Jennifer Garner is one of Hollywood’s most beloved actresses, mostly because she's so cool and low-key. In recent years, we’ve seen her as a devoted mom to her three children and have read all about her separation from Ben Affleck. There have been lots of things that have happened to the actress since she came onto the Hollywood scene many years ago. She is not just a mom and wife (or ex-wife), of course. She has accomplished much in her own right and done things in her own way living life on her terms. Her childhood was quite interesting and not what you would expect, and she is determined to shelter her children from too much paparazzi attention so that they could lead as normal a life as possible. She is also very frank and honest about her own shortcomings and quite forgiving of people. She has quite a lot to say about life, love, acting, and family issues. In a slew of interviews, she has given lots of information about where she stands on many topics. Here are 15 things about Jennifer Garner you didn't know.
15 Her Upbringing Was Pretty Conservative
You wouldn’t know it by her very liberal stance on life and politics, but she was raised in a strict home that she joked was “almost Amish.” However, Jennifer was quick to add that she felt very much loved by her parents and that they raised her with principles, morals, and in a warm and loving environment. It’s safe to say that she has taken these things into her own life as a mother and is teaching her three children the values of love, hard work, and cooperation. It’s also safe to say that she probably drew on the strength she learned at home as a child to see her through tough times in life, movies, and in love. Interestingly, she also only learned how beautiful she was when she started acting. Apparently, her mother did not put a great emphasis on her own looks and raised Jennifer the same way.
14 She Was Briefly Married To Scott Foley
With all the emphasis on her whirlwind romance and marriage to Ben Affleck, you may have forgotten that Jennifer was also married briefly to Scott Foley. The two met on the set of the drama Felicity. She fell for him in 1998, they got married in 2000, and they filed for divorce in 2003 with the final paperwork going through in 2004. Why did things end? Irreconcilable differences. But who knows what could have happened. All we know is that Jennifer is a class act who does not air her dirty laundry in public, and regardless of what did or did not go down, out of respect for the man she loved she kept things quiet as did he. Marriage is hard enough for us regular folks out here. Imagine the pressures in Hollywood to live up to a successful career, a loving marriage, and just generally being in the public eye. It’s definitely not as easy as it might look.
13 She Would Marry Ben Affleck All Over Again
Maybe it’s the “die hard romantic” in many of us, but hearing her say in a Vanity Fair interview from last year that Ben Affleck was the love of her life and she would marry him all over again? Yeah, that was only one of the beautiful and poignant points in their love story. It's super sad that things are coming to an end, but it takes a big person to admit when something isn't working and to say that they have no regrets. She also tells people not to be super negative about Ben because she says that we all make mistakes and life is hard. That's definitely the nurturing mother in her coming out. She admits that she made mistakes too and we love her because she knows that no one is perfect and she can admit her own flaws, which is a huge deal. Not many people, famous or otherwise, would do that, that's for sure.
12 She's Super Wealthy
Okay, so maybe you're not surprised to know that Jennifer Garner has money. But what will surprise you is how much she has. She is reportedly worth over 40 million dollars. Since she's been of the spotlight and home raising her three kids for a while, many people think that Ben Affleck was the primary breadwinner bringing in the most money. While he is definitely also worth a lot of cash, Jennifer has starred in many popular films, and let’s not forget that she starred in the successful TV show Alias and won many awards and accolades. She is organized and has managed her money well too. This is a good thing since she won't have to worry about financial difficulties and raising her children with money issues hanging over her head. She is famous in her own right and her children will grow up seeing both their parents pursuing what they love to do for a living and being good at it.
11 She is Vocal About Protecting Kids Of Celebs
Make no mistake, Jennifer Garner loves what she does for a living. But she has been very vocal about how upset she is when children of celebrities are photographed by paparazzi who follow their every move. And we have to say we stand by her on this. She understands that as a celebrity, she is choosing that life but she wants the industry to understand that it is a lot for children to take in and it makes them feel quite overwhelmed. They are not choosing this life for themselves or benefiting in any way, therefore it is important that their privacy is respected. She is one of the celebrities that helped get a bill passed in September 2013 which protects children from being harassed by photographers when they are out and about walking around. Children of celebrities deserve a private childhood as much as children who have non-famous parents.
10 She Had Minor Roles In Movies Before Becoming Famous
You probably don't remember or never even know, but Jennifer Garner had some minor movie roles before becoming rich and famous. For one thing, she starred in the made-for-TV movie Zoya based on the Danielle Steele book. She played Zoya’s neurotic and anxious daughter in the film. It was not a prominent role, but it got her some attention. She also played Ashton Kutcher’s girlfriend in Dude, Where's My Car? She got her big break when she starred in the TV show Alias. She won numerous awards for her role as secret agent/spy Sydney and got to do some pretty amazing stuff in this role. After that, she started appearing in many other diverse movie roles which really showed off her range as an actress: Pearl Harbor, Catch Me If You Can, and of course, Daredevil where she fell in love with Ben Affleck. After making this movie, they began dating and married not long after that.
9 Victor Garber Married Her And Ben
As is the case with some celebrities, Jennifer and Ben opted for a simple wedding ceremony on an island. It makes sense since you would probably want to get away from all the cameras and the media. The only other person present at the wedding was Jennifer’s onscreen dad on Alias, Victor Garber, who was actually the one who married them. It was a romantic location for a very romantic day. And this goes to show us how close people become on set since the father/daughter bond on set became a real life father/daughter bond. It was definitely super beautiful. It must have been the perfect day for Jennifer, and it almost sounds like it was a movie itself. Real life has a way of imitating fiction sometimes and vice versa. We could only imagine what was going through all their minds that day in that beautiful island getaway.
8 She Didn't Always Want To Be An Actress
You may not know this, but Jennifer did not plan on being an actress at first. When she was interviewed and asked about this once, she said she figured that she would be a librarian or doctor when she grew up. But she got the acting bug and that was that for her. She also spoke about not getting into acting for the riches and fame. She just genuinely loved to act and loved the challenges and preparations she had to do before each role. Learning is something that is very important to her and she thrives when she is challenged. She truly believes that being challenged and loving what you do is when you have the most success. She seems to be teaching her lovely kids that and she is proving that you can handle anything life throws your way with maturity and careful thought (like with her divorce).
7 She Has a Bachelor Degree In Fine Arts
Besides her acting accomplishments, Jennifer also has a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree from Denison University in Granville, Ohio. She was also in the sorority Pi Beta Phi and had a lot of success at a school where her love of learning and hard work was honed. We imagine higher education is something she is passionate about and will encourage her future children to look into so that they have many options open to them, just as she does now thanks to her education, positive attitude, and good work ethic. It’s really important to never stop learning, inside and outside of school, and a lot of famous celebrities will talk about this as much as the rest of us do. After all, when we stop learning, we are only half alive and not really moving forward to a better more fulfilling life. Education, whether in the classroom or out, is important to make a healthy and balanced person.
6 Her Stalker Was Finally Put Behind Bars in 2009
Of course, stalking is scary for anyone, but when you are a celebrity, there are unfortunately many more cases of unhinged individuals who find out your whereabouts and follow you. We do not know too much about this individual as Jennifer did not really talk about it (as you know she does not talk about much in her life like other celebs, she is quite private), but we do know she was afraid for her safety and that of her family when Steven Burky was finally arrested and put behind bars after violating a restraining order to stay away from Jennifer. We could only imagine the relief she felt when he was behind bars. This is one of those things that unfortunately comes sometimes with stardom, the wrong people seeing you up there on the screen and blurring the lines between fact and fiction. Fortunately for Jennifer and her family, this story had a happy ending.
5 She Is Is Not Afraid to Express Her Political Views
She may come from a more conservative background, but she is not afraid to express her liberal political views and help the causes that she can. She has donated money to past Democratic campaigns and has spoken at rallies as well. Jennifer does not push her views on others, but is outspoken in a direct yet gentle way and really knows how to get her thoughts and opinions across. In Hollywood, there are a lot of people who are more liberal in their views just as there are some who are more conservative. The important thing is to respect each side while showing support for your own. Jennifer has done this in a non-threatening way without throwing her weight around. This is just as it should be. A lot of stars blur the lines in politics too, but they must remember to be peaceful and seek to bring people together for a common cause, not apart.
4 She Is The Strict Parent
She has openly talked (with bad feelings or bitterness, that is) about the fact that Ben has always been the fun parent that gets the kids to laugh, and she is the one who makes sure that they eat dinner, do their homework, and go to bed on time. Sounds like a lot of households outside of Hollywood, too. She has not expressed any bitterness about it. It is simply the way things are, people’s characters shape how they will parent. We can’t help but wonder if this could have caused some hurt and misunderstandings, but then again, so marriage is perfect in and outside of Hollywood. Parents try to do their best and that is all they can do. Jennifer is happy that her children love their father and her equally and that is what she wants them to continue to feel even in the wake of their upcoming divorce, and we love that.
3 She Admires Conscious Uncoupling
Jennifer and Ben are taking their time with divorcing as they are using Gwyneth Paltrow and Chris Martins’ example of how to end a marriage peacefully and calmly for the sake of the children. Their famous “conscious uncoupling” has opened up much praise in the Hollywood community and outside of it, for putting children’s needs first. Ben and Jennifer are both great parents who want their children to adjust as smoothly as possible to their separation, so are doing what they can as a couple to slowly move away from one another and get their kids used to seeing this. They also still do a lot as a family, because it is important for kids to see that their parents can still be civil and kind to one another even if they are not in love with each other anymore. Kudos to Jennifer for trying out this very difficult thing.
2 She is Sad But Ready to Move On
At first, the way she talks about her devastation that her marriage is over made us think that she is still stuck in that place. But she has surprisingly started moving on in thought and in getting her life back in order. Yes, she has talked about always loving Ben as he is the love of her life and they do have three children together, but that the time has come to admit that it is not working and to go forward with that. She talks about not lying to herself anymore, not being bitter, and even about maybe dating in the future. As with every other decision she has made, she always puts her children first and is happy when they are happy and adjusting to their new reality as smoothly as they can. As long as they know their parents will never stop loving them, hopefully, the rest will be easier to handle.
1 She Didn't Have A Prenup With Ben
Ben and Jen are in the process of working with their lawyers and family mediators to settle their estate. They don't want to hurt each other in court or turn their kids against the other parent. After all, both parents are parents forever and children need to see that and respect them always. It is refreshing to see this happening in any marriage when it is ending, but particularly in a Hollywood marriage where things, unfortunately, get ugly before they get better due to lots of attention being paid and lots of pressure by the public wanting to know every single detail. It just goes to show that whether you are famous or not doesn't matter. The best way to go through a divorce is to be amicable and put your kids first and your feelings second. The two of them are making things a win-win for everyone involved as much as possible, and that's just one more thing that we love about Jennifer Garner.
