Movies

Andrea Joy Cook (born July 22, 1978) is a Canadian actress. She is best known for her role as Supervisory Special Agent Jennifer "JJ" Jareau on the CBS crime drama Criminal Minds (2005–2020, 2022–). Cook has also appeared in The Virgin Suicides (1999), Higher Ground (2000), Ripper (2001), Out Cold (2001), Final Destination 2 (2003), and Tru Calling (2003–2004).

Early life
Cook was born in Oshawa, Ontario. She spent most of her early life in nearby Whitby, where she attended Anderson Collegiate Vocational Institute. She has three siblings: Nathan, Paul, and Angela.

Cook was declared legally blind in the second grade because of severe astigmatism, but wore contacts and thick "Coke bottle" glasses to correct her vision. Talking about her childhood, Cook recalled how other kids were "cruel" and that she "really couldn't see" and "everything looked like a smear of color with no shapes". She also said that at the time of her diagnosis, she was not doing well in school. At first, people thought she had a learning disability because she could not read. In reality, she could not see the board, which affected her ability to recognize letters and know the sounds they made. In 2007, a surgical lens implant corrected the impairment.

A dancer from age four, Cook began taking jazz, tap and ballet lessons. She said that dance kept her engaged growing up as she did not have to recite or read anything. She danced competitively for many years, before deciding at the age of 16 that she wanted to try acting. Cook also taught dance when she was younger and has stated that if she hadn't become an actress, she would most likely have set up a small dance studio somewhere. In an interview, she said that she still tap dances.