The Evolution Of Jennifer Garner

Zoya (1995)

Jen’s big break came in this TV movie adaptation of literary slush-merchant Danielle Steele’s novel of the same name. Set against the backdrop of the Russian Revolution, the film follows a beautiful Russian countess who falls in love with an American GI, against har family’s wishes.

It’s cobblers basically, but Jen’s only got a minor role, and everyone’s got to start somewhere.

Kick-Ass or Cute? She doesn’t have much time to make much of an impact either way, with star Melissa Gilbert hogging all the cutesiness on offer.

Zoya (1995)

Dead Man's Walk (1996)

This western mini-series, adapted from a novel from Larry McMurty (the same author behind Lonesome Dove ), sees Garner appear as Clara Forsythe, daughter of the local shopkeeper.

Again, it’s a smallish role, but Garner bags herself enough screen-time to set protagonist David Arquette’s heart a-flutter…

Kick-Ass or Cute? Cute, definitely. Miss Clara is a most bewitching individual!

Dead Man's Walk (1996)

Spin City (1996)

Jen made a solitary appearance in Michael J. Fox’s underrated political comedy, cropping up as Becky in the episode The Competition .

Becky is the long-distance girlfriend of naïve speechwriter James, who turns up out of the blue just as he’s looking for a way to break up their seven-year relationship. Talk about timing…

Kick-Ass or Cute? Very cute indeed. How could you break up with Jennifer Garner?

Spin City (1996)

Rose Hill (1997)

A Hallmark Hall Of Fame movie (six words that always make the heart sink) in which Jen takes her first starring role as an abandoned girl adopted by a group of Boston street urchins.

It’s every bit as underwhelming as that set-up might suggest, but Garner makes an impact as the sweet-natured young woman striving to find her real family.

Kick-Ass or Cute? What do you think? Hallmark don’t really do kick-ass…

Rose Hill (1997)

Washington Square (1997)

A remake of 1949 film The Heiress , Agnieszka Holland’s lavish drama follows Jennifer Jason Leigh’s shy upper-class girl as she struggles to get to grips with the airs and graces expected from one of her class.

Garner makes only her second big-screen appearance (she had a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it part in Woody Allen’s Deconstructing Harry ) up as Leigh’s altogether more collected cousin Marian, at whose engagement party our heroine is introduced to charming Ben Chaplin…

Kick-Ass or Cute? Kick-ass in the sense that she’s managed to bag herself a husband. That’s about as far as women can usually go in period dramas.

Washington Square (1997)

Significant Others (1998)

Jen took one of the leading roles in this ill-fated drama series following a group of twentysomethings living in L.A. She plays Nell Glennon, a talented but insecure young woman who struggles to stick by her decisions in life.

Sadly for Garner, the show was pulled after a month, with only three of the six filmed episodes going to air. Ouch.

Kick-Ass or Cute? A bit too airy-fairy to be considered kick-ass. Although in fairness, we didn’t get to see her character arc in full!

Felicity (1998-2002)

After the Significant Others debacle, Jen dusted herself off by bagging a recurring role in hit college drama Felicity. She plays love interest Noel’s pesky ex-girlfriend Hannah, usually making her appearances at the least opportune of moments.

The role was a key one for a number of reasons. Firstly, it introduced Garner to first husband Scott Foley, and secondly, it brought her to the attention of creator J.J. Abrams…

Kick-Ass or Cute? Neither really. She’s not supposed to be a character you really root for.

The Pretender (1999)

After featuring in indie drama 1999 the previous year, Garner continued her TV work with a one-off appearance in TV show The Pretender , the premise of which was that former child prodigy Jarod could flawlessly impersonate anyone in any line of work. Alias anyone?

Jen Plays Billy Vaughn-Dupree, a young woman whose father has been brutally murdered. Sounds like a job for…The Pretender!

Kick-Ass or Cute? Kick-ass. Witness the following hard-bitten dialogue: “You can put away your math books, Mr. Pepper. They may help you learn how to play pool, but they won't make you a pool player.” You sir, have been served.

Aftershock: Earthquake In New York (1999)

A faintly ludicrous disaster series in which a large earthquake rips New York a new one, leaving five groups of survivors to fight their way through the aftermath.

Garner plays ballerina Diane Agostini, whose building is destroyed by a gas-leak triggered by the tremors. Her old man sadly snuffs it in front of her, but fortunately she meets rugged Russian Nikolai, and the pair soon fall in love. Ahhh.

Kick-Ass or Cute? Kick-ass all the way. She saves Nikolai’s life the minute she meets him!

Time Of Your Life (1999)

Garner starred alongside Jennifer Love-Hewitt in this TV spin-off to Party Of Five , playing Romy Sullivan, one of several new friends Sarah makes when she arrives in New York.

However, the show soon went the way of Significant Others , the axe falling midway through its run with seven episodes left unaired. Oh dear.

Kick-Ass or Cute? Cute, in a wholesome, All-American kind of way.

Dude, Where's My Car? (2000)

Garner returned to the big screen as Ashton Kutcher’s girlfriend in this resolutely humourless stoner comedy. She plays Wanda, whose twin sister Wilma inexplicably goes out with doofus number two, as played by Seann William Scott.

It’s a load of old tosh from start to finish, but hey, at least it didn’t get cancelled halfway through! More’s the pity.

Kick-Ass or Cute? Cute. Jen is largely reduced to squealing, looking pretty and wagging her finger at naughty old Ashton.

Pearl Harbour (2001)

Jen is amongst the supporting players in Michael Bay’s explosion-packed history lesson. She appears as Nurse Sandra, and has her hands rather full what with legions of Bay’s victims flooding the wards.

It was also on set that she met future husband Ben Affleck for the first time. Good to see she didn’t hold it against him!

Kick-Ass or Cute? All nurses, by definition, are distinctly kick-ass!

Alias (2001-2006)

And then came Alias …a huge break for Garner in that it won her an army of slavering fanboy followers, and propelled her into the big leagues. J.J. Abrams’ action-packed adventure series cast Jen as CIA agent Sydney Bristow, a master of disguise capable of assuming numerous different identities in order to complete her missions.

Sexy, gripping and most importantly fun, Alias ran for five successful series and put Garner firmly on the map as an action heroine of real substance. Kapow!

Kick-Ass or Cute? Kick-ass all the way. Sydney Bristow is not a woman to be trifled with.

Catch Me If You Can (2002)

Jen celebrates her new-found A-lister status with a cheeky cameo in Steven Spielberg’s frothy caper, appearing as a call girl trying to put one over on Leo Di Caprio’s master con-man.

Naturally, she ends up getting conned herself. Ah well, there’s no shame in losing to the best.

Kick-Ass or Cute? Very, very cute. Jennifer Garner as a call girl? Yes please.

Daredevil (2003)

A second team-up between Garner and hubby-to-be Ben Affleck, Daredevil sees Jen pouring herself into a tiny amount of red leather in order to play Elektra, the knife-toting assassin.

Alright so the film was fairly ropey, but it was another step towards making Garner a household name. And she even got her own spin-off out of it…

Kick-Ass or Cute? Kick-ass. Her knife skills are a sight to be seen. As is that outfit…

13 Going On 30 (2004)

Jen takes a break from the action antics by starring in this sweet-natured body-shock comedy, in which thirteen-year-old Jenna suddenly wakes up in the body of a thirty-year-old. Yikes!

Rom-com hi-jinks ensue as rugged Mark Ruffalo shuffles on to the scene. Despite being a little too sugary in places, it’s a fun ninety minutes or so, with Garner’s innocent charm turned up to the max.

Kick-Ass or Cute? Heart-meltingly cute. When she turns on the smile, we defy you not to be won over!

Elektra (2005)

Elektra gets her second big-screen outing, complete with an even more revealing costume, and minus the baggage of her visually-challenged companion.

Garner’s performance is fine, but the film is dragged down by a cumbersome script and some woefully ho-hum action sequences. A disappointment.

Kick-Ass or Cute? Kick-ass, although the ass-kicking in question is decidedly lacklustre.

Catch & Release (2006)

This so-so comedy sees Garner star as Gray Wheeler, a recently bereaved young woman who decides to get over her departed fiancé by (somewhat implausibly) moving in with a couple of his mates.

Jen is as charming as ever, but it’s Kevin Smith who steals the show, making off with every scene he appears in as slobbish nice-guy Sam. Snoochie-boochies indeed.

Kick-Ass or Cute? Cute as a button. No wonder her dead boyfriend’s mates are queuing up!

The Kingdom (2007)

Jen goes gritty for this Saudi Arabia-set thriller, starring as forensics whizz Janet Mayes, who scores herself a cute orphaned infant to look after along the way.

Peter Berg’s sharp riff on the CSI genre might end in a lunk-headed orgy of action, but it still deserves props for its unflinching look at America’s role in the war on terror.

Kick-Ass or Cute? A bit of both. She’s nails when it comes to her job, but demonstrates a heart of gold when the cute kiddie comes into play.

Juno (2007)

In a film packed with comedy grandstanding, Garner takes on the less showy role of Vanessa, the uptight, middle-class mum-in-waiting who wants nothing more than a child of her own.

Initially coming off like a nightmarish ice-queen, Garner’s performance is wonderfully subtle, tugging at the heart-strings just as you’re ready to write her off.

Kick-Ass or Cute? You certainly wouldn’t want to get in her bad books, but the scene in which she finally gets her heart’s desire is truly magical.

Ghosts Of Girlfriends Past (2009)

Matthew McConaughey smirks his way through this high-concept rom-com in which a swaggering lothario is visited by a series of spirits hell-bent on demonstrating what a douche he is.

Jen plays his childhood sweetheart, the girl whose heart he broke way back when. Will Matt wake up to the fact that she was the one all along? What do you think?

Kick-Ass or Cute? Cute as hell. Whatever were you thinking man?

The Invention Of Lying (2009)

Jen’s old Alias buddy Ricky Gervais (he appeared in series three episode The Façade ) signs her up to play his love interest in this misfiring comedy set in a world where lying has yet to be discovered.

There are plenty of laughs to be had (there always are when Gervais is involved) but the romance between the mismatched stars is fairly uncomfortable throughout. Not bad, but not the great Hollywood film Gervais has yet to make.

Kick-Ass or Cute? Cute, albeit brutally tactless.

Valentine's Day (2010)

A staggeringly cynical seasonal cash-in, this sickly concoction dazzles the audience with a galaxy of stars whilst attempting to sneak a half-cocked storyline under the radar.

Garner plays a teacher who’s hopelessly in love with bona fide scumbag Patrick Dempsey. Try as we might, it’s impossible to care what happens to any of them.

Kick-Ass or Cute? Cute, in a vomit-inducing ribbons and puppies kind of way.

Arthur (2011)

Jen’s latest casts her opposite loveable idiot Russell Brand, turning her nice-girl image on its head to play sexually rapacious heiress Susan Johnson.

Even if you’d rather stick pins in your eyes than sit through an hour and a half of Brand’s Dickensian-idiot routine, perhaps we can tempt you with the idea of miss Garner prowling round in a leather catsuit…

Kick-Ass or Cute? May we refer you to the previous sentence? Miaow!

George was once GamesRadar's resident movie news person, based out of London. He understands that all men must die, but he'd rather not think about it. But now he's working at Stylist Magazine.