Jennifer Garner Says ‘13 Going On 30’ Left Her Children ‘Mortified’ [WATCH]

Jennifer Garner says one of her most popular films led to “some tortured years” for her children as they entered their teenage years, as reported by The New York Post.

During a recent appearance on Kylie Kelce’s podcast, “Not Gonna Lie,” the 53-year-old actress discussed her role in the 2004 film “13 Going On 30” and how it frequently showed up at her children’s birthday parties and sleepovers.

“They went through some tortured years when they were turning 13, and it was showing up at birthday parties a lot or sleepovers, and the parents thought, ‘Oh, this will be a fun thing,’” she said.

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“And my kids were, first of all, mortified. Mortified. And second of all, so upset to see me sad, so upset to see me being in love. And also, it’s just so cringe.”

Garner said the movie’s popularity among parents hosting parties led to uncomfortable moments for her children. She explained that she received “a couple of calls from sleepovers” from her kids, claiming they had headaches and needed to come home.

“And we’re like, ‘You have a headache? You’ve never had a headache, but you need me to get you, okay,’” she said.

While her children may not have enjoyed seeing the film played at gatherings, Garner said she still has positive feelings about the project.

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The actress, who also appeared in “Catch Me If You Can,” said she “had the best time making” “13 Going On 30.”

Although she remembers the experience fondly, she admitted she has not rewatched the entire film since its premiere.

“There have been times when I’ve had to talk about a certain scene or something, so I’ve gone back and watched that scene, and I don’t know why I haven’t sat down to watch the whole thing,” she explained.

Of the characters she has portrayed throughout her career, Garner ranks Jenna Rink from “13 Going on 30” as “one or two” among her favorites.

“There was so much joy in the creation of her,” she said, recalling improvising “and playing so much” on set and describing the experience as “magical.”

The only role that “might be number one” ahead of Jenna Rink, she said, is Sydney Bristow from the ABC series “Alias.”

“Not just because people cared; it was the first thing I ever did that people really cared about, but more than that, she gave me this sense of self and confidence,” Garner said.

“I had always had such girl-next-door energy that I’d never had a swagger, and she made me have a swagger. And I think it’s really important for young women to find, recognize, and know how to use their own swagger.”

Garner starred on “Alias” for five seasons from 2001 to 2006. During its run, she received four Emmy nominations and won a Golden Globe.

On the show, she portrayed an international spy for the CIA and has previously discussed the demanding nature of the role, including learning dialogue in multiple languages and performing her own stunts.

“It was very stunt-heavy,” she said on “The Graham Norton Show” in February. “Every Sunday they would say, ‘Okay, um hi I’m here. I’m your Swedish tutor… Hi I’m here. I’m your Japanese tutor.’

And then the fight team would come over, and we would fight in the backyard, and they would teach me that week’s fights. And then I would go and do them.”

She also recently told Parade that “Alias” “was like acting boot camp” and said the experience prepared her for future projects, including her current series, “The Last Thing He Told Me,” which recently premiered its second season on Apple TV+.

“Another language comes in really handy because I speak a lot of French this season, and I don’t speak French, which anyone who does who watches this season will know very quickly,” she said.

“But, I do know how to work really hard and learn my lines in another language, and for that, I’m grateful.”

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