Jennifer Garner assumes new aliases

HOLLYWOOD _ She hung up her weapons and put away her disguises after the finale of her hit TV series "Alias." Now, Jennifer Garner is slipping into other identities: film actress, producer and mother.
Garner has an action drama, "The Kingdom," due out in April, and she is scheduled to begin production on another drama, "Juno," in which she plays a woman on a quest to adopt a child. Through her fledgling production company, Vandalia Films, she is shepherding two more movies to the big screen.
But her most important alias these days is that of mother to 13-month-old Violet, her daughter with actor Ben Affleck. "I've just had six months straight with her before I go back to work, and that is heaven on earth," says Garner, dressed comfortably in a pastel peasant top and black pants.
Motherhood has been Garner's top priority for the past year, and she has relished every minute of it. But she also is excited about getting back to work.
Up next, she stars in "Catch and Release" from first-time director Susannah Grant (the Oscar-nominated writer of "Erin Brockovich") who also wrote the script. Garner plays a woman whose fiance dies in an accident days before their wedding. While that may not sound like a conventional setup for a romantic comedy, what happens next as she comes to terms with her tragic situation involves matters of the heart and the funny bone.
Garner, who looks fit and healthy, says the mixture of drama and comedy in Grant's script appealed to her. "This is kind of the balance that follows our own life patterns," she says. "It just felt like something that was true."
The actress, 34, says it was easy to immerse herself in the role of a young woman at an emotional crossroads. "You imagine, what if I was this girl and I was supposed to be getting married on this day, and instead I'm at my fiance's funeral?" she says. "That's enough to make you think, that sucks! And then you just pretend."
Grant says she chose Garner for the part of would-be bride Gray Wheeler because she was certain Garner could handle the comedic and dramatic aspects of the script. Grant says Garner possesses an unfettered innocence that she envisioned for Gray. "You could believe that life hadn't dealt her the really swift blow yet, and that was important for this character," she says.
After the funeral, Gray moves in with her fiance's roommates, who are mourning their friend's death in individual ways. The guys, played by Kevin Smith, Sam Jaeger and Timothy Olyphant, couldn't be more different. Smith's Sam is sloppy and silly but hides his deep depression. Jaeger's Dennis is responsible, almost to a fault. And Olyphant, as the irresponsible playboy Fritz, is more complex than he seems.
Garner says she liked being "the girl" amidst a male-dominated cast. "There was banter and friendship and them treating me like a dude," she says, laughing.
She has fond memories of shooting in Boulder, Colo., where the story takes place, and Vancouver, Canada, which provided most of the locations. Affleck would occasionally visit Garner on the set. (She was in the early stages of her pregnancy at the time.) The two wed quietly midway through production in 2005.
"Back then she wasn't quite his old lady yet, but she became his old lady while we were making the movie," says Affleck's close friend Smith. "One day, (Garner) showed up with a (wedding) ring and I was like, `Why wasn't I invited?'"
Originally slated to come out in April 2006, "Catch and Release" was delayed by the final season of "Alias," which didn't leave Garner any time to help promote her movie. She was relieved when Columbia Pictures moved the release date to this month. "I didn't want to short-shrift `Alias' and I didn't want to short-shrift the movie," she says.
Winding up the Emmy-nominated ABC spy series after five seasons was something of a catch-and-release experience for Garner. "That was particularly hard to let go of," she says.
She stays in touch with her friends from the series, especially creator J.J. Abrams, who made her a star. "I talk to him almost every day," she says of the renowned producer, adding that she hopes they will collaborate again someday.
Born in Houston, Texas, Garner was the second of three daughters. Her dad was a chemical engineer and her mom a college professor. Her family moved to Charleston, W.Va., and she considers that state home. Her career aspirations changed day to day. At various times she wanted to be a librarian, author, doctor and poet. Hollywood wasn't even on the radar.
After graduating from Denison University in Ohio, she got her first professional acting gig in the mid-'90s as an understudy in the Broadway production of "A Month in the Country." Afterward, she landed a role in the made-for-TV movie "Zoya," followed by guest roles on "Spin City" and "Law & Order."
Garner made her movie debut in the 1997 costume drama "Washington Square," followed by small roles in "Deconstructing Harry," "In Harm's Way," "Mr. Magoo" and "Pearl Harbor," starring Affleck. Other screen credits include "Catch Me if You Can" and "Dude, Where's My Car?"
Her long-running role as Sidney Bristow on "Alias" made her a household name. She married and divorced Scott Foley, whom she met while guest starring on the TV drama "Felicity." After their 2003 split, she was linked romantically with "Alias" co-star Michael Vartan.
Though both she and Affleck were in "Pearl Harbor," it wasn't until they co-starred in "Daredevil" that sparks ignited. They began dating in July 2004, and Affleck reportedly proposed to Garner at her 33rd birthday party the following year. She starred (without Affleck) in the "Daredevil" spin-off "Elektra."
"Alias" limited Garner's options for taking movie roles. She could only shoot during the show's summer hiatus. But now, she has more opportunities to explore film projects.
As a producer, Garner is trying to bring her own projects to the big screen, including the romantic drama "Be With You" and the romantic comedy "Christmas in Connecticut."
"I'm having the best time working with the writers and being part of the script and story from the beginning," she says gleefully.
She reads scripts more critically now than she did before starting her own production company. "I never really tried to effect a change in a script that I'd been given," she says. "I was always a good little girl. You gave it to me and I'd say my lines.
"Now, I'm going to be a terror," she adds with a mischievous laugh.