Julia Garner

Julia Garner (born February 1, 1994) is an American actress. She gained recognition for playing Ruth Langmore in the Netflix crime drama series Ozark (2017–2022), for which she received critical acclaim and won three Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series and a Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress.

Garner also had roles in the FX drama series The Americans (2015–2018), the Netflix miniseries Maniac (2018), and the Bravo true crime series Dirty John (2018–2019). In 2022, she portrayed Anna Sorokin in the Netflix miniseries Inventing Anna, for which she received nominations for a Primetime Emmy Award and a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress.

In film, Garner has appeared in Martha Marcy May Marlene (2011), The Perks of Being a Wallflower (2012), Sin City: A Dame to Kill For (2014), and The Fantastic Four: First Steps (2025). She also had lead roles in the films Grandma (2015), The Assistant (2019), The Royal Hotel (2023), Wolf Man (2025), and Weapons (2025).

Early life and education Julia Garner was born on February 1, 1994 in the Riverdale neighborhood of the Bronx, New York. Her mother, Tamar Gingold, is a therapist who worked as an actress and comedian in Israel. Her father, Thomas Garner, is a painter and an art teacher originally from Shaker Heights, Ohio. Garner is Jewish, as her mother is. Her older sister is artist Anna Garner. She understands Hebrew because her mother speaks it, but is not fluent herself.

Garner attended Eagle Hill School in Greenwich, Connecticut. She began taking acting lessons at age 15 to overcome her shyness. During the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike, Garner studied clown under Philippe Gaulier at École Philippe Gaulier in France.

Career

2011–2018: Early roles and breakthrough Garner made her film debut at age 17 in Sean Durkin's Martha Marcy May Marlene, playing the role of Sarah.

In 2012, director David Chase invited her to play a small role he had written specifically for her in his film Not Fade Away. This marked the first time she acted against a green screen. She continued the role through season six. She was to have made her off-Broadway debut in Noah Haidle's play Smokefall at MCC Theater in 2016, but had to drop out during rehearsals because of scheduling conflicts.

Beginning in 2017, Garner starred as Ruth Langmore in the Netflix crime drama series Ozark, opposite Jason Bateman and Laura Linney. The role gained her critical acclaim and three Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series.

In 2018, Garner appeared in the Paramount Network miniseries Waco as Michelle, the sister of Melissa Benoist's character; and in the Netflix miniseries Maniac as Ellie, the sister of Emma Stone's character. Garner also made regular appearances in the Bravo true crime anthology series Dirty John (2018–19). She starred as Terra Newell, the daughter of Connie Britton's character.

2019–present: Crime films and horror roles

In 2019, Garner appeared in the Amazon anthology series, Modern Love. She was featured in two episodes of its first season as a woman who has a crush on a much older man, played by Shea Whigham. In the same year, she starred in the independent drama film The Assistant as a production assistant in a toxic work environment. The film which was directed by Kitty Green, addressed the current culture surrounding the MeToo movement. The film premiered at the 2019 Telluride Film Festival to critical acclaim. Garner received acclaim for her performance as well as an Independent Spirit Award nomination.

Garner also co-stars in the Netflix miniseries Inventing Anna, playing the title role of fraudster Anna Delvey. The series was created and produced by Shonda Rhimes, based on the New York article "How Anna Delvey Tricked New York's Party People" written by Jessica Pressler. It was released on Netflix on February 11, 2022.

In 2022, Garner was cast in thriller film Apartment 7A which serves as a prequel to 1968's Rosemary's Baby, directed by Natalie Erika James. Her company Alma Margo also signed a first look deal with Tomorrow Studios. In June of the same year, Garner was chosen by Madonna to play her in her self-produced biopic Who's That Girl; the project was put on hold while the singer was touring, and work on it had reportedly restarted in 2024.

In 2023, she starred in The Royal Hotel directed by Kitty Green.

In April 2024, Garner was cast as Shalla-Bal / Silver Surfer in the Marvel Cinematic Universe film, The Fantastic Four: First Steps. That same year, she was cast in Leigh Whannell's Wolf Man, along with Zach Cregger's horror film, Weapons. All three films premiered in 2025.

Personal life Garner married singer Mark Foster, lead vocalist of Foster the People, in a December 2019 ceremony at New York City Hall, eight months after they got engaged. In July 2026, it was announced they had separated.

Following the October 7 attacks in 2023, Garner signed an open letter published by Creative Community for Peace praising President Joe Biden for "unshakable moral conviction, leadership, and support for the Jewish people", as well as calling for the release of all hostages kidnapped during the attacks.

Filmography

Film

Television

Music videos Year Title Artist(s) 2026 "Bring Your Love" Madonna and Sabrina Carpenter

Awards and nominations AwardYearCategoryNominated workResultRef. Astra Film Awards 2026 Best Actress - Drama Weapons Astra TV Awards 2022 Best Supporting Actress in a Streaming Series, Drama Ozark Boston Society of Film Critics 2020 Best Actress The Assistant Critics' Choice Super Awards 2026 Best Actress in a Superhero Movie The Fantastic Four: First Steps Critics' Choice Television Awards 2018 Best Supporting Actress in a Movie/Miniseries Dirty John Best Supporting Actress in a Drama Series Ozark 2020 2022 Best Actress in a Movie/Miniseries Inventing Anna Golden Globe Awards 2020 Best Supporting Actress – Television Ozark 2022 Best Actress – Miniseries or Television Film Inventing Anna Independent Spirit Awards 2020 Best Female Lead The Assistant Primetime Emmy Awards 2019 Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series Ozark (episode: "The Gold Coast!") 2020 Ozark (episode: "In Case of Emergency") 2022 Ozark (episode: "Sanctified") Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or MovieInventing Anna Saturn Awards 2026Best Actress in a FilmWeapons Screen Actors Guild Awards 2018 Outstanding Ensemble in a Drama Series Ozark (season 2) Outstanding Female Actor in a Drama Series 2020 Outstanding Ensemble in a Drama Series Ozark (season 3) Outstanding Female Actor in a Drama Series 2022 Outstanding Ensemble in a Drama Series Ozark (season 4) Outstanding Female Actor in a Drama Series Outstanding Female Actor in a Miniseries Series or Television Movie Inventing Anna