Jennifer Garner having time of her life at ‘this exact age’

By C.L. Gaber Special to the Las Vegas Review-Journal July 16, 2026 - 7:00 am Jennifer Garner, now 54, says she feels like she’s 30 again, describing her current midlife enthusiasm. When asked what she’s preparing these days, she shared her go‑to treat. “One of my favourite things present is to instrumentality immoderate cocoa chips oregon my favourite acheronian chocolate. Whatever is successful your cocoa drawer, and I person 2 of those successful my kitchen,” she says. “I melt the cocoa implicit a treble broiler oregon successful the microwave. When it is disconnected the heat, disturbance and adhd a mates of teaspoons of coagulated coconut oil. Stir. Add a splash of vanilla, a sprinkle of salt. Let it chill for a second.” “Scoop yourself a vessel of crystal cream, immoderate flavor, and drizzle the lukewarm cocoa connected top. You’ve present made a homemade magic shell,” she says. “You tin convey maine later!” Garner is also heating up the small screen these days, starring as—and executive producing—Peacock’s new series “The Five Star Weekend,” adapted from the Elin Hilderbrand bestseller. She portrays Hollis Shaw, a grieving food influencer who gathers four friends in Nantucket after her husband dies in a car crash. The retreat unravels into secrets, lies, an identity dilemma, and a budding romance. The cast includes Chloe Sevigny, Regina Hall, D’Arcy Carden, and Gemma Chan. “I deliberation these stories resonate due to the fact that fractional of the satellite is made up of women, and women are meant to request each other,” Garner says. “We beryllium with and for each other.” She resides in Los Angeles with her children—Violet, 20; Fin, 17; and Samuel, 14—and offered her perspective on well‑being. **Deal with grief** Garner’s character attempts to push past sorrow quickly and return to routine, but it isn’t working. “The biggest situation was that Hollis is truly trying to propulsion done grief. She’s trying to benignant of enactment it connected different support and not person to woody with it,” Garner says. “She’s trying to distract herself to marque things beauteous successful lieu of feeling what she truly needs to feel. … The world is grief is going to sneak up connected you. It’s there. It’s close nether the aboveground each the time. Grief is lurking.” **Bonding time** Part of the pleasure of the project for Garner was spending time with her actor friends in L.A. and later in Nantucket, where the series filmed. “There was an instant and precise heavy easiness amongst the 5 of us, and it truly worked to our vantage arsenic we went done the shoot,” she says. “Of course, everyone astatine the commencement was speedy to say, ‘Oh, 5 women. What’s that gonna beryllium like?’ The information is we got together. We played Pictionary with our director. We bonded.” During breaks, the cast enjoyed the island. “We had the nutrient circuit of Nantucket,” she says. “I truly fell for the place. We loved the whaling museum.” One standout day involved a movie outing. “We each went unneurotic to ticker ‘One Battle After Another.’ We stood up and gave Regina Hall a lasting ovation astatine the extremity of the movie,” Garner says. “And it brings tears to my eyes due to the fact that we got to observe our girl. And it was amazing.” **Talking point** Garner warned that avoiding conversation creates problems in relationships. “Why bash we person a harder clip communicating with our kids than with radical successful the market store checkout line?” she says. “I deliberation we each tiptoe astir important conversations. As you age, you request to halt avoiding conversations that request to happen. If you’re truthful polite you mightiness miss retired connected the grist and worldly of life.” **Forgive yourself** “If there’s ever a accidental to beryllium reminded to springiness yourself grace and to forgive yourself for immoderate whatever, large oregon small, yes, bash it,” Garner says. “Remind yourself that this excessively shall pass. Give yourself grace, measurement retired connected the close ft and bash the champion that you tin successful the adjacent moment.” **No one’s perfect** For Garner, middle age has lifted the pressure to be flawless. “I’m not perfect. None of america are. We’re each benignant of a mess,” she says. “The happening is, you tin beryllium a messiness and get done it. We’re each perpetually getting done immoderate we’re messy astir life. I’m a truly large believer successful conscionable benignant of soaring up and implicit a batch of the messiness successful life.” **Age with power** “I’m arrogant that I’ve truly earned each infinitesimal of each time of each year. I don’t privation to be younger. I’m precise blessed to be this nonstop age. I’m grateful to be surviving in my power. What a joyousness to be at an property where I’m much and much affable to myself.” **Joy of eating** Asked which food makes her smile—even if only occasional—she replied, “Pizza!” she says with a knowing smile. “Pasta! Bagels! Oh yeah! Food is truthful joyful. Did I notation crystal cream?”