Hollywood star Jennifer Garner has showcased her talent and versatility in various TV shows and movies. One of the TV shows that made her a worldwide sensation was Alias. With its complex and thrilling story, the show follows the life of Sydney Bristow, a woman who becomes a skilled double agent for the CIA while working undercover for an organization known as SD-6.
On multiple occasions, fans have praised Jennifer Garner for her performance as Sydney Bristow in the show, however, before her casting, an ABC executive was not sure if she is hot enough for the part but thanks to J.J Abrams, she stayed in the show. Director Quentin Tarantino, who is a huge fan of the show, also made an appearance in the series and praised Garner’s work.
ABC executive thought Jennifer Garner was not “hot enough” for Alias
The creator of Alias, J.J Abrams, specifically wanted actress Jennifer Garner to play the role of Sydney Bristow in Alias. Abrams was confident that Garner would be perfect for the role, however, not everyone agreed. In 2016, at the Tribeca Film Festival, Abrams recalled that an ABC executive thought she was not hot enough for the role,
“I wrote Alias thinking about her but I didn’t quite know. Then I finished it, she came in, was amazing and I remember someone at the network was like, ‘I don’t know, is she hot enough?'”
J.J Abrams was firm about his decision and ultimately, Jennifer Garner played the lead role. Her performance as a skilled and dynamic double agent captured the attention of both audiences and critics.
Quentin Tarantino also praised Jennifer Garner’s performance
Oscar-winning screenwriter, Quentin Tarantino, has also made an appearance in Alias. Working with Jennifer Garner was an exciting experience for him and he later praised her performance. In a 2002 interview with Rolling Stone, the director said,
“Alias delivers what The Man From U.N.C.L.E. always promised: It actually lives up to the coolness of its potential. Week in and week out, Jennifer is doing fights in tight rubber dresses and heels, so, really, props. And at the same time, she’s doing all of this dramatic stuff. When I met her, I said, ‘Just so you know, you’re gonna work forever. You don’t have to prove nothin’ to nobody no more.'”
Tarantino appeared in the show’s first season, which aired between 2001-2002. He appeared as McKenas Cole in four episodes: The Box (Part 1), The Box (Part 2), Full Disclosure, and After Six.
Jennifer Garner hated this one thing about the show
Although Garner values the time she spent on the sets making Alias, there is one thing that she hated about it. In an interview with ComicBookMovie, the actress said,
“On Alias, I spent a lot more time doing dramatic scenes and relationship arcs and acting than I do kicking b**t and that’s part of what I found frustrating. Here I found this thing that I loved and was kind of obsessed with and couldn’t get enough of, but every time I did a fight on Alias we didn’t have time to rehearse. It was just get in there and go, so I felt like I wasn’t improving as much as I would like to. I wasn’t actually training.”
Alias aired between 2001-2006 and gave Garner a platform to showcase her acting abilities. The series significantly contributed to Garner’s fame and laid the foundation for her successful career in Hollywood.
Source: The Cut
