A. J. Cook

Biography

Andrea Joy "A.J." Cook, born on July 22, 1978, is a talented Canadian actress renowned for portraying Supervisory Special Agent Jennifer "JJ" Jareau in the CBS crime series Criminal Minds. She has also featured in notable films such as The Virgin Suicides, Out Cold, and Final Destination 2.

Cook hails from Oshawa, Ontario, but grew up primarily in Whitby, where she attended Anderson Collegiate Vocational Institute. Her family includes her father, Mike, a teacher, and her mother, Sandra, who works as a psychiatrist, along with three siblings: Nathan, Paul, and Angela. A member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Cook began dancing at the age of four, engaging in jazz, tap, and ballet. After years of competitive dancing, she decided to pursue acting at the age of 16.

On August 3, 2001, A.J. wed her longtime partner, Nathan Andersen, whom she initially met in a film class at Utah Valley University. She later relocated to Salt Lake City, Utah, to be with him and currently resides in Los Angeles, California. In March 2008, the couple announced they were expecting their first child, and their son, Mekhai Allan Andersen, was born on September 13, 2008. Cook has expressed gratitude for her role as a mother, saying, "I feel so lucky that he's mine." Mekhai made a cameo as Henry LaMontagne in Criminal Minds, further intertwining their family with the series. Additionally, Cook and Andersen share a Yorkshire Terrier named Zara. Despite facing legal blindness due to a severe astigmatism in her youth, she has corrected her vision through surgery. Cook is also close friends with actress Meghan Ory.