The Safe House - Expositions

by David Lauren

One part America’s sweetheart, one part America’s kung-fu fighter, Jennifer Garner plays Sydney Bristow in the ABC spy drama “Alias” for which she just won a Golden Globe. She also plays the villainous Elektra in the hit action movie Daredevil. Funny thing is, when you sit down to talk to her all that testosterone melts away revealing a sweetly stylish, hardworking, old-fashioned girl with a very happy home life.

How much of your character on “Alias,” Sydney, is you?

I try to emulate her. I think she is independent and strong and not afraid to be feminine or smart. I guess the line is blurred a little bit because when I first started playing Sydney I walked with this really strong sort of walk because I felt like she would have that confidence. And now I kind of walk like that, too. I’m adopting from her.

Are there other roles that you’ve dreamed of playing?

Oh, yeah. The whole point of being an actress is to play a million different roles. But my ideal role would be Hedda Gabler. When I went to college, without a doubt, I wanted to be a theater actor. And I wanted to work in regional theaters around the country. That was my dream. And I still think, if anything, Shakespeare in the Park would be the pinnacle.

The success that you’ve had so far is from regional theater.

It is, but I veered from that path so long ago. I was planning on spending a year interning and then trying to get into Yale Drama. Those were my plans. And instead, I came to New York to visit a couple of friends, went on an audition I found in the newspaper and got the job and said, “Oh, I guess I’ll stay.” And then next thing I know I’m understudying a play on Broadway.

And finally, after a few months I was flown to LA to test for a TV movie and I got it. I needed the money—I never looked back.

But, it doesn’t seem that crazy that this has happened because it’s been eight years since I started.

So now you’ve taken on this role which is very physically demanding. How do you prepare for that?

I have this great trainer and I see her five out of seven days and we just try to keep me stretched. We do a lot of preventative things—you know, working rotator cuffs, knees and back, and then a mixture of cardio and weights.

And how do you know martial arts?

Well, I was a ballet dancer growing up, so learning that martial arts came pretty easily. While I was auditioning for “Alias”—which was a month long process—I wanted the job so badly that I went to this martial arts master, who just kind of kicked my butt.

Have you seen Daredevil?

I just saw it the other night.

And what did you think?

I thought it was so fun. It’s really romantic. It’s a sweet movie, very sexy--not just an action flick. There’s actually some heart there. There’s acting in the middle of the action scenes, you know? [Costar] Ben Affleck and I have this huge fight and it’s our courtship. We fall in love in the middle of the fight.

How do you describe yourself?

I describe myself as being opposite of my sisters. My big sister was valedictorian and head majorette and beautiful. And I had to be the opposite of her, so I was a performer. My little sister is steady and has common sense and is an accountant. And I’m a little wilder than both of them, I guess.

Are they surprised by your success?

It doesn’t seem like that big of a deal in my family because I was a performer my whole life. So even though it’s definitely now in a bigger arena, it’s still the same. It’s not out of character.

But you appear on the cover of Glamour. You’re on the cover of GQ—all of these different magazines. They’re running ads for you during the Super Bowl. You’ve become a sex symbol.

But I’m living under a rock. A couple of years ago, I would have seen the magazines. I would have seen the ads. Now, I don’t see that stuff—I do it instead. I’m on “Extra” talking to Pat O’Brien more than I talk to my mom. But it doesn’t affect me because I don’t usually see it. The other night, though, I finished work and put the TV on and I was on “Entertainment Tonight.” I couldn’t believe it. I just stood there, like, “Oh my God, I’m on ‘Entertainment Tonight.’"

Has Hollywood life has changed you in other ways?

I’m a little more protective of myself than I used to be, though not as much as I should be. The other day I told my life story to a woman on an airplane—all the dirty laundry. We got off and I thought, “What were you thinking? You can’t just be that open with everyone.” But what’s changing about me? It’s hard to say because I’m so in the middle of it and I really do work over 80 hours a week and on weekends. So I don’t think I’ll know until I have some distance from it.

You’ve become a real style icon. We dressed you for the Golden Globes.

And for the Emmys.

Are you clothes conscious?

I could have won “Worst Dressed” growing up because I was so unaware. We grew up kind of ignorant of what was available. We were in West Virginia and vanity is the last thing on anyone’s mind.

I had one little black dress that I wore all through my New York days. I’ve taken it in, I’ve let it out a million times because it’s just a simple little Audrey Hepburn black dress that you can’t go wrong with. A string of pearls, red lipstick, done. Maybe not red in my case--it would be too much.

Now, I’m suddenly given the opportunity to wear clothes I could never wear before. I’ve learned to love beautiful clothes. But my main goal is to always be just a more dressed up version of myself and not to feel like I’m imposing someone else’s look on me or wearing a costume.

What do you think makes great style?

A woman who feels comfortable and confident in the clothes. And you have to be able to do that—like Cameron Diaz. If I put on what she wears, I would look like a buffoon. You know, I might as well do a monkey dance on a red carpet. But she owns it. You can’t look at her without admiring her. She goes for it. And she always looks neat, sexy and strong and feminine and cool and hip.

You mentioned Audrey Hepburn, Cameron Diaz—are there other actresses whose style inspires you?

I guess I’m a little old-fashioned. I think every woman automatically says Audrey Hepburn because who wouldn’t want to wear clothes as easily as she wears them. They look so honest on her. And Grace Kelly was never afraid to look beautiful. And I always think Annette Benning looks beautiful. I think Julianne Moore makes some really good choices. And I think Nicole Kidman has such an independent spirit.

Did you get any advice from actresses or actors in Hollywood on getting started in your career?

Ben Affleck gave me a lot of advice. I spent the whole summer peppering him with questions—“What should a deal look like?” or “What if you need to fire someone that you love?”

When someone comes up to you and says, “I want to be an actress or an actor,” what do you say?

Lead with your heart. And don’t be afraid to work for free. I worked for free in summer stock and we’d be broke the whole school year because I did. Don’t be afraid to make the costumes because it gives you a respect for all the people around you. But I hate to give advice because I feel that if you’re going to be an actor, it will happen—nothing will get in your way. It will unfold in front of you.

You’ve developed a successful career and a marriage at the same time. Your husband Scott Foley is also an actor in the new series “A.U.S.A.” What do you say to him when you see him on TV? And do you offer advice to him?

He’s the first person I would go to, to talk about something. But we have boundaries. He was talking about a job the other day that might happen and he said he didn’t want to do it and gave me the reasons why. It’s not my business—it’s his.

Between movie sets and shooting a weekly series, do you find that your life is balanced or not?

It is overwhelming and out of whack and not balanced. And I miss my girlfriends. I miss my husband. I miss cooking. But I would not change “Alias” at all. I love every minute I spend there. And when I’m done with this intense time, I’ll have opportunities I wouldn’t have had, and maybe then I can be in control of how to manage my time more?

When you do watch the show when it’s done, are you happy with it?

For the most part. I’m definitely my biggest critic. But I don’t think that’s a bad thing, and I don’t think it’s bad to also let yourself enjoy your own work. If there’s a moment that I like, I’m the first one to say, “Wow, that was right there.” But I’m also the first one in the other times to just quietly rip myself to shreds. It’s a fair tradeoff.

You are very close with your family. Do you have plans to start a family of your own?

Yes, Scott and I will definitely, definitely have kids. And growing up where I did I would have thought that I would have had a couple by now, like a lot of my friends have. But I’ll be a different kind of mother because I’ve done this first. Yes, we’ll definitely have kids. That will probably be the first thing I’ll do when “Alias” is over unless it ends this year. And then I’m still not quite ready.

What’s your favorite movie of all time?

I love Shawshank Redemption.

Favorite actress?

Annette Benning.

Who is your favorite singer?

Frank Sinatra.

Favorite song?

A Gershwin song, The Man I Love.

Favorite dish to cook?

There are many, many things. I love spending the day in the kitchen and starting from scratch and making homemade pasta and homemade tomato sauce and putting together this gorgeous huge lasagna.

Who would be your ultimate co-star?

There’s so many. But I think Paul Newman would be pretty spectacular.

You’ve had such overwhelming success, does it ever surprise you?

It just makes me feel nervous because I feel like, well, I’m going to mess it all up. In the past couple years everyone’s been so warm and receptive and all I can think of is when is the other shoe going to drop. But you can’t really go there. I just have to think so far, so good.

© Ralph Lauren Media LLC 2003

Back To All About Alias 2003