Caption: Actress Jennifer Garner makes her way into Huffman Hall at Denison University on Saturday. Garner graduated in 1994 from Denison where she studied theater.

Caption: Denison junior Jill Taylor, right, talks with Jennifer Garner during a media session before Garner spoke at her alma mater. Taylor works for WDUB 91.1, the university's radio station.









Success hasn't spoiled Jennifer Garner. The 1994 Denison University graduate is the star of ABC's prime-time hit, "Alias," on which she pays graduate student/secret agent Sydney Bristow.

Garner returned to the Denison campus Saturday night to address the student body as part of the Provost Alumni Scholar Series. Her appearance was so popular that it was moved from the original location, Swasey Chapel, to the Mitchell Center to accommodate the anticipated crowd. Town and gown converged for the event, with current students and local residents eagerly anticipating Garner's address. Video clips from "Alias" preceded the speech.

Garner will meet with small groups of theatre students at Denison today.

Asked why she had come, and what Denison had paid for her appearance, Garner replied, "Jon Farris (head of the Denison theatre department) asked me to come. And no, they're not paying me one red cent."

Farris introduced his former student, telling the crowd, "Jennifer was probably the best acting student that I ever had. Not the most talented, but nobody knew how to work the way she knew how to work. We noticed that from the first week she was on campus... She had a real aptitude for learning the craft of acting.

"She was always kind of a last-minute person with certain of her academic work, though," Farris said. "And she has been invited to return to campus before, for money, and declined."

Garner charmed the crowd, admitting, "I still procrastinate. If I've agreed to give a speech to a million people, I put it off until the plane ride.

"I have nothing to teach you. I'm jealous of all of you. I would love nothing more than to stop time and do college over again. Twelve years ago, I was a freshman and was sitting where you're sitting.

"I was a big fish in a small pond. There's nothing like being the leader of something in a small school. If you can get a group of girls through a chapter meeting, you can run a business. That's the first thing Denison gave me -- confidence.

"The second thing was the gift of gab. We can talk. We are a social school, and that's a good thing. It's good in life to be able to get through a cocktail conversation. It gets you jobs.

"Know that about yourselves. Trust it and use it. You reach a goal, and you look forward to the next.

"The pond gets bigger, and the fish get meaner," Garner said of her move from New York City to L.A. "It's hard to move. It's hard and lonely and scary. "Stick it out... That's what a liberal arts education gives you. You're good at the journey -- you can see around the problem and find the solution."

To the freshman and sophomores in the audience, Garner offered this advice: "Chill out. Don't be rushed into a major. That's the whole point of a liberal arts college. Learn stuff just to know it, while you can. One day, people are going to stop standing in front of you and telling you about a subject. The whole point of being here is just to take all that you can.

"When you look back, what are you going to wish that you had done? Make it count while you're here.

"Don't get too comfortable on this hilltop. Don't just sit at home on your couch - except for Sunday nights at 9 p.m. Channel 6 (when 'Alias' airs).

"Stand outside Swasey and take a fresh look at this campus. It's only October. Think about all that you can still do, and do it.

"Have pride in where you come from -- and don't whine. Have a plan.

"I feel like I just lectured you. I feel so privileged to be here in front of you. And I'm so glad to be home." Garner concluded, before accepting questions from the audience.

After Garner's speech, current Denison students reflected on her message. Sophomore Hillary Miko said, "I thought it was a lot of fun. She was very funny and personable. I expected it to be a story about school, like a do-your-work kind of thing. (She was) so cool. I liked how she was honest about everything."

Asya Borikova, a student from Bulgaria, said, "I liked her honesty in answering them (audience questions), her straightforward way in talking to us."

Granville resident Karen Semer brought her daughter, Katelyn, 9, and her friend, Casey Cliff, 10. Katelyn is an active fan of the show -- even though it's on at 9 p.m. on Sunday night, past her bedtime. Asked why Sydney wears a pink wig in the series, Katelyn said, "I know what that's about. It's because bad people are trying to kill her. And one time, she changed her voice."

Karen Semer said, "What I really like about her career is that she seems to have worked really hard to get where she is." About the convocation, she added, "This is really nice, to have this open to everyone -- and it's free."

Fans of "Alias" already know that Sydney has a rocky relationship with her father, Jack Bristow (Broadway veteran Victor Garber). Garner divulged that this year, in the show's second season, the emphasis will be on the dysfunctional Bristow family, with Lena Olin joining the cast as Sydney's mother. About future plotlines on "Alias," Garner would not comment directly about a possible romance between her character and Vaughn (played by Michael Vartan).

She mentioned that an upcoming episode had Sydney on a mission in Japan, and she said, "I know how to say 'Hurry, that man is sick' in Chinese and Japanese." After she said the line, a student from Tokyo stood up and told her, "Your Japanese is pretty good."

Garner will also appear in several upcoming feature films, including "Catch Me if You Can," opening Christmas Day, with Tom Hanks and Leonardo DiCaprio, and "Daredevil," opening Valentine's Day, with Ben Affleck.

Originally published Sunday, October 6, 2002

© Newark Advocate 2002

Back To All About Alias 2002