CAMBRIDGE, Mass. (AP) — “Alias” actor Jennifer Garner is being celebrated for her star power both on- and off-screen.
Harvard University’s Hasty Pudding Theatricals is parading Garner through the streets of Cambridge, Massachusetts, on Saturday afternoon before roasting her as the troupe’s 2022 Woman of the Year.
Hasty Pudding organizers said they chose Garner based not just on her career as an actor but also because of her record as a philanthropist and entrepreneur.
Hasty Pudding Theatricals, which dates to 1844 and bills itself the third oldest theater group in the world, established its Woman of the Year award in 1951 to honor people who have made “lasting and impressive contributions to the world of entertainment.” Last year’s recipient was Viola Davis, and previous winners include Meryl Streep, Katharine Hepburn, Ethel Merman and Cher.
Garner, 49, was nominated for several Primetime Emmys for her role as Sydney Bristow in the television spy series “Alias.” She’s been lauded for her work in several movies including “Juno,” “Dallas Buyers Club” and “13 Going on 30.”
Garner is a Save the Children trustee and has advocated on Capitol Hill and around the nation to raise awareness and funds for the organization. She also co-founded the organic food company Once Upon a Farm in 2017, with a goal of providing children with the highest quality food grown using sustainable methods.
Jason Bateman, who played Garner’s husband in the 2007 film “Juno,” was feted earlier this week as 2022 Man of the Year.