Jennifer Garner shares how her mother's upbringing in poverty impacted her
"My mom grew up really poor in Locust Grover, Oklahoma, on a farm."
Jennifer Garner may be one of the most down-to-earth actresses in Hollywood, but fans might not realize that the reason why the 48-year-old Golden Globe winner is so grounded is because of her mother.
Garner, during her recent appearance on "Tell Me More With Kelly Corrigan ," explained how her mother, Patricia Ann Garner, shaped and molded her values.
"My mom grew up really poor in Locust Grover, Oklahoma, on a farm. I think my mom was so poor, it's just unbelievable that she managed to leave," the "13 Going on 30" actress explained. "When I moved to New York after college, my mom said, 'Jennifer, no matter what you do, it will never be as big of a deal as it was for me to leave that farm.'"
The actress added that her mother is very proud of her background, telling Corrigan, "She said, 'I'm never ashamed of growing up poor. Rather, I am amazed by the grace and dignity that my parents had throughout my childhood.'"
Garner revealed that her mother saved up all the money she made while babysitting for a family that lived down the street, earning a dollar a day, and developed an passion for traveling after flipping through their collection of Life magazines -- where she singled out all the interesting places she wanted to visit.
The "Alias" alum explained that her mother left the farm after securing a job as a Girl Scout counselor and boarded a bus to Maine.
Her mother then obtained her graduate degree after starting a family and began teaching remedial reading at West Virginia State.
"Now she has been to 50 states and to seven continents," Garner smiled, glad she was able to help her mother achieve her traveling dreams.
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