally phoned her after seeing her performance in “Alias” to offer her a tiny role in 2002’s “Catch Me if You Can,” and her first co-starring film role was alongside Ben Affleck in 2003’s “Daredevil.” She scored her first leading role in the widely-praised romantic comedy “13 Going on 30” in 2004. The movie grossed $96 million worldwide and Garner was praised for her effortlessly charming portrayal of main character Jenna. After a one year break when “Alias” came to an end, she returned to work in 2007 with the major hit “Juno”, a film by Diablo Cody and Jason Reitman.
Garner returned to the stage in late 2007 and early 2008, playing Roxanne and starring with Kevin Kline in “Cyrano de Bergerac” on Broadway, to which she met rave praises of her performance. Shortly after, she became a spokesperson for skincare line Neutrogena.
Garner continued on with romantic comedies, including 2009’s “The Invention of Lying”, where she played opposite Ricky Gervais in his directorial debut, again scoring praise for her flawless comedic timing.
Garner played a mother for the first time in the 2012 movie “The Odd Life of Timothy Green,” co-starring with Joel Edgerton. The film was a modest financial success and received mixed reviews. Garner teamed with Matthew McConaughey in 2013’s drama Dallas Buyer’s Club, where she plays the role of a doctor treating Texas AIDS patients during the ’80s. She once again was praised critically by reviewers and fans alike for her sensitive and poignant performance.
Garner has continued to refine her acting talent and appear in prominent parts on and off throughout the 2010s. She is frequently praised for her ability to connect emotionally and humorously with audiences. In August 2018, she was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. In 2019, it was revealed that she will be appearing in Yes Day, a Netflix comedy directed by Miguel Arteta.
Alias Salary
How much did Jennifer Garner earn for her role in “Alias”? For the first several seasons, she was paid $45,000 per episode, which amounted to about $1 million for the whole 22-episode season. Garner’s greatest compensation towards the conclusion of the show’s run was $150,000 per episode, or nearly $3.3 million for the season.
Other Salaries
Jennifer earned $3 million for her role in “13 Going on 30” in 2004.
Garner was paid $7 million for his role in “The Kingdom” in 2007. That same year, she starred in “Juno,” for which she accepted a little upfront payment in return for a percentage of the film’s backend earnings.
Activism
Garner is a staunch supporter of early childhood education. She is an ambassador and member of the Save the Children board of trustees, which promotes national literacy and early education activities. She routinely visits families enrolled in the Early Steps to School Success program, which assists families in obtaining early childhood education support.
While Jennifer has indicated that she is not particularly political, she has given to a number of Democratic candidates, including Wendy Davis. Garner also held two fundraisers for Barack Obama in 2008 and a Hillary Clinton fundraiser in 2016.
Personal Life
From 2000 until 2004, Jennifer Garner was married to actor Scott Foley. In 1998, they met on the set of Felicity. From 2005 until 2015, she was married to actor/director Ben Affleck, whom she met on the production of Pearl Harbor. On June 30, 2015, Garner and Affleck, who have three children together, announced their divorce. In October 2018, their divorce was completed. According to reports, there was no prenuptial agreement.
Real Estate
Jen and Ben paid $17.55 million for a property in Los Angeles’ Pacific Palisades district in 2009. Brian Grazer, a super-producer, was the seller. Jennifer stayed at this residence till late 2018.
Ben and Jen sold this property to Maroon 5 singer Adam Levine for $32 million in December 2018, after she and the kids had moved out. In early 2019, Jennifer spent $8 million on a new home in Los Angeles’ Brentwood Park neighborhood. In April 2018, Ben bought himself a $19 million mansion in the Pacific Palisades.
