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Metro.co.uk
December 17, 2003
60 Seconds: Jennifer Garner
By Jonathan Goddard
60 SECONDS EXTRA!: Movie roles in Daredevil opposite Ben Affleck and Catch Me If You Can with Leonardo DiCaprio have brought Jennifer Garner to a mass audience. She was voted sexiest woman on the planet by Maxim in 2001, but it's her Emmy Award-winning turn as Sydney Bristow in high-kicking spy TV series Alias that has propelled her to stardom. The second series of Alias is on Channel Five and a spin-off video game is due early next year.
Aren't spies supposed to wear tuxedos, go to casinos and drink a lot? You don't do much of that.
No. I work out, I go to work, I go home. If I'm lucky enough, I get to bed at 8.30pm. Being on TV is a very different life to being on films. You have to completely discipline yourself. I know there are people who go out, but I just can't do it. Sometimes I wish I was a little cooler, I wish I could drink after work and then get up the next morning, but you don't enjoy the game if you abuse yourself.
The cast of Alias all seem to have a lot of fun on set.
Yes, everyone is great.
Anyone in particular?
Not really. We just all turn up to work together and, from the start, just bounced off each other. None of us takes for granted how lucky we are to be in that position and that's what makes it the most fun of all.
Your character is quite straight-laced. You're not a James Bond.
No Martinis for Sydney. I don't know how she deals with the jet-lag; the amount she flies around, she must constantly be in a state of tiredness. She has been a joy to play. Now I definitely tread the line between Sydney and myself.
Do you wish you had any of Sydney's attributes?
I'd love to have her boobs. And I'd like to be able to speak some different languages.
How did they enhance your particulars?
Wardrobe is a wonderful and magical department.
Are you a James Bond fan?
I always love James Bond whenever I catch one of the movies - I haven't seen them all, so I'm not a die-hard fan. What's not to love?
Who's your favourite Bond?
Sean Connery.
I'm a Roger Moore man myself.
He was on the show once. That was pretty exciting. There's nothing wrong with Pierce Brosnan either.
Would you like to be a Bond girl?
No, because I'm used to being James Bond, so how could I end up as a Bond girl?
These days, Bond girls get involved as well.
That's true. I'd like to be a Bond girl.
METRO CAFÉ EXTRA: Has your dance background helped you kick ass?
Without a doubt. I have control. Learning to fight is like learning choreography. I come from a place of discipline, and that makes this lifestyle possible. You have to keep working on your flexibility.
METRO CAFÉ EXTRA: Is the fighting your favourite thing?
No. When it shows up, I think: 'Oh my gosh, this is the best thing ever.' But when I go back to doing real scenes, I think: 'This is fabulous, this is fantastic.' It's really balanced that way - just when I've been so emotional for so many days, I get to work it all out in a big fight. I get to sweat and grunt and scream. Then I get to go back and do a scene with a tricky monologue.
METRO CAFÉ EXTRA: You wear two distinctive outfits - the tight-fitting spy suit and the business suit. Do you favour one or the other?
I like both.
METRO CAFÉ EXTRA: If you had an alias, what would your job and personality be?
I'd probably be myself. I could be all different kinds of things and be happy. Part of me thinks I could be a farmer's wife, with lots of kids running around me and home-baked bread. While part of me thinks I'd be a businesswoman living in New York, having Martinis and doing deals.
METRO CAFÉ EXTRA: Do you ever feel like going back to ballet?
God no. That's not something you go back to. It will affect me the rest of my life, but I could never ever, dream of being a dancer at this point.
You've kissed Ben Affleck and Leonardo DiCaprio in movies. Who was better?
[Laughs] Do you think that you're the first person to ever ask me that question? And do you think I've ever answered it? I don't remember. Both of them were great kissers.
Do you have any dreams of acting opposite any other man in particular?
There are so many. I didn't actually get to work with Tom Hanks in Catch Me If You Can. I'd love to do a great scene with him.
METRO CAFÉ EXTRA: You're being diplomatic, aren't you?
Not at all. I've also just had a blast on the set of the film 13 Going On 30.
That's about a girl of 13 who walks into a closet and comes out just shy of her 30th birthday. Sounds weird.
Yes but it really is a wonderful film. Mark Ruffalo, from In The Cut, is just fabulous -a fantastic person. And the part is ideal for me - anyone who knows me will tell you I'm closer to 13 than 30.
METRO CAFÉ EXTRA: Do you prefer TV or the movies?
I don't care.
METRO CAFÉ EXTRA: It's just work at the end of the day, right?
If the writing, crew and actors are good, then who cares where it's happening? I definitely have that in my TV job, so why would I think I was too cool for school? I'm thrilled to do TV.
METRO CAFÉ EXTRA: Which is harder?
TV, because I have to do an hour show that I'm in pretty much every scene of, with eight days of shooting. If you're doing an hour and a half movie, you spend a minimum of three months.
How much involvement did you have in the Alias video game?
I did all the voice-overs. That was a blast. Other than that, they kept me posted on what was going on.
Have you played it?
Yes. I was very bad. I have never been a big video game person. It's not my forte.
I think a lot of guys will like it, if you know what I mean. There's a lot of, erm, wiggle on the character's posterior.
Yeah, I think it's actually pretty funny they left my wiggle in.
Is it a fair reflection?
It's what it should be. It's an exaggerated depiction of the real thing, which is awesome. I'm all for it. I am all for having someone drawing attention to it.
You recorded a festive special for Martha Stewart's cookery show. Have you got any tips for our readers on how to stuff a good turkey?
Martha and I made a stuffing, with cranberries and cornbread. She has a new holiday cookbook coming out and the recipe is in there. It's certainly the best stuffing I've ever had in my life.
© Metro.co.uk 2003
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