Meet A.J. Cook, a Canadian Actress Shining as ‘Criminal Minds’ JJ Jareau and in Films Like ‘The Virgin Suicides’ and ‘Final Destination 2’

A.J. Cook, whose full name is Andrea Joy Cook, was born on July 22, 1978, in Oshawa, Ontario, Canada. She spent most of her early life in nearby Whitby.

Cook was declared legally blind in the second grade due to severe astigmatism, but she was able to correct her vision with glasses and contacts. From a young age, she took ballet, tap, and jazz dance classes.

Cook has three siblings – two brothers named Nathan and Paul, and a sister named Angela.

Her father, Mike, is a teacher, and her mother, Sandra, works for a psychiatrist. A.J. Cook attended Anderson Collegiate Vocational Institute and also took acting classes at Utah Valley State College, formerly known as Utah Valley University, where she met her future husband.

Cook began her acting career in 1997 with a role in a McDonald’s commercial, and her first major role was in the 1999 TV movie “The Virgin Suicides”.

She gained popularity in 2000 for her role in the TV series “Higher Ground”.

Cook is best known for her role as Supervisory Special Agent Jennifer “JJ” Jareau in the CBS crime drama “Criminal Minds”, which she has played since 2005. The show is currently in its 13th season.

A.J. Cook married her husband, Nathan Andersen, in 2001. They have two sons together – Mekhai Allan, born in 2008, and Phoenix Sky, born in 2015.

The family splits their time between Los Angeles and Vancouver. Cook is a Christian and a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

As of 2024, A.J. Cook is 45 years old and stands at 5 ft 6 in (1.69 m) tall.

Her weight and Instagram handle are not known. A.J. Cook’s net worth is estimated to be around $5 million as of 2024, with an approximate annual salary of $100,000.