Andrea Joy Cook, known as A.J. Cook, is one of the finest Canadian actresses who shot to prominence after landing the role of Special Agent Jennifer (J.J.) Jareau on the television series Criminal Minds alongside Thomas Gibson, Adam Rodriguez, Cody Saintgnue, among others. The gorgeous actress has been a part of numerous acclaimed projects such as Tru Calling, Ripper, Final Destination 2, and so on.

Early Life: Age And Parents

Andrea Joy Cook was born in Oshawa, Canada, on July 22, 1978. She spent most of her life raising in Whitby, where she attended Anderson Collegiate Vocational Institute. Cook’s mother, Sandra, is a psychiatrist while her father, Mike, serves as a teacher. Additionally, the budding actress has three siblings Angela, Paul, and Nathan.

The 43-years-old actress was publicized legally blind in the second grade due to intense astigmatism. However, she wore contacts and thick glasses to rectify her vision. And in 2007, Cook underwent surgery during which a lens implant fixed the impairment.

Furthermore, she was interested in dancing initially and used to dance at the age of four. The actress started taking jazz, tap and ballet classes and used to teach dance. Competitively, Cook danced for many years until the age of 16, when she got her eyes into acting.

Short Career Overview

Before getting involved in the showbiz industry, A.J. first worked in a McDonald’s commercial in 1997. And she got her first acting role in 1997 when she appeared in a tv movie In His Father’s Shoes, in which she played a character anointed Lisa. Likewise, her film debut came by playing the role of an extra in the Sci-fi film Laserhawk.

Cook also starred in the T.V. series Higher Ground as Shelby Merrick in 2000. Merrick is a teenage girl haggling with abuse at a school for toiling children in the respective project. She made her guest appearance in Dead Like Me in 2003. Moreover, Higher Ground alum started playing in the CBS drama Criminal Minds as ‘J.J.’ Jennifer Jareau in 2005, which helped her gain fame in the industry.

Apart from that, Cook made her portrayal in Bringing Ashley Home, which helped her become a nominee for the Prism Award in 2012 for Performance in a T.V. Movie or Miniseries. Further, she has also appeared in several Hollywood films, including The Virgin Suicides, Out Cold, and Final Destination 2.

In 2013, Cook became a spokeswoman for skin-care product brand Proactiv. She also appeared in the January/February 2014 issue of Maxim magazine. On April 3, 2016, the Criminal Minds cast was the Grand Marshal for the STP 500 at Martinsville Speedway in Martinsville, Virginia. Being present in the film industry since 1997, she has not starred in more than 30 films and television series.

How Much Is Her Net Worth In 2021?

Cook has been professionally engaged in the film industry since the year 1997, which managed her whopping fortune simply from starring in a dozen films and movies. As per a report, Cook’s estimated net worth is around $5 million. And the average pay for an actress in Canada is $99,153 a year. So, Cook might have income in the same range.

No doubt, Cook makes money from doing advertisements. As per the Influencer Marketing Hub, Cook gains around $2,543.25 – $4,238.75 from a post on Instagram. Apart from that, her major gains come from her outstanding work in films and movies.

The actress resides in Los Angeles, California, where the median house price is $918,443.

She has worked in numerous big-budget movies that have helped her receive good fortune.

MoviesRoleEst. BudgetBox Office
Criminal MindsJennifer Jareau$3.5 million per ep$952,209
Least Among SaintsLeast Among Saints$1.5 million$28,062
Final Destination 2Kimberly Corman$26 million$90.4 million

Who Is A.J. Cook’s Husband? Children Details

A.J. Cook is hitched to her long-time boyfriend, Nathan Andersen. Thier relationship began when they were both university students. First, they met each other in a film class at Utah Valley University, and Cook later moved to Salt Lake City, Utah, to stay with him. On August 3, 2001, the couple got married. Together, they raise two children, Mekhai Allan Andersen and Phoenix Sky Andersen.

Cook’s husband and two kids
Source: Instagram @ajcook

Furthermore, Mekhai played the character of Henry LaMontagne throughout the Criminal Minds series, and Phoenix also starred in the respective series as J.J.’s second son, Michael. The happy family of four lives in Los Angeles, California. Additionally, Cook’s spouse, Nathan, is an American entrepreneur and fashion designer.