A. J. Cook (actress)
Encyclopedia
Andrea Joy "A.J." Cook-Andersen (born July 22, 1978) is a Canadian
actress best known for her role as Supervisory Special Agent Jennifer "JJ" Jareau
in the CBS
crime drama Criminal Minds
. She has also appeared in several Hollywood films including The Virgin Suicides
, Out Cold
, and Final Destination 2
.
, Ontario
and spent most of her life growing up in Whitby
where she attended Anderson Collegiate Vocational Institute
. Her father, Mike, is a teacher, and her mother, Sandra, works as a psychiatrist. She has three siblings, Nathan, Paul, and Angela. Cook is a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. A dancer from age four, Cook began taking jazz
, tap
and ballet
lessons. She danced competitively for many years, before deciding at the age of 16 that she wanted to try acting
.
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 captivating suicidal 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, a rough-around-the-edges teenage girl dealing with abuse and heartache at a wilderness school for struggling kids. 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, A.J. guest starred in a pivotal role on the critically acclaimed series Dead Like Me
. (Interestingly, the episode preceding her appearance in Sunday Mornings was entitled A Cook, although there was no connection between the guest characters in either episode.)
She currently stars 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 the show's sixth season as a series regular, but she did return for two episodes to wrap up her character's storyline due to thousands of letters and petitions written to the show's producers. She also returned for one episode for the departure of Paget Brewster
from the series. On April 16, 2011 it was reported that she had signed to reappear for two more seasons of the show.
, an eye condition that had previously left her declared 'legally blind'. In the second grade, Cook was wearing glasses, but they became a problem due to her love of dance. In the sixth grade, she began wearing contact lenses, but her vision was still poor. Cook admitted it was difficult to drive at night, but because of her career, it could not be avoided. She also admitted that she would see 'halos around the lights'. Cook stated that her vision was a problem for her because she had night vision that was 'rock bottom', and could barely see when she initially woke up in the mornings.
AJ discovered Visian ICL, a lens implant that goes inside the eye, and corrects an astigmatism. She underwent the procedure to have these implants, and says they changed her life, due to her 'bionic right eye', as she could see clearly straight after the procedure. Cook admitted that when she woke up the next morning, and saw her husband's face clearly for the first time, she burst into tears.
In August 2001, Cook married her long-time boyfriend Nathan Andersen, whom she met in a film class at Utah Valley University. She later moved to Salt Lake City, Utah
to be with him and currently resides in Los Angeles, California
.
In March 2008, it was reported that Cook and Andersen would be expecting their first child in October. Their son, Mekhai Allan Andersen, was born on Saturday, September 13, 2008. Weighing in at 7 lbs, 10 oz and 20 inches long, Mekhai was born at 8:50 p.m. A.J. said "He's such a good baby. I feel so lucky that he's mine. My husband and I feel very blessed!" Mekhai made a brief appearance in Criminal Minds
in Season 5 when Cook's character Jennifer Jareau
was in a pharmacy buying children's medicine which lead to a breakthrough in the case the BAU was currently trying to solve. Cook and Andersen are also the owners of a Yorkshire Terrier named Zara.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
actress best known for her role as Supervisory Special Agent Jennifer "JJ" Jareau
Jennifer Jareau
Jennifer "JJ" Jareau is a fictional character from the CBS crime drama Criminal Minds, portrayed by AJ Cook.- Back Story :During various episodes, JJ has described growing up in a very small town near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. She collected butterflies as a child, and also lost her sister to...
in the CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
crime drama Criminal Minds
Criminal Minds
Criminal Minds is an American police procedural drama that premiered September 22, 2005, on CBS. The series follows a team of profilers from the FBI's Behavioral Analysis Unit based in Quantico, Virginia. The BAU is part of the FBI National Center for the Analysis of Violent Crime...
. She has also appeared in several Hollywood films including The Virgin Suicides
The Virgin Suicides (film)
The Virgin Suicides is a 1999 American drama film written and directed by Sofia Coppola, produced by her father Francis Ford Coppola, starring James Woods, Kathleen Turner, Kirsten Dunst, Josh Hartnett, and A.J...
, Out Cold
Out Cold (2001 film)
Out Cold is a 2001 American comedy film about a group of snowboarders in Alaska. It is the first feature film by the music video directing team The Malloys. The movie presents itself as something of a parody of 1980's "ski school" movies and makes a number of references to the film Casablanca...
, and Final Destination 2
Final Destination 2
Final Destination 2 is a 2003 supernatural horror film and the sequel to the 2000 film Final Destination and was directed by David R. Ellis. It was written by Jeffrey Reddick, Eric Bress and J. Mackye Gruber. The film stars Ali Larter, A. J. Cook, Michael Landes and Tony Todd...
.
Early life
Cook was born in OshawaOshawa, Ontario
Oshawa is a city in Ontario, Canada, on the Lake Ontario shoreline. It lies in Southern Ontario approximately 60 kilometres east of downtown Toronto. It is commonly viewed as the eastern anchor of both the Greater Toronto Area and the Golden Horseshoe. It is now commonly referred to as the most...
, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
and spent most of her life growing up in Whitby
Whitby, Ontario
Whitby is a town in Durham Region. Whitby is located in Southern Ontario east of Toronto on the north shore of Lake Ontario, and is home to the headquarters of Durham Region...
where she attended Anderson Collegiate Vocational Institute
Anderson Collegiate Vocational Institute
Anderson Collegiate Vocational Institute is located in Whitby, Ontario within the Durham District School Board. The school has students in grades 9–12 and offers a wide range of academic and extracurricular activities...
. Her father, Mike, is a teacher, and her mother, Sandra, works as a psychiatrist. She has three siblings, Nathan, Paul, and Angela. Cook is a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. A dancer from age four, Cook began taking jazz
Jazz dance
Jazz dance is a classification shared by a broad range of dance styles. Before the 1950s, jazz dance referred to dance styles that originated from African American vernacular dance. In the 1950s, a new genre of jazz dance—modern jazz dance—emerged, with roots in Caribbean traditional dance...
, tap
Tap dance
Tap dance is a form of dance characterized by using the sound of one's tap shoes hitting the floor as a percussive instrument. As such, it is also commonly considered to be a form of music. Two major variations on tap dance exist: rhythm tap and Broadway tap. Broadway tap focuses more on the...
and ballet
Ballet
Ballet is a type of performance dance, that originated in the Italian Renaissance courts of the 15th century, and which was further developed in France and Russia as a concert dance form. The early portions preceded the invention of the proscenium stage and were presented in large chambers with...
lessons. She danced competitively for many years, before deciding at the age of 16 that she wanted to try acting
Acting
Acting is the work of an actor or actress, which is a person in theatre, television, film, or any other storytelling medium who tells the story by portraying a character and, usually, speaking or singing the written text or play....
.
Career
Cook's first job was in a McDonald'sMcDonald's
McDonald's Corporation is the world's largest chain of hamburger fast food restaurants, serving around 64 million customers daily in 119 countries. Headquartered in the United States, the company began in 1940 as a barbecue restaurant operated by the eponymous Richard and Maurice McDonald; in 1948...
commercial in 1997. She graduated to series work with a guest role on the television series Goosebumps
Goosebumps (TV series)
Goosebumps is a Canadian children's horror anthology television series based on R. L. Stine's Goosebumps books.-Networks:...
, and parts in two television movies, In His Father's Shoes and Elvis Meets Nixon
Elvis Meets Nixon
Elvis Meets Nixon is a 1997 film purporting to tell the true story of Elvis Presley meeting then President Richard Nixon on December 21, 1970.- Plot :...
. Cook launched her feature film career as one of five captivating suicidal sisters in 1999's The Virgin Suicides
The Virgin Suicides (film)
The Virgin Suicides is a 1999 American drama film written and directed by Sofia Coppola, produced by her father Francis Ford Coppola, starring James Woods, Kathleen Turner, Kirsten Dunst, Josh Hartnett, and A.J...
. Also that year, she took a starring role in the TV series Higher Ground
Higher Ground (TV series)
Higher Ground is an American-Canadian television show shot outside Vancouver, British Columbia, that aired in 2000. It starred Joe Lando, Hayden Christensen, A.J. Cook, Kandyse McClure and Jewel Staite....
, in which Cook played Shelby Merrick, a rough-around-the-edges teenage girl dealing with abuse and heartache at a wilderness school for struggling kids. Higher Ground lasted one season, ending with a romance between Shelby and Hayden Christensen
Hayden Christensen
Hayden Christensen is a Canadian actor. He appeared in Canadian television programs when he was young, then diversified into American television in the late 1990s. He moved on to minor acting roles before being praised for his role of Sam in Life as a House, for which he was nominated for a Golden...
's character, Scott.
After Higher Ground, Cook appeared in the 2000 TV movie The Spiral Staircase
The Spiral Staircase (2000 film)
The Spiral Staircase is a 2000 television film remake of the 1946 film The Spiral Staircase based on Ethel Lina White's novel Some Must Watch...
(alongside Higher Ground alum Kandyse McClure
Kandyse McClure
Kandyse McClure is an actress, best known for playing Anastasia Dualla on the Sci Fi Channel's television program Battlestar Galactica.- Biography :...
), and then captured leading roles in several films, including Out Cold
Out Cold (2001 film)
Out Cold is a 2001 American comedy film about a group of snowboarders in Alaska. It is the first feature film by the music video directing team The Malloys. The movie presents itself as something of a parody of 1980's "ski school" movies and makes a number of references to the film Casablanca...
(as Jason London
Jason London
Jason Paul London is an American actor, best known for his role as Randall "Pink" Floyd in director Richard Linklater's film Dazed and Confused.-Personal life:...
's love interest), Ripper
Ripper (film)
Ripper is a 2001 Canadian-British horror film, directed by John Eyres. The film stars A. J. Cook and Bruce Payne. It was written and produced by John A. Curtis and Evan Tylor and by production companies Prophecy Entertainment and Studio Eight Productions.- Plot :Molly Keller Ripper (also known as...
, I'm Reed Fish
I'm Reed Fish
I'm Reed Fish is an American film, based on a story by Reed Fish, and released theatrically on June 1, 2007. The film was directed by Zackary Adler and stars Alexis Bledel, Jay Baruchel, and Schuyler Fisk. Jay Baruchel won the Best Actor award at the U.S. Comedy Arts Festival in 2007 for his role...
, and Final Destination 2
Final Destination 2
Final Destination 2 is a 2003 supernatural horror film and the sequel to the 2000 film Final Destination and was directed by David R. Ellis. It was written by Jeffrey Reddick, Eric Bress and J. Mackye Gruber. The film stars Ali Larter, A. J. Cook, Michael Landes and Tony Todd...
.
In 2003, A.J. guest starred in a pivotal role on the critically acclaimed series Dead Like Me
Dead Like Me
Dead Like Me was an American-Canadian comedy-drama television series starring Ellen Muth and Mandy Patinkin as grim reapers who reside and work in Seattle, Washington. Filmed in Vancouver, British Columbia, the show was created by Bryan Fuller for the Showtime network, where it ran for two seasons...
. (Interestingly, the episode preceding her appearance in Sunday Mornings was entitled A Cook, although there was no connection between the guest characters in either episode.)
She currently stars as Jennifer "J.J." Jareau in the CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
drama Criminal Minds
Criminal Minds
Criminal Minds is an American police procedural drama that premiered September 22, 2005, on CBS. The series follows a team of profilers from the FBI's Behavioral Analysis Unit based in Quantico, Virginia. The BAU is part of the FBI National Center for the Analysis of Violent Crime...
. On June 14, 2010 it was announced that her contract option would not be picked up for the show's sixth season as a series regular, but she did return for two episodes to wrap up her character's storyline due to thousands of letters and petitions written to the show's producers. She also returned for one episode for the departure of Paget Brewster
Paget Brewster
Paget Valerie Brewster is an American actress. She is currently known for playing Special Agent Emily Prentiss on the CBS crime drama Criminal Minds. In June 2010, it was said that her role on Criminal Minds would be reduced in the sixth season. In March 2011, Brewster's character left the series...
from the series. On April 16, 2011 it was reported that she had signed to reappear for two more seasons of the show.
Personal life
From a very young age, AJ suffered from severe astigmatismAstigmatism
An optical system with astigmatism is one where rays that propagate in two perpendicular planes have different foci. If an optical system with astigmatism is used to form an image of a cross, the vertical and horizontal lines will be in sharp focus at two different distances...
, an eye condition that had previously left her declared 'legally blind'. In the second grade, Cook was wearing glasses, but they became a problem due to her love of dance. In the sixth grade, she began wearing contact lenses, but her vision was still poor. Cook admitted it was difficult to drive at night, but because of her career, it could not be avoided. She also admitted that she would see 'halos around the lights'. Cook stated that her vision was a problem for her because she had night vision that was 'rock bottom', and could barely see when she initially woke up in the mornings.
AJ discovered Visian ICL, a lens implant that goes inside the eye, and corrects an astigmatism. She underwent the procedure to have these implants, and says they changed her life, due to her 'bionic right eye', as she could see clearly straight after the procedure. Cook admitted that when she woke up the next morning, and saw her husband's face clearly for the first time, she burst into tears.
In August 2001, Cook married her long-time boyfriend Nathan Andersen, whom she met in a film class at Utah Valley University. She later moved to Salt Lake City, Utah
Salt Lake City, Utah
Salt Lake City is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Utah. The name of the city is often shortened to Salt Lake or SLC. With a population of 186,440 as of the 2010 Census, the city lies in the Salt Lake City metropolitan area, which has a total population of 1,124,197...
to be with him and currently resides in Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
.
In March 2008, it was reported that Cook and Andersen would be expecting their first child in October. Their son, Mekhai Allan Andersen, was born on Saturday, September 13, 2008. Weighing in at 7 lbs, 10 oz and 20 inches long, Mekhai was born at 8:50 p.m. A.J. said "He's such a good baby. I feel so lucky that he's mine. My husband and I feel very blessed!" Mekhai made a brief appearance in Criminal Minds
Criminal Minds
Criminal Minds is an American police procedural drama that premiered September 22, 2005, on CBS. The series follows a team of profilers from the FBI's Behavioral Analysis Unit based in Quantico, Virginia. The BAU is part of the FBI National Center for the Analysis of Violent Crime...
in Season 5 when Cook's character Jennifer Jareau
Jennifer Jareau
Jennifer "JJ" Jareau is a fictional character from the CBS crime drama Criminal Minds, portrayed by AJ Cook.- Back Story :During various episodes, JJ has described growing up in a very small town near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. She collected butterflies as a child, and also lost her sister to...
was in a pharmacy buying children's medicine which lead to a breakthrough in the case the BAU was currently trying to solve. Cook and Andersen are also the owners of a Yorkshire Terrier named Zara.
Filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | Laserhawk Laserhawk Laserhawk is a Canadian science fiction film directed by Jean Pellerin and released in 1997. In the film, two teenagers must team up with a comic book writer and a mental patient to save mankind from destruction at the hands of aliens.-Plot:... |
Pretty Girl #1 | |
| 1997 | In His Father's Shoes | Lisa | TV movie |
| 1997 | Goosebumps Goosebumps (TV series) Goosebumps is a Canadian children's horror anthology television series based on R. L. Stine's Goosebumps books.-Networks:... |
Kim Carter | Episode: "Don't Wake Mummy" |
| 1997 | Elvis Meets Nixon Elvis Meets Nixon Elvis Meets Nixon is a 1997 film purporting to tell the true story of Elvis Presley meeting then President Richard Nixon on December 21, 1970.- Plot :... |
Hippie chick | TV movie |
| 1997 | PSI Factor: Chronicles of the Paranormal Psi Factor: Chronicles of the Paranormal Psi Factor: Chronicles of the Paranormal is a Canadian science fiction drama television series which was filmed in and around Toronto, Ontario, Canada, and aired 88 episodes over four seasons from 1996 to 2000... |
Jill Starling | Episode: "Second Sight/Chocolate Soldier" |
| 1998 | Leigh Mason | Episode: "Hell Week" | |
| 1999 | Blue Moon | Alison | TV movie |
| 1999 | Mary Lisbon | ||
| 1999 | Teen Sorcery | Dawn | Video |
| 2000 | The Spiral Staircase The Spiral Staircase (2000 film) The Spiral Staircase is a 2000 television film remake of the 1946 film The Spiral Staircase based on Ethel Lina White's novel Some Must Watch... |
Local Girl | TV movie |
| 2000 | Higher Ground Higher Ground (TV series) Higher Ground is an American-Canadian television show shot outside Vancouver, British Columbia, that aired in 2000. It starred Joe Lando, Hayden Christensen, A.J. Cook, Kandyse McClure and Jewel Staite.... |
Shelby Merrick | 22 episodes |
| 2000 | First Wave | Lindsay Tilden | Episode: "The Flight of Francis Jeffries" |
| 2001 | Wishmaster 3: Beyond the Gates of Hell Wishmaster 3: Beyond the Gates of Hell Wishmaster 3: Beyond The Gates Of Hell otherwise known as Wishmaster 3: Devil Stone in the United Kingdom is the third installment in the popular Wishmaster film series. It was the second direct-to-video sequel in the franchise... |
Diana Collins | |
| 2001 | Ripper Ripper (film) Ripper is a 2001 Canadian-British horror film, directed by John Eyres. The film stars A. J. Cook and Bruce Payne. It was written and produced by John A. Curtis and Evan Tylor and by production companies Prophecy Entertainment and Studio Eight Productions.- Plot :Molly Keller Ripper (also known as... |
Molly Keller | |
| 2001 | Out Cold Out Cold (2001 film) Out Cold is a 2001 American comedy film about a group of snowboarders in Alaska. It is the first feature film by the music video directing team The Malloys. The movie presents itself as something of a parody of 1980's "ski school" movies and makes a number of references to the film Casablanca... |
Jenny | |
| 2002 | Lori Peterson | ||
| 2003 | Final Destination 2 Final Destination 2 Final Destination 2 is a 2003 supernatural horror film and the sequel to the 2000 film Final Destination and was directed by David R. Ellis. It was written by Jeffrey Reddick, Eric Bress and J. Mackye Gruber. The film stars Ali Larter, A. J. Cook, Michael Landes and Tony Todd... |
Kimberly Corman | |
| 2003 | Dead Like Me Dead Like Me Dead Like Me was an American-Canadian comedy-drama television series starring Ellen Muth and Mandy Patinkin as grim reapers who reside and work in Seattle, Washington. Filmed in Vancouver, British Columbia, the show was created by Bryan Fuller for the Showtime network, where it ran for two seasons... |
Charlotte | Episode: "Sunday Mornings" |
| 2003-2004 | Tru Calling Tru Calling Tru Calling is an American television supernatural drama series that premiered on Fox Network on October 30, 2003. It ran for two seasons before being canceled.... |
Lindsay Walker | 21 episodes |
| 2005 | Bloodsuckers Bloodsuckers (film) Bloodsuckers is a 2005 movie by Daniel Grodnik Productions and Produced by Gilles Laplante. Featuring Natassia Malthe and Dominic Zamprogna as the premier protagonists working as vampire hunters in space.-Story:... |
Fiona | TV movie |
| 2005-present | Criminal Minds Criminal Minds Criminal Minds is an American police procedural drama that premiered September 22, 2005, on CBS. The series follows a team of profilers from the FBI's Behavioral Analysis Unit based in Quantico, Virginia. The BAU is part of the FBI National Center for the Analysis of Violent Crime... |
Jennifer Jareau Jennifer Jareau Jennifer "JJ" Jareau is a fictional character from the CBS crime drama Criminal Minds, portrayed by AJ Cook.- Back Story :During various episodes, JJ has described growing up in a very small town near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. She collected butterflies as a child, and also lost her sister to... |
115 episodes |
| 2006 | I'm Reed Fish I'm Reed Fish I'm Reed Fish is an American film, based on a story by Reed Fish, and released theatrically on June 1, 2007. The film was directed by Zackary Adler and stars Alexis Bledel, Jay Baruchel, and Schuyler Fisk. Jay Baruchel won the Best Actor award at the U.S. Comedy Arts Festival in 2007 for his role... |
Theresa | |
| 2006 | Vanished | Hope Carey | TV movie |
| 2007 | Night Skies | Lilly | |
| 2008 | Misconceptions | Miranda Bliss | |
| 2010 | Mother's Day Mother's Day (2010 film) Mother's Day is an upcoming American horror- thriller film directed by Darren Lynn Bousman. It is a remake of Charles Kaufman's 1980 film of the same name and was written by Scott Millam.-Plot:... |
Vicky Rice | Cameo |
| 2011 | Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Law & Order: Special Victims Unit is an American police procedural television drama series set in New York City, where it is also primarily produced... |
Debbie Shields | Episode: "Mask" |
| 2011 | Bringing Ashley Home | Libba Phillips | TV movie |
| 2012 | Least Among Saints | Cheryl | |
External links
- A. J. Cook Bio at CBS — Criminal Minds