Jennifer Garner recalls sobbing in bathroom after 'Felicity' audition because of 'powerful' breakup scene
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: 'Elektra' actress Jennifer Garner recently opened up about her "emotional" casting call for the 1998 drama 'Felicity', which had her sobbing in the bathroom.
The actor revealed on the 'Dear Felicity' podcast on Wednesday, April 3, that during her audition for the 1998–2002 TV series 'Felicity', she had a moment that was so heartbreaking that she could not stop crying even after it was over, per HuffPost.
Jennifer Garner required some time following her 'Felicity' audition
The '13 Going on 30' star, who guest-starred in the JJ Abrams and Matt Reeves-created series as Hannah Bibb, the ex-girlfriend of Noel Crane (Scott Foley), recently looked back at her audition for the pivotal role.
The 51-year-old actress opened up about her experience acting out a "powerful" yet "emotional" audition sequence for the drama series.
She remarked, "I remember the audition. I remember going into the bathroom after because the scene was so emotional and I needed to cry."
"I needed to hide in the bathroom stall and finish the cry that I started in the audition because it was such a powerful scene."
Garner shared that she might have auditioned for what “must have been the breakup scene,” which fans of 'Felicity' may remember. She portrayed the role of the long-distance girlfriend of actor Scott Foley; the fictitious pair broke up on Thanksgiving.
In the episode, Foley's character Noel Crane splits from Garner's character Hannah Bibb during Thanksgiving after she admits to seeing another man while attending college.
In real life, Garner and Foley got married in 2000 and went through a divorce in 2004. The next year, Garner married Ben Affleck, although the two later got divorced in 2018.
Jennifer Garner's appreciation for 'Felicity' directors
Co-creator of the series JJ Abrams asked Garner to reaudition for the part, and the two eventually got along so well that Abrams cast her as agent Sydney Bristow on 'Alias', which helped launch her career in 2001.
Garner called Abrams and 'Felicity' co-creator Matt Reeves "true directors" elsewhere on 'Dear Felicity'.
Host and former 'Felicity' actor Greg Grunberg remarked, "That makes sense to me, because you’re not very good. I totally get it. I mean, notes, notes — you know what? Let me give her a block of notes to take home," per PEOPLE.
During the podcast, the actress—who is a parent to three children with 'Batman' actor Ben Affleck— also mentioned her "need" for feedback.
"I do need that, though," Garner remarked. "I’ve always loved a ton of feedback. I love that about working with JJ and with Matt."
"They are helpful and they are true directors. They aren't just like, ‘Okay, that seems fine. You have another one in you?’ They have an idea, and they're helping guide you to the best version of whatever you show up with."
The '13 Going on 30' actress continued: "That was true in the audition process as well. After the first read, then I really was invested and was like, ‘Oh gosh, I really wanna do this'."
'Felicity' would only mark the beginning of Garner and Abrams's collaboration. Both of them became popular Hollywood figures as a result of their work on 'Alias'; Abrams went on to create 'Lost', and Garner landed parts in feature films.
