The Stunning Transformation Of Criminal Minds’ A. Cook as the a.j. cook and beautiful Jennifer “JJ” Jareau from the hit crime show “Criminal Minds.
While “Criminal Minds” may have ended, our love for her is nowhere near over. From humble beginnings to relaxing getaways, her fans get to see her on social media, and they are pumped to see what she’ll do next. But let’s take a look back at where the Canadian beauty started. Born July 22, 1978, Andrea Joy Cook, known by her stage name A. Born in Oshawa, she spent most of her time in the town of Whitby, in Ontario, Canada, along with her parents, Michael and Sandra, and her three siblings, Nathan, Paul, and Angela. When she was very young, she was declared legally blind due to her severe astigmatism and had to get corrective surgery. However, none of that stopped her from pursuing her dancing career.
At age 4, Cook began taking multiple dance classes such as jazz, tap, and ballet. She loved it so much that she started competing and teaching until 16, when she decided to try her hand at acting. However, she’s stated that if acting didn’t work out, she would’ve opened a dance studio. She started professionally acting in the 1990s, guest appearing in “Goosebumps” and multiple TV movies. Her breakout role was in the 1999 Sofia Coppola cult classic “The Virgin Suicides,” where she played troubled Mary Lisbon. The drama is based around five men remembering their times with the neighborhood Lisbon sisters, and their untimely suicide pact. Then she starred in multiple hit films like “Final Destination 2,” “Ripper,” and “Out Cold.
She came back to the small screen by guest-starring in the series “Tru Calling. Cook was cast as one of the leads of “Criminal Minds. The iconic Jennifer Jareau, or “JJ,” continues to be a fan favorite for her 15-year run. Despite taking a hiatus from the show to do other projects, she continually came back to play her part. On her time during “Criminal Minds,” her character did just about everything, from having babies to helping hunt down killers from all over the United States.
She’s consistently worked for the past two decades, but now Cook has taken a step back to focus on her loving family. Now Cook has stated that she’s taking a year off from acting and just living her life for the next year. She’s posted things on her Instagram such as the newest book to read, her car travels, and pictures of her amazing family. Fans are excited to see what A. Cook will do next, even if it’s just on-the-road videos.