- Born
- Birth nameAndrea Joy Cook
- Nickname
- Dre
- Height5′ 7″ (1.70 m)
- Canadian born actress/director, AJ is best known for her role as "Special Agent Jennifer 'JJ' Jareau" in the CBS long running series CRIMINAL MINDS. She can currently be seen reprising her role on CRIMINAL MINDS: EVOLUTION for Paramount+, which will be going into a second season later this year. AJ has also directed an episode of CRIMINAL MINDS: EVOLUTION this season and did so in season 14 of CRIMINAL MINDS, as well. AJ's film credits include THE VIRGIN SUICIDES, OUT COLD, BACK FORK and FINAL DESTINATION 2.
After 15 years playing Special Agent Jennifer "JJ" Jareau on CBS' Criminal Minds, AJ Cook turned her eye toward directing and successfully directed an episode of the series in Season 14. Most recently, she directed episode 1608 for CRIMINAL MINDS: EVOLUTION, now on Paramount+.- IMDb mini biography by: Burstein Company
- SpouseNathan Andersen(August 3, 2001 - present) (2 children)
- Children
- ParentsMichael CookSandra Cook
- RelativesNathan Cook(Sibling)Paul Cook(Sibling)Angela Cook(Sibling)
- At a young age she suffered from extreme astigmatism (which caused her to have been declared "legally blind"). She ultimately obtained an eye-implant called "Visian ICL", which drastically improved her vision.
- Her TV sons on Criminal Minds (2005) (Henry LaMontagne and Michael LaMontagne) are played by her real life sons Mekhai Andersen and Phoenix Andersen.
- Her first acting job was in a McDonald's commercial in 1997.
- Before she got into acting, she was a competitive dancer and taught dance back home in Oshawa.
- Gave birth to her first child at age 30, son Mekhai Andersen, on September 13, 2008. He weighed 7 lbs, 10 oz and was 20 inches long. Child's father is her husband, Nathan Andersen.
- I am just your everyday, average girl. I live by the beach. I wear flip flops. I don't wear make-up. I go to the gym. My husband and I are just really laid-back people.
- [about her fans] I have some amazing fans! They're just so dedicated and so nice and so sweet. I'm like no one and I'm just starting out and these people appreciate your work and it's nice to hear that.
- [on her role in Final Destination 2 (2003)] It's challenging in the way that it's a lot of work, I'm very busy. It's challenging in a way that it's a sequel and I feel I got big shoes to fill. I wasn't at all affiliated with the first one and it was very successful and I'm just kind of afraid that people will get to the theatre and say, "Who's this girl? She wasn't in the first one!" So that pressure is there and in that sense . . . it has been difficult.
- I want to live life and be happy and not worry about what anyone thinks. I want to try to be the best I can be and leave the world better off than when I entered it.
- Criminal Minds (2005) - $100,000 per episode (2013-2014)
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