Jennifer Garner has celebrated the 15th anniversary of 13 Going On 30 with a tribute to the cast.
Directed by Gary Winick, the 2004 romcom starred Christa B. Allen as Jenna Rink, a girl who makes a wish on her 13th birthday and wakes up the next day as a 30-year-old woman, as played by Jennifer. The film also featured appearances from Judy Greer and Andy Serkis, as well as Mark Ruffalo as the love interest.
To mark the occasion, the actress took to Instagram on Tuesday (23Apr19) to gush over the film’s enduring appeal and also praised her young co-stars – including Pretty Little Liars‘ Ashley Benson and Captain Marvel star Brie Larson – who have gone on to carve out their own Hollywood careers.
“Fifteen years ago today #13GoingOn30 made her debut, directed with (love) by our beloved Gary Winick and a clutch of loving, hardcore producers (3 brilliant women-before it was cool to be led by women!)” she wrote. “The movie benefitted from the performances of so many young actresses.
Open and twinkly-magical then- now, 15 years later, they are ruling the world. (Hi #SixChicks – @brielarson, @ashleybenson, @christabrittany – who also played a young me in (2009 movie) Ghosts of Girlfriends Past – and my own sweet @revjuliaroth).”
Jennifer also uploaded a clip of the slumber party scene in the film, in which her character invites young girls to her apartment for a fun sleepover and they dance to Pat Benatar’s Love Is a Battlefield. She gave a shoutout to the actresses – Maddy Sprung-Keyser, Gia Mantegna, Catherine Combs, Sydni Beaudoin, Sara Swain, and Renee Olstead – who appeared in the sequence and updated fans of the movie on what they are doing now.
“I loved my day with this slumber party crew: they danced with abandon and reminded me of the power of just saying yes – to being in a group, to vulnerability, to wearing a bra over your clothes. At the last minute, I tossed my adopted LA family member Maddy Sprung-Keyser into the scene. @maddsk went on to be an Academic All American swimmer at Amherst, got her law degree from NYU, and is producing podcasts for @pineapple.fm. Looking back into her adolescence – with the hair and the men not wanting to jump her bones – is extra special today. Imagine if every 13-year-old girl had an opportunity to dance and feel beautiful like the girls in this film. I am proud of all of you,” the 47-year-old shared.
To conclude, Jennifer commented that she was “so lucky” to have made the movie, and noted that it has only grown in popularity, with Ariana Grande paying homage to some scenes in her Thank U, Next video.
“I feel so, so lucky to have had the experience of making this joyful movie. And even luckier to be part of something that, all of these years later, can still make people (hi, @arianagrande) smile,” she added.
