Garner was born to Patricia "Pat" Ann English (a teacher) and Billy Jack Garner, a chemical engineer whose job with Union Carbide forced the family to relocate to Charleston, West Virginia when Jennifer was three years old, where she remained until college. Jennifer studied ballet for nine years before enrolling at Denison University to study chemical engineering. Upon the realization that she loved the stage more than engineering she changed her major to drama. Graduating in 1994, it was thought that Jennifer would continue her drama education at Yale. Instead, keen for experience, she visited a friend in New York City in 1995 and decided to take her chances in theatre-land. She currently stars as the character Sydney Bristow on the TV show Alias on ABC. Garner enjoys cooking, gardening, hiking and kickboxing (a hobby inspired by her character on Alias). She is a graduate of George Washington High School in Charleston, West Virginia (1990), where she played the saxophone . |
