Jennifer Garner Reveals the Important Role Melissa Gilbert Played in Her Career
- Oops!Something went wrong.Please try again later.
- Oops!Something went wrong.Please try again later.
"Hearst Magazines and Yahoo may earn commission or revenue on some items through these links."
Jennifer Garner, 51, revealed that Melissa Gilbert, 59, helped her learn the ropes of acting on camera.
In a new episode of the “SmartLess” podcast, Garner discussed how the Little House on the Prairie star changed her acting career.
“She taught me everything,” Garner said of Gilbert.
While Jennifer Garner may be a household name now, it wasn’t always movie premiers and red carpets for the star. Long before playing Jenna Rink in 13 Going on 30 or CIA officer Sydney Bristow in Alias, Garner found herself on her first television set without much experience in the industry. The now-famous actress revealed that she learned everything about acting (specifically movies and television) while working with Melissa Gilbert in a made-for-TV movie.
Even Jennifer Garner got first-day jitters (hello anxiety and nervous sweating) on the set of her first major gig. But luckily for Garner, she had Little House on the Prairie actress, Gilbert, to guide her.
“She taught me everything,” Garner said in an interview on SmartLess, a podcast hosted by Jason Bateman, Sean Hayes, and Will Arnett. “I had never been in front of a camera. I’d never paid attention to any of it. She taught me what a call sheet was, who to talk to for things. She taught me about the camera turning around.”
The two met during Garner’s screen debut while playing Gilbert’s daughter in Zoya, a television film adaptation of a Danielle Steel romance novel. Garner revealed she was “so broke” in New York City while working as an understudy for a theater company. After getting a call about a paid acting gig in LA, Garner flew to California and landed the role. In the podcast episode, Garner laughed about her confusion about acting in front of a camera for the first time. “I was totally clueless,” Garner said. “[Gilbert] was really good to me.”
Garner said the two have stayed in contact with each other since that pivotal moment. After Garner’s debut, she went back to NYC to continue auditioning and acting in theater. Over the years, Garner began landing bigger roles that would all play a hand in making her the famous actress we know and love today. (Garner’s most recent work is playing the lead in, The Last Thing He Told Me.)
It all goes to show that advice from others can make a difference, regardless of the job or industry. Without Gilbert’s support and encouragement, who knows where Garner would be today? We can’t imagine anyone else playing Garner’s famous roles.
You Might Also Like
