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A. J. Cook

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For the British trade union leader, see A. J. Cook (trade unionist). For the entomologist, see Albert John Cook.

A. J. Cook
Cook in 2010
Born
Andrea Joy Cook

(1978-07-22) July 22, 1978 (age 46)
Oshawa, Ontario, Canada
OccupationActress
Years active
  • 1997–present
Spouse
Nathan Andersen
​
(m. 2001)​
Children2

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

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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 colour 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

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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]

Cook in 2010

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

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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

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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

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Film

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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

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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

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Year Title Episode
2019 Criminal Minds Season 14 Episode 13: "Chameleon"
2023 Season 16 Episode 8: "Forget Me Knots"
2024 Season 17 Episode 2: “Contagion”

References

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  1. ^ Daly, Sean (February 1, 2003). "Whitby star reaches her Destination; Career, love life on roll Teen flick pure fun". Toronto Star. Archived from the original on October 22, 2012. Retrieved September 27, 2009.
  2. ^ "AJ Cook News & Biography". Empire. August 17, 2015. Archived from the original on November 16, 2020. Retrieved November 11, 2020.
  3. ^ "Viva Magazine - Fall 2013 by Rive Gauche Media". issuu.com. September 6, 2013. Archived from the original on September 24, 2022. Retrieved September 24, 2022.
  4. ^ Cartel, Mari (October 5, 2011). "A.J. Cook Seeing 'Criminal Minds' Clearer Thanks to a Medical Procedure". healthbistro.lifescript.com. Archived from the original on March 6, 2012. Retrieved January 5, 2012.
  5. ^ 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)
  6. ^ "Viva Magazine - Fall 2013 by Rive Gauche Media - Issuu". issuu.com. September 6, 2013. Archived from the original on September 24, 2022. Retrieved September 24, 2022.
  7. ^ Ausiello, Michael (June 14, 2010). "'Criminal Minds' drops A.J. Cook". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on June 16, 2010.
  8. ^ Andreeva, Nellie (June 25, 2010). "'CRIMINAL MINDS' UPDATE: Paget Brewster Inks New Deal & A.J. Cook Wraps Character". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on August 5, 2022. Retrieved August 5, 2022.
  9. ^ Ausiello, Michael (June 25, 2010). "'Criminal Minds' update: Cook and Brewster returning — but for how long?". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on June 27, 2010.
  10. ^ Ocasio, Anthony (February 3, 2011). "A.J. Cook Returns to 'Criminal Minds' for Paget Brewster's Final Episode". Screen Rant. Archived from the original on July 16, 2011. Retrieved July 7, 2015.
  11. ^ Jordan, Tari (February 21, 2019). "*EXCLUSIVE* Ed Bernero Shares His Take on Criminal Minds' Legacy, and Future!". Criminal Minds Fans. Archived from the original on September 20, 2022. Retrieved September 24, 2022.
  12. ^ "Paget Brewster on leaving Criminal Minds and not fucking up Community". The A.V. Club. September 30, 2015. Archived from the original on September 20, 2022. Retrieved September 24, 2022.
  13. ^ Ng, Philiana (April 16, 2011). "A.J. Cook Returning to CBS' 'Criminal Minds'". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on April 29, 2011. Retrieved April 16, 2011.
  14. ^ Andreeva, Nellie (June 14, 2017). "'Criminal Minds': Kirsten Vangsness & A.J. Cook Close Deals, Get Raises To Return". Deadline. Archived from the original on September 20, 2022. Retrieved September 24, 2022.
  15. ^ Andreeva, Nellie (January 10, 2019). "'Criminal Minds' To End Run With 10-Episode 15th & Final Season On CBS". Archived from the original on August 6, 2022. Retrieved August 5, 2022.
  16. ^ Andreeva, Nellie (August 5, 2022). "'Criminal Minds' Revival A Go At Paramount+ With Key Cast Members & Showrunner Set To Return". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on August 4, 2022. Retrieved August 5, 2022.
  17. ^ @Proactiv (September 24, 2013). "We're so pleased to welcome the gorgeous @ajcookofficial to the Proactiv+ family!" (Tweet). Retrieved May 7, 2014 – via Twitter.
  18. ^ "AJ cook- maxim magazine". January 14, 2014. Archived from the original on March 28, 2014. Retrieved May 7, 2014.
  19. ^ "Hot 100 - Maxim". Maxim. Archived from the original on February 2, 2015. Retrieved July 7, 2015.
  20. ^ "Criminal Minds Star AJ Cook To Serve As Grand Marshal For STP 500". Martinsville Speedway. April 2, 2016. Archived from the original on April 5, 2016.
  21. ^ Pierce, Scott D. (April 3, 2015). "From Philo to Donny – 22 Mormons who made their mark on TV". The Salt Lake Tribune. Archived from the original on May 31, 2016. Retrieved April 30, 2016.
  22. ^ AJ COOK on parenting, anxiety, Mormonism, Criminal Minds: Evolution, March 31, 2023, archived from the original on April 2, 2023, retrieved April 2, 2023
  23. ^ "10 Things You Didn't Know About A.J. Cook". TV Over Mind. February 1, 2020. Archived from the original on August 6, 2022. Retrieved August 6, 2022.
  24. ^ The Arrow (April 21, 2002). "INT: A.J. Cook". Joblo presents Arrow in the Head. Archived from the original on August 5, 2011. Retrieved January 13, 2010.
  25. ^ "A. J. Cook Welcomes Son Mekhai Allan". People. November 26, 2008. Archived from the original on June 21, 2009. Retrieved March 2, 2009.
  26. ^ Wheat, Alynda (March 24, 2008). "Spring TV preview: Criminal Minds". Entertainment Weekly. New York City: Meredith Corporation.
  27. ^ Marsi, Steve (September 19, 2011). "Exclusive: A.J. Cook Previews Criminal Minds "Season for the Fans"". TVFanatic. Archived from the original on December 31, 2011. Retrieved June 30, 2012.
  28. ^ Leon, Anya; Michaud, Sarah (July 23, 2015). "A.J. Cook Welcomes Son Phoenix Sky". People. Archived from the original on November 5, 2019. Retrieved November 5, 2019.
  29. ^ "AJ and Phoenix are featured in us weekly magazine". ajcookfans.com. Archived from the original on July 15, 2023. Retrieved September 24, 2022.
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