CHARLESTON, WV (WOWK) – Though she was born in Houston, Texas, on April 17, 1972, Jennifer Garner’s family moved to Charleston, West Virginia, when she was 3 years old.
Throughout her career, she has shown pride for the state where she grew up. She also helped to raise funds for relief efforts after the devastating floods that tore through parts of the state in 2016. Garner is also an advocate for early childhood education.
Garner is a graduate of George Washington High School in Charleston and attended Denison University for chemistry before switching her major to theater.
Garner is known for films and series such as “13 Going on 30,” “Alias,” “Daredevil,” “Juno,” “Pearl Harbor,” “Valentine’s Day,” and “Love, Simon.” According to her IMDB biography, Garner has received two Screen Actors Guild Award nominations, winning once; four Golden Globe nominations, winning once; and four Emmy nominations.
Garner received her star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on Aug. 20, 2018, according to the Walk’s website. It is located at 6920 Hollywood Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA. She is the fifth West Virginian to receive a Walk of Fame star.
While Garner is known for her work in “Alias” and “13 Going on 30,” there are some movies and shows she’s appeared in that are higher-rated, according to IMDB. We’ve compiled a list of those highest-rated movies and TV shows Garner has made at least one appearance in.
This list was put together using user ratings from IMDb and is broken up between movies and TV shows.
TV Shows:
1. The Simpsons – “The Simpsons” is the longest-running animated U.S. sitcom in television history, and in its inception in December 1989 has earned hundreds of awards and nominations. The series has more than 760 episodes, as of April 2024, and 35 seasons. In Season 15, Jennifer Garner lent her voice in the season opener with a guest appearance as herself. The episode titled “Treehouse of Horror XIV” premiered on Nov. 2, 2003, just two days after Halloween.
The series has an IMDB rating of 8.7, the highest of any show or film featuring Garner.
2. Ask the StoryBots – “Ask the StoryBots” was a children’s television series that ran for three seasons from 2016 to 2019. According to the show’s IMDB page, “the StoryBots are curious little creatures who live in the world beneath our screens and go on fun adventures to help answer kids’ questions.” Garner guest starred in the fifth episode of Season 3 titled “How Do Cell Phones Work?” as a cell tower switching station operator.
The series has an IMDB rating of 8.5.
3. Party Down – “Party Down” is a television series that revolves around a group of actors who move to Los Angeles in hopes of making it big, but end up working as caterers. The first two seasons aired in 2009 and 2010 respectively, but the series’ third season did not premiere until March 2023 and only featured six episodes. Garner appeared in all six episodes of Season 3 as the character Evie Adler.
The series has an IMDB rating of 8.2.
4. (Tie) Home Movie: The Princess Bride – During the COVID-19 quarantine in 2020, a group of celebrities came together, virtually, to continue what they do best – entertainment. The celebrities created “Home Movie: The Princess Bride” as a “serialized” remake of the classic film told in “short chapters.” The series ran for 10 episodes. In the seventh episode, “Chapter Seven: The Pit of Despair,” Garner took on the role of both Princess Buttercup and an “Ancient Booer.”
The series has an IMDB rating of 7.9.
4. (Tie) Great Performances – “Great Performances” is a PBS series that airs filmed theatrical performances from across the world. The series has 51 seasons, originally premiering in October 1972, just months after Jennifer Garner was born. In January 2009, Garner performed in the series’ production of “Cyrano de Bergerac” as the character Roxanne.
The series has an IMDB rating of 7.9.
5. (Tie) Upload – “Upload” is a television series that follows a man whose consciousness is uploaded into a virtual world after his premature death. Premiering in May 2020, the series has run for three seasons. Garner voiced a character named “Officer Jennifer Garner” in the seventh episode of Season 2, called “Download.”
The series has an IMDB rating of 7.8.
5. (Tie) Law & Order – “Law & Order” is a law enforcement and legal drama series that first premiered in September 1990. The series has won nearly 50 awards and has been nominated for more than 200 as of April 2024. Garner appeared in a 1996 episode of Season 6 called “Aftershock” as a character named Jamie.
The series has an IMDB rating of 7.8.
Movies:
1. Catch Me If You Can – “Catch Me If You Can” is a 2002 Steven Spielberg film starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Tom Hanks, based on the semi-autobiographical novel “Catch Me If You Can: The True Story of a Real Fake” by Frank W. Abagnale with Stan Redding. The plot focuses on a 17-year-old “skilled forger” and an FBI agent obsessed with tracking him down. The movie won 16 awards. Jennifer Garner plays a character named Cheryl Ann in the film.
The film has an IMDB rating of 8.1.
2. Dallas Buyers Club – “Dallas Buyers Club” is a 2013 Jean-Marc Vallée film starring Matthew McConaughey, Jennifer Garner and Jared Leto, based on the 2012 novel of the same name by Craig Borten and Melisa Wallack. The plot focuses on an electrician and hustler in 1985 who “works around the system” to help AIDS patients get medication following his own diagnosis. Garner plays a character named Dr. Eve Saks.
The film has an IMDB rating of 7.9.
3. Love, Simon – “Love, Simon” is a 2018 Greg Berlanti film starring Nick Robinson, Jennifer Garner and Josh Duhamel, based on the 2015 novel “Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda” by Becky Albertalli. The film focuses on a teenager named Simon Spier who is secretly gay, but is blackmailed with the threat of his sexuality being outed. Garner plays Simon’s mother Emily in the film.
The film has an IMDB rating of 7.5.
4. Juno – “Juno” is a 2007 Jason Reitman film starring Elliot Page, Michael Cera and Jennifer Garner. The plot revolves around a teenager going through an unplanned pregnancy and her decisions involving the unborn child. Garner plays the role of a prospective parent, Vanessa Loring, with whom Juno negotiates a potential adoption.
The film has an IMDB rating of 7.4.
5. Deconstructing Harry – “Deconstructing Harry” is a 1997 Woody Allen film starring Woody Allen, Judy Davis and Julia Louis-Dreyfus. The plot focuses on a writer named Harry Block who is suffering from writers’ block as his past and scenes from his books haunt him. The film was one of the earlier works Garner was involved in. Her character is listed on IMDB only as “Woman in Elevator.”
The film has an IMDB rating of 7.3.
