Jennifer Garner Recalls Crying in the Bathroom After an Audition Early in Her Career

In the earlier days of her 25-plus year career, Jennifer Garner recalled crying in the bathroom after her audition for a hit television show that helped put her firmly on the map. (And no, it’s not Alias—more about that later.) Garner cried, actually, not because the audition was so bad, but because it was so good.

Per The Hollywood Reporter, Garner had an “emotional” audition for Felicity, which aired from 1998 to 2002 and which Garner guest starred in, appearing in both season one and season four as the character Hannah Bibb. Hannah was the ex-girlfriend of Noel Crane, played by Scott Foley (who Garner started dating after meeting on the set of Felicity; they ultimately married in 2000 before divorcing four years later). Felicity was created by J.J. Abrams and Matt Reeves, and Garner told The Ringer’s “Dear Felicity” podcast that the audition “must have been the breakup scene.”

“I remember the audition,” she said. “I remember going into the bathroom after, because the scene was so emotional and I needed to cry. I needed to hide in the bathroom stall and finish the cry that I started in the audition because it was such a powerful scene.”

On the show, Hannah was Noel’s long distance girlfriend; he broke up with her on Thanksgiving, after Hannah revealed that she had been spending time with another guy while at college. It’s also worth noting that Noel had just kissed the titular character of Felicity (played by Keri Russell), after Noel failed to clarify that he was, you know, in a relationship with someone else.

Garner said Abrams made her come back later to re-audition for the part, to which podcast host and former Felicity star Greg Gunberg quipped, “That makes sense to me, because you’re not very good. I totally get it. I mean, notes, notes—you know what? Let me give her a block of notes to take home.” 

In response, Garner said “I do need that, though. I’ve always loved a ton of feedback. I love that about working with J.J. and with Matt. They are helpful, and they are true directors. They aren’t just like, ‘Okay, that seems fine. You have another one in you?’ They have an idea, and they’re helping guide you to the best version of whatever you show up with.”

She continued “That was true in the audition process, as well. After the first read, then I really was invested and was like, ‘Oh gosh, I really wanna do this.’”

And do this she did; the part in Felicity led to breakout roles on the big screen, like in 2001’s Pearl Harbor, 2003’s Daredevil, and 2004’s 13 Going on 30. But perhaps her most notable role during that time period was as Sydney Bristow on the television show Alias, which ran from 2001 to 2006.

Per Us Weekly, Garner spoke out this week about how she’s asked about a reboot of the popular show in “every interview” she does. When asked if she’d be open to taking part in a full feature film, Garner said “Are you kidding? Of course I would. I’d do anything J.J. would direct.” (In addition to Felicity, Abrams also created Alias.) Last November, while appearing on The View, Garner said that while reviving Alias would be the “most fun ever,” Abrams has “never really brought it up” to her.

Garner and her fellow castmates on the show—Bradley Cooper, Victor Garber, and Ron Rifkin—have stayed close over the years. Garner also dated Alias castmate Michael Varner after her split from Foley, and the pair have stayed friends since their breakup. “Bradley, Victor, and Ron were just together—they were seeing Maestro, which is such an amazing movie,” Garner said of the film Cooper directed, wrote, and starred in. “I see Victor and Ron all the time. So we’re all very, very close.”