Why Emily Bader Was “Paranoid” About 13 Going on 30 Remake
Jennifer Garner Details How 13 Going on 30 Netflix Reboot Honors Original Film
Emily Bader was a bit nervous to be 30, flirty and thriving.
Especially because she knew the importance of taking on Jennifer Garner’s iconic role of Jenna Rink in the upcoming remake of 13 Going on 30.
“I was paranoid a little bit,” Bader admitted to E! News at the Airbnb.org Gala on Oct. 28. “I was like, ‘OK, I have to make sure—I want to live up to this.’”
Luckily, she didn’t have to do the “Thriller” dance on her own as Garner proved to be a key source of support—although she wasn’t sure what to do with her words of wisdom at first.
“She said, ‘My only advice for you is to have the best summer of your life,’” Bader recalled. “And then I hung up and I was like, ‘That's terrible advice. What do I do with that?’”
Of course, Garner turned out to be “1,000 percent” correct with My Lady Jane star admitting the experience simply poprocked. As she put it, “It was like the best summer ever.”
Still, the 29-year-old is well aware that the pressure is on, as she considers the 2004 movie to be one of “the greatest, most rewatchable, formative sort of rom-coms.”
And while she noted a lot has changed in the 20 years since the movie came out, she and co-star Logan Lerman (who is taking over for Mark Ruffalo in the reimagining’s leading man role) are hoping fans can embrace their new movie.
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“It felt like a good time to be able to sort of reinvent this story for the new generation of people,” she explained, “so that they can feel the same way that I feel about that movie.”
Plus, Garner being on board as an executive producer has been “such a gift”—certainly one as important as Matty’s iconic doll house and wishing dust.
“There is that sense of you want her support,” Bader told E!. “This is her baby. This is the thing that when you think of 13 Going on 30, you think of Jennifer Garner. She's not only been incredibly supportive, but she's taken care of me in this process and taught me so much. It's been incredible.”
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As for Garner, she sees this new movie as a way to honor the original film and the people who made it.
“I feel like the legacy of our director Gary Winick, who died of brain cancer after we wrapped that movie, [continues],” Garner exclusively told E! News in July. “It just makes me so happy.”
Plus, the Alias alum was thrilled to pass along the Razzles to Bader, saying, “That little Emily, she’s adorable.”
While a release date for the 13 Going on 30 remake is still under wraps, keep reading to see where all your favorite stars from the original film are today.
—Reporting by Lauren Herbert
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Jennifer Garner
In the 2004 movie, Jennifer Garner starred as the 30, flirty and thriving Jenna Rink, who tries to navigate life as an adult after making the wish to be older at her 13th birthday party.
After wrapping Alias in 2006, she went on to star in a number of movies such as Juno, Dallas Buyers Club, Men, Women & Children, Miracles from Heaven, Love, Simon and Peppermint. Garner then made her return to TV in the 2018 HBO series Camping.
Ahead of 13 Going on 30's 15th anniversary in 2019, Garner appeared on Good Morning America, where she was asked about a possible movie sequel. "What like 15 Going on 50?" she joked. "Let's simmer down and then let's leave well enough alone."
In addition to being an actress, Garner is the co-founder of Once Upon a Farm. She's also mom to kids Violet, Seraphina and Samuel, with ex-husband Ben Affleck.
Columbia Pictures; Getty Images
Brie Larson
Did you know Brie Larson was in 13 Going on 30? That's right, she was a Six Chick! Larson, who was just starting her career when the film premiered in 2004, also starred in the beloved teen movie Sleepover that same year. Since then, she's skyrocketed to superstardom, starring in the TV series United States of Tara from 2009 to 2011 and movies like 21 Jumpstreet, Trainwreck and Captain America.
In 2016, Larson won the Best Actress Oscar for her performance in the film Room.
Columbia Tri Star/Kobal; Getty Images
Mark Ruffalo
Speaking of Avengers, Mark Ruffalo is another 13 Going on 30 cast member who stars in the movie franchise. Ruffalo and Larson both appear in Avengers: Endgame.
In 13 Going on 30, he played the adult version of Matt Flamhaff, the best friend and love interest of Jenna. Ruffalo starred in a number of romantic movies around the same time as 13 Going on 30, making audiences swoon in films like Rumor Has It... with Jennifer Aniston and Just Like Heaven with Reese Witherspoon. Since then, Ruffalo has been nominated for four Oscars for his work in The Kids Are All Right, Foxcatcher and Spotlight. He nabbed a 2020 Emmy and a 2021 Golden Globe for his role in I Know This Much Is True.
He's been married to Sunrise Coigney since 2000 and the duo share three kids together.
Columbia Pictures; Getty Images
Ashley Benson
Remember Ashley Benson in the movie? She was also a Six Chick alongside Larson. In 2004, the same year the film premiered, Benson began her role as Abby Deveraux in Days of Our Lives. In 2010, she shot to fame when she was cast as Hanna Marin in the beloved series Pretty Little Liars. Since the show's finale in 2017, Benson has starred in the movie Her Smell alongside Elisabeth Moss.
Her latest project? Motherhood. She and husband Brandon Davis welcomed their first baby together—daughter Aspen—in February 2024.
Tracy Bennett/Columbia Tri Star/Kobal/Shutterstock; Getty Images
Judy Greer
Judy Greer appeared as Garner's frenemy Lucy Wyman in the cult favorite. While they were at odds on the big screen, Garner revealed that she and Greer are still "really good friends" today.
Greer has since became known for her iconic characters in The Wedding Planner and 27 Dresses. Her impressively long resume includes films like 2011's The Descendants, 2013's Carrie and 2015's Jurassic World.
Tracy Bennett/Columbia Tri Star/Kobal/Shutterstock; Getty Images
Andy Serkis
Tackling the role as Jenna's boss at her dream magazine, Poise, Andy Serkis has since became known for his motion capture roles in The Lord of the Rings franchise.
In 2011, he co-founded a motion-capture production company called The Imaginarium. The studio was used for the creation of 2018's Mowgli: Legend of the Jungle.
Columbia Pictures; Getty Images
Christa B. Allen
Christa B. Allen's role in 13 Going on 30 was one of her first credited acting gigs. Following the film, Allen landed parts in shows like Wizards of Waverly Place and Grey's Anatomy. In 2009, Allen appeared as a teenage Jennifer Garner in the movie Ghosts of Girlfriends Past. And from 2011 to 2015, Allen starred in the hit ABC drama series Revenge.
In November 2021, she officially turned 30 and we officially felt old.
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