Even the world’s most successful individuals had to find a way to start—billionaires might have sold Coke bottles door – to – door. Jeff Bezos once worked at McDonald’s. And the award – winning actress, whose organic food brand was valued at $724 million, had a similarly modest beginning: in a low – paying New York theater, earning just $150 a week as an understudy.
“I just came to realize that I was fond of drama…At that time, I planned to have a career in the theater; I didn’t even think about film or TV,” Garner told The Independent. “I definitely never anticipated being in front of a camera one day in my life.”
Garner said “she was a complete snob” and only wanted to do theater—until she got her paychecks and realized that film paid better. Her first chance in the big – time was the 1995 television movie Zoya.
“When I moved to New York and was trying to get a stage job, and I was broke and was offered a TV movie,” Garner told The Independent in an interview. “I was like, ‘Great, put me in front of that camera. Let’s do it!’ And now that things have kept evolving, I still love my job.”
Yet Garner still had to struggle to make ends meet while her career was picking up steam in the 1990s. On top of her acting work, Garner did something related to the daughter of late – night talk – show host Stephen Colbert. And even when the money started coming in a bit more, she remained thrifty, spending her first Hollywood paycheck on basic living necessities.
“I took a couple of thousand dollars and put it in a retirement account that I still have. I think it’s now worth about $2,005,” Garner said in an interview while promoting the film Danny Collins. “I used that money to help me pay the first and last month’s rent and an apartment – finder’s fee for my first real apartment with my friend.”
It didn’t take long for Garner to transition from the stage to the screen, desperate for a stable income—and the sacrifice paid off.
Garner’s 30 – plus years of success across Hollywood
Over the past three decades, Garner has become a huge celebrity thanks to her Hollywood blockbusters like 13 Going on 30, Juno, and Dallas Buyers Club.
Jennifer played a series of TV roles in shows including Harvest of Fire and Law & Order before uprooting her life and moving to the movie capital of the U.S.: Los Angeles.
Garner made her entry into the film industry with Rose Hill, also taking on several roles in movies like Pearl Harbor, Ghosts of Girlfriends Past, and Valentine’s Day. After leaving New York, she has also continued her work in television, including the spy thriller Alias and the sci – fi adventure The Adam Project.
This year, Garner has a bunch of new projects lined up; the actress is set to star in the comedy film One Attempt Remaining, and the second season of her TV suspense thriller The Last Thing He Told Me will premiere later this month.
Now, Garner’s making a name for herself as ‘Farmer Jen’
Besides the entertainment industry, she has also made a name for herself in business.
Garner earned $1 million last year in her role as co – founder and company spokesperson, “Farmer Jen”—and is expected to receive $2 million to $3 million in annual compensation through 2028.
The food company she built with Cassandra Curtis and Ari Raz, Once Upon A Farm, went public last Friday at $18 a share, raising $198 million for the company and reaching a staggering $724 million valuation.
Garner joined Once Upon a Farm as a co – founder and chief brand officer in 2017, just two years after Curtis created the nutritional baby – food brand.
And after taking the business public last week, the business flourished, and so did Garner’s role in the operation; she will serve on the new public company’s board of directors while still holding her positions as co – founder and “Farmer Jen.” At the time of the company’s IPO, Once Upon a Farm had $200 million in annual sales, according to its S – 1 filing, and sold its products in 19,000 stores.