A. J. Cook

This article is about the actress. For the trade unionist, see A. J. Cook (trade unionist).
A. J. Cook

Cook at the 2012 Fan Expo Canada
Born Andrea Joy Cook
(1978-07-22) July 22, 1978
Oshawa, Ontario, Canada
Occupation Actress
Years active 1997–present
Spouse(s) Nathan Andersen (m. 2001)
Children 2
Website www.ajcookofficial.com

Andrea Joy "A. J." Cook[1] (born July 22, 1978) is a Canadian actress known for her role as Supervisory Special Agent Jennifer "JJ" Jareau in the CBS crime drama Criminal Minds. She has also appeared in films such as The Virgin Suicides (1999), Out Cold (2001), and Final Destination 2 (2003).

Early life

Cook was born in Oshawa, Ontario, and spent most of her life growing up in 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 a severe astigmatism, but wore contacts and thick glasses to correct her vision. In 2007 she underwent surgery during which a lens implant corrected the impairment.[2] A dancer from age four,[3] 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. 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 admitted that she still tap dances.

Career

Cook at the 2010 National Memorial Day Concert

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 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, Cook guest starred in Dead Like Me. She was also in season one of Tru Calling as Lindsay Walker.

Since September 2005 she has 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,[4] 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.[5] She also returned for one episode for the departure of Paget Brewster from the series.[6] On April 16, 2011, it was reported that she had signed to reappear for two more seasons of the show.[7] In 2013, it was announced she was hired as a spokeswoman for Proactiv.[8] She appeared in the January/February 2014 issue of Maxim magazine.[9] She was ranked at 88 on the Maxim Hot 100 2014 list.[10] She was the Grand Marshal for the STP 500 at Martinsville Speedway in Martinsville, Virginia on April 3, 2016.[11]

Personal life

Cook is a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, otherwise known as the Mormon Church,[12] but does not limit her acting solely to roles reflecting her beliefs.[13] 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[14] to be with him. They reside in Los Angeles, California with their two sons. [3]

In March 2008, it was reported that Cook and Andersen would be expecting their first child in September.[15] Their son, Mekhai, was born in 2008.[16] Mekhai makes a brief appearance as Henry LaMontagne in Criminal Minds, when Cook's character is buying children's medicine from a pharmacy.[17] He reprised the role in the two-hour season seven finale in 2012 and several other episodes throughout the series. In March 2015, Cook and Andersen announced they were expecting a second child. The couple's second son, Phoenix Sky, was born in July 2015.[18]

Cook is best friends with actress Meghan Ory.[19]

Filmography

Television

Year Title Role Notes
1997 In His Father's Shoes Lisa Movie
1997 Elvis Meets Nixon Hippie Chick Movie
1997 Goosebumps Kim Carter Episode: "Don't Wake Mummy"
1997–98 Psi Factor: Chronicles of the Paranormal Jill Starling / Lee Mason Episodes: "Second Sight/Chocolate Soldier", "Hell Week"
2000 Spiral Staircase, TheThe Spiral Staircase Local Girl Movie
2000 Higher Ground Shelby Merrick Main role (22 episodes)
2000 First Wave Lindsay Tilden Episode: "The Flight of Francis Jeffries"
2003 Dead Like Me Charlotte Episode: "Sunday Mornings"
2003–04 Tru Calling Lindsay Walker Main role (season 1: 21 episodes)
2005 Bloodsuckers Fiona Movie
2005–present Criminal Minds Jennifer "JJ" Jareau Main role (218 episodes)
2011 Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Debbie Shields Episode: "Mask"
2011 Bringing Ashley Home Libba Movie
Cook filming Bring Ashley Home in 2010

Film

Year Title Role
1997 Laserhawk Pretty Girl
1999 Blue Moon Alison
1999 Virgin Suicides, TheThe Virgin Suicides Mary Lisbon
1999 Teen Sorcery Dawn
2001 Wishmaster 3: Beyond the Gates of Hell Diana Collins
2001 Ripper Molly Keller
2001 Out Cold Jenny
2002 House Next Door, TheThe 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

References

  1. ↑ Sean Daly (2003-02-01). "Whitby star reaches her Destination ; Career, love life on roll Teen flick pure fun". Toronto Star. Retrieved 2009-09-27.
  2. ↑ Cartel, Mari (2011-10-05). "A.J. Cook Seeing ‘Criminal Minds’ Clearer Thanks to a Medical Procedure". healthbistro.lifescript.com. Retrieved 5 January 2012.
  3. 1 2 Liz Braun (2003-01-31). "A.J. Cook's career starting to sizzle". jam.canoe.ca. Retrieved 2010-01-13.
  4. ↑ Ausiello, Michael (2010-06-14). "'Criminal Minds' drops A.J. Cook". Entertainment Weekly.
  5. ↑ "'Criminal Minds' update: Cook and Brewster returning -- but for how long?". EW.com. Retrieved 7 July 2015.
  6. ↑ "A.J. Cook Returns to ‘Criminal Minds’ for Paget Brewster’s Final Episode". Screen Rant. Retrieved 7 July 2015.
  7. ↑ Ng, Philiana (2011-04-16). "A.J. Cook Returning to CBS' 'Criminal Minds'". hollywoodreporter.com. Archived from the original on 29 April 2011. Retrieved 16 April 2011.
  8. ↑ "AJ Cook for proactiv". Twitter. Retrieved 7 May 2014.
  9. ↑ "AJ cook- maxim magazine". Retrieved May 7, 2014.
  10. ↑ "Hot 100 - Maxim". maxim.com. Retrieved 7 July 2015.
  11. ↑ https://www.martinsvillespeedway.com/Articles/2016/04/AJ-Cook-to-Serve-as-Grand-Marshal-for-the-STP-500.aspx
  12. ↑ Pierce, Scott (2015-04-03). "From Philo to Donny -- 22 Mormons who made their mark on TV". The Salt Lake Tribune. Retrieved 30 April 2016.
  13. ↑ 2009 radio interview with A. J. Cook. Published on A. J. Cook's channel on YouTube.
  14. ↑ The Arrow (2002-04-21). "INT: A.J. Cook". Joblo presents Arrow in the Head. Retrieved 2010-01-13.
  15. ↑ Alynda Wheat. "Spring TV preview: Criminal Minds". Entertainment Weekly.
  16. ↑ "A. J. Cook Welcomes Son Mekhai Allan". celebrity-babies.com.
  17. ↑ Steve Marsi (September 19, 2011). "Exclusive: A.J. Cook Previews Criminal MInds "Season For the Fans"". TVFanatic.com. Retrieved June 30, 2012.
  18. ↑ http://celebritybabies.people.com/2015/07/23/aj-cook-welcomes-son-phoenix-sky/
  19. ↑ A.J. Cook (2013-08-20). "A.J. Cook close friends with Meghan Ory". twitter.com. Retrieved 2013-10-15.

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