A. J. Cook
Andrea Joy Cook[1] (born July 22, 1978[2]) is a Canadian actress. She is best known for her role as Supervisory Special Agent Jennifer "JJ" Jareau on the CBS crime drama Criminal Minds (2005–2020, 2022–). Cook has also appeared in The Virgin Suicides (1999), Higher Ground (2000), Ripper (2001), Out Cold (2001), Final Destination 2 (2003), and Tru Calling (2003–2004).
Early life edit
Cook was born in Oshawa, Ontario. She spent most of her early life in nearby Whitby, where she attended Anderson Collegiate Vocational Institute. She has three siblings: Nathan, Paul, and Angela.
Cook was declared legally blind in the second grade because of severe astigmatism, but wore contacts and thick "Coke bottle" glasses to correct her vision. Talking about her childhood, Cook recalled how other kids were "cruel" and that she "really couldn't see" and "everything looked like a smear of color with no shapes". She also said that at the time of her diagnosis, she was not doing well in school. At first, people thought she had a learning disability because she could not read. In reality, she could not see the board, which affected her ability to recognize letters and know the sounds they made.[3] In 2007, a surgical lens implant corrected the impairment.[4]
A dancer from age four,[5] Cook began taking jazz, tap and ballet lessons. She said that dance kept her engaged growing up as she did not have to recite or read anything.[6] She danced competitively for many years, before deciding at the age of 16 that she wanted to try acting. Cook also taught dance when she was younger and has stated that if she hadn't become an actress, she would most likely have set up a small dance studio somewhere. In an interview, she said that she still tap dances.
Career edit
Cook's first job was in a McDonald's commercial in 1997. She graduated to series work with a guest role on the television series Goosebumps and parts in two television movies, In His Father's Shoes and Elvis Meets Nixon. Cook launched her feature film career as one of five suicidal Lisbon sisters in 1999's The Virgin Suicides. Also that year, she took a starring role in the TV series Higher Ground, in which Cook played Shelby Merrick, an adolescent girl dealing with abuse and heartache at a wilderness school for struggling teens. Higher Ground lasted one season, ending with a romance between Shelby and Hayden Christensen's character Scott.
After Higher Ground, Cook appeared in the 2000 TV movie The Spiral Staircase (alongside Higher Ground alum Kandyse McClure), and then captured leading roles in several films, including Out Cold (as Jason London's love interest), Ripper, I'm Reed Fish, and Final Destination 2. In 2003, Cook guest starred in Dead Like Me. She was also in Season One of Tru Calling as Lindsay Walker.
Beginning in September 2005, she starred as Jennifer "J.J." Jareau in the CBS drama Criminal Minds. On June 14, 2010, it was announced that her contract option would not be picked up for season six as a series regular reportedly due to budget cuts on the show,[7] but she returned for two episodes to wrap up her character's storyline due to thousands of letters and petitions written to the show's producers.[8][9] She also returned for one episode for the departure of Paget Brewster from the series.[10] Former executive producer of ''Criminal Minds'', Ed Bernero, later claimed that CBS executives called him one day and asked him to get rid of Cook and Brewster.[11] Brewster also mentioned in a separate interview that someone from CBS called Bernero and said they wanted "new women" which led to their firing. She said that it was not due to budget cuts as their replacement was paid twice what they were paid.[12]
In April 2011, it was reported that Cook had signed to reappear for two more seasons of the show.[13] In 2013, Cook and ''Criminal Minds'' co-star Kirsten Vangsness managed to negotiate salary raises but not parity after years of being paid less than half the salary of fellow co-stars Matthew Gray Gubler and Shemar Moore. In 2017, both women held out on signing new contracts as they sought pay parity with Gubler. They eventually succeeded and closed new deals to return.[14] Cook would continue to star in the series until it ended in 2020 after 15 seasons.[15] After the show wrapped, Cook decided to take a break from acting and in 2022, she guest-starred on the show 9-1-1. It was also announced that she would be returning for the Criminal Minds revival.[16]
Other ventures edit
In 2013, it was announced she was hired as a spokeswoman for Proactiv.[17] She appeared in the January/February 2014 issue of Maxim magazine.[18] She was ranked at 88 on the Maxim Hot 100 2014 list.[19] She was the Grand Marshal for the STP 500 at Martinsville Speedway in Martinsville, Virginia on April 3, 2016.[20]
Personal life edit
Cook was raised in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church),[21] although she is no longer a practicing member.[22] She also did not limit her acting solely to roles reflecting LDS Church beliefs.[23] On August 3, 2001, she married her long-time boyfriend, Nathan Andersen. The two met in a film class at Utah Valley University, and she later moved to Salt Lake City, Utah,[24] to be with him. They reside in Los Angeles, California, with their two sons.[5]
In September 2008, their first son, Mekhai Allan, was born.[25][26] He appeared as Henry LaMontagne throughout the Criminal Minds series.[27] The couple's second son, Phoenix Sky, was born in July 2015.[28] Cook and her husband named him Phoenix because they were told that they couldn't have any more children but Phoenix was a surprise and "just rose up".[29] He also appeared in Criminal Minds, as Jareau's second son, Michael.
Filmography edit
Film edit
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | Laserhawk | Pretty Girl #1 | |
| 1999 | The Virgin Suicides | Mary Lisbon | |
| Teen Sorcery | Dawn | Direct-to-video | |
| 2001 | Ripper | Molly Keller | |
| Wishmaster 3: Beyond the Gates of Hell | Diana Collins | Direct-to-video | |
| Out Cold | Jenny | ||
| 2002 | The House Next Door | Lori Peterson | |
| 2003 | Final Destination 2 | Kimberly Corman | |
| 2006 | I'm Reed Fish | Theresa | |
| 2007 | Night Skies | Lilly | |
| 2008 | Misconceptions | Miranda Bliss | |
| 2010 | Mother's Day | Vicky Rice | |
| 2012 | Least Among Saints | Cheryl | |
| 2013 | Wer | Kate Moore | |
| 2019 | Back Fork | Nida |
Television edit
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | Elvis Meets Nixon | Hippie chick | TV film |
| In His Father's Shoes | Lisa | TV film | |
| Goosebumps | Kim | Episode: "Don't Wake Mummy" | |
| Psi Factor | Jill Starling | Episode: "Second Sight/Chocolate Soldier" | |
| 1998 | Psi Factor | Lee Mason | Episode: "Hell Week" |
| 1999 | Blue Moon | Alison | TV film |
| 2000 | The Spiral Staircase | Local Girl | TV film |
| Higher Ground | Shelby Merrick | Main role | |
| First Wave | Lindsay Tilden | Episode: "The Flight of Francis Jeffries" | |
| 2003 | Dead Like Me | Charlotte | Episode: "Sunday Mornings" |
| Tru Calling | Lindsay Walker | Main role in season one; 20 episodes | |
| 2005 | Bloodsuckers | Fiona | TV film |
| 2005–2020 2022–present | Criminal Minds | Jennifer Jareau | Main role: seasons 1–5, 7–present Recurring: season 6 334 episodes |
| 2006 | Vanished | Hope | TV film |
| 2011 | Law & Order: Special Victims Unit | Dr. Debbie Shields | Episode: "Mask" |
| Bringing Ashley Home | Libba | TV film | |
| 2022 | 9-1-1 | Kira | Episode: "Boston" |
Director edit
| Year | Title | Episode |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 | Criminal Minds | Season 14 Episode 13: "Chameleon" |
| 2023 | Season 16 Episode 8: "Forget Me Knots" |
References edit
- ^ Daly, Sean (February 1, 2003). . Toronto Star. Archived from the original on October 22, 2012. Retrieved September 27, 2009.
- ^ "AJ Cook News & Biography". Empire. August 17, 2015. from the original on November 16, 2020. Retrieved November 11, 2020.
- ^ "Viva Magazine - Fall 2013 by Rive Gauche Media". issuu.com. September 6, 2013. from the original on September 24, 2022. Retrieved September 24, 2022.
- ^ Cartel, Mari (October 5, 2011). . healthbistro.lifescript.com. Archived from the original on March 6, 2012. Retrieved January 5, 2012.
- ^ a b Braun, Liz (January 31, 2003). "A.J. Cook's career starting to sizzle". jam.canoe.ca. Archived from the original on December 6, 2012. Retrieved January 13, 2010.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link) - ^ "Viva Magazine - Fall 2013 by Rive Gauche Media - Issuu". issuu.com. September 6, 2013. from the original on September 24, 2022. Retrieved September 24, 2022.
- ^ Ausiello, Michael (June 14, 2010). . Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on June 16, 2010.
- ^ Andreeva, Nellie (June 25, 2010). . Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on August 5, 2022. Retrieved August 5, 2022.
- ^ Ausiello, Michael (June 25, 2010). . Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on June 27, 2010.
- ^ Ocasio, Anthony (February 3, 2011). "A.J. Cook Returns to 'Criminal Minds' for Paget Brewster's Final Episode". Screen Rant. from the original on July 16, 2011. Retrieved July 7, 2015.
- ^ Jordan, Tari (February 21, 2019). "*EXCLUSIVE* Ed Bernero Shares His Take on Criminal Minds' Legacy, and Future!". Criminal Minds Fans. from the original on September 20, 2022. Retrieved September 24, 2022.
- ^ "Paget Brewster on leaving Criminal Minds and not fucking up Community". The A.V. Club. September 30, 2015. from the original on September 20, 2022. Retrieved September 24, 2022.
- ^ Ng, Philiana (April 16, 2011). "A.J. Cook Returning to CBS' 'Criminal Minds'". The Hollywood Reporter. from the original on April 29, 2011. Retrieved April 16, 2011.
- ^ Andreeva, Nellie (June 14, 2017). "'Criminal Minds': Kirsten Vangsness & A.J. Cook Close Deals, Get Raises To Return". Deadline. from the original on September 20, 2022. Retrieved September 24, 2022.
- ^ Andreeva, Nellie (January 10, 2019). "'Criminal Minds' To End Run With 10-Episode 15th & Final Season On CBS". from the original on August 6, 2022. Retrieved August 5, 2022.
- ^ Andreeva, Nellie (August 5, 2022). "'Criminal Minds' Revival A Go At Paramount+ With Key Cast Members & Showrunner Set To Return". Deadline Hollywood. from the original on August 4, 2022. Retrieved August 5, 2022.
- ^ @Proactiv (September 25, 2013). "We're so pleased to welcome the gorgeous @ajcookofficial to the Proactiv+ family!" (Tweet). Retrieved May 7, 2014 – via Twitter.
- ^ "AJ cook- maxim magazine". January 14, 2014. from the original on March 28, 2014. Retrieved May 7, 2014.
- ^ . Maxim. Archived from the original on February 2, 2015. Retrieved July 7, 2015.
- ^ . Martinsville Speedway. April 2, 2016. Archived from the original on April 5, 2016.
- ^ Pierce, Scott D. (April 3, 2015). . The Salt Lake Tribune. Archived from the original on May 31, 2016. Retrieved April 30, 2016.
- ^ AJ COOK on parenting, anxiety, Mormonism, Criminal Minds: Evolution, from the original on April 2, 2023, retrieved April 2, 2023
- ^ "10 Things You Didn't Know About A.J. Cook". TV Over Mind. February 1, 2020. from the original on August 6, 2022. Retrieved August 6, 2022.
- ^ The Arrow (April 21, 2002). . Joblo presents Arrow in the Head. Archived from the original on August 5, 2011. Retrieved January 13, 2010.
- ^ . People. November 26, 2008. Archived from the original on June 21, 2009. Retrieved March 2, 2009.
- ^ Wheat, Alynda (March 24, 2008). "Spring TV preview: Criminal Minds". Entertainment Weekly. New York City: Meredith Corporation.
- ^ Marsi, Steve (September 19, 2011). "Exclusive: A.J. Cook Previews Criminal Minds "Season for the Fans"". TVFanatic. from the original on December 31, 2011. Retrieved June 30, 2012.
- ^ Leon, Anya; Michaud, Sarah (July 23, 2015). "A.J. Cook Welcomes Son Phoenix Sky". People. from the original on November 5, 2019. Retrieved November 5, 2019.
- ^ "AJ and Phoenix are featured in us weekly magazine". ajcookfans.com. from the original on July 15, 2023. Retrieved September 24, 2022.