Jennifer Garner Interview, Valentines Day

What could be better than a little romantic advice for Valentine’s Day from the lovely Jennifer Garner?

We caught up recently with Jennifer at the Los Angeles press day for her new movie, Valentine’s Day, directed by Garry Marshall. The film stars an ensemble cast that also includes Jessica Alba, Kathy Bates, Jessica Biel, Bradley Cooper, Eric Dane, Patrick Dempsey, Hector Elizondo, Jamie Foxx, Topher Grace, Anne Hathaway, Ashton Kutcher, Queen Latifah, Taylor Lautner, George Lopez, Shirley MacLaine, Emma Roberts, Julia Roberts, and Taylor Swift.

Garner won a Golden Globe, a Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Award and two People's Choice Awards for her work on the drama series "Alias." Over the course of the show's five-season run, she also earned four Emmy Award nominations, three additional Golden Globe nominations and another SAG Award nomination for her portrayal of CIA double agent Sydney Bristow. She recently starred in the feature film comedy "The Invention of Lying," opposite Ricky Gervais, who also co-directed the film; the romantic comedy hit "Ghosts of Girlfriends Past," opposite Matthew McConaughey; and the award-winning independent film "Juno."

Jennifer Garner talked to us about finding time for romance, her plans for Valentine’s Day, and the inspiration behind her character’s bat wielding, piñata-busting moves:

Q: I love the idea that the right one could be your best friend that’s been there all along. Was there a moment in your own life when you realized your friendship had become more?

JG: Somewhere around the second kid I thought, “This is turning into something.”

Q: Any ideas for a healthy Valentine’s?

JG: You get popcorn. Without butter.

Q: How do you find time for romance now that you have children?

JG: You change the definition of romance. I mean, romance is romance, but in addition, romance can just be breakfast over the tops of heads. Just getting through the day, you’ve just got to create that being romantic.

Q: How will you celebrate Valentine’s Day this year?

JG: I think most of us will be promoting a movie. That’ll be romantic.

Q: Your character turns to chocolate. What do you turn to for comfort at disappointing times?

JG: I would recommend a piñata.

Q: That was some great work on your part with the baseball bat.

JG: I was going for a more Eccles thing than Lowell. I like to be compared to Pauley, but he had an off year. I would say Manny, but he’s not there anymore. No, I like batting cages as much as the next girl. Girls can do those things. There was a change in the Title One sports move. We can do that stuff too.

Q: This film is a love letter to Los Angeles. What do you love most about L.A. and how was it shooting here?

JG: Farmer’s Market. What’s great about the way Garry uses LA in the film is that it’s just a city. It’s not celebrity central. It’s not about Hollywood. It’s a city and you never see it that way. You always see it as the backdrop for some other world and glitz and glamour. This reminds you that this is just a city full of people going through the same kinds of little triumphs and tragedies in their love lives as anyone anywhere else in the world.

Q: Was there another character in the film that you wanted to play?

JG: Well Julia got to sit the whole time and she pushed the cry button at the end. It’s like ding! I knew it was coming so I’m like don’t be crazy, but (pretending to cry) yes.

“Valentine’s Day” opens in theaters on February 12^th.