Andrea Joy Cook

  Andrea Joy Cook, born July 22, 1978, is an Canadian actress. Her most well-known role is her character in the role of Supervisory Special Agent Jennifer "JJ" Jareau on the CBS crime drama Criminal Minds (2005-2020). Cook also appeared in The Virgin Suicides (1999), Higher Ground ((2000), Ripper(2001), Out Cold (2001), Final Destination 2 ((2003) and Tru Calling (2004). Cook was born in Oshawa, Ontario. She spent the majority of her life in close by Whitby, where she attended Anderson Collegiate Vocational Institute. There are three siblings in her family: Nathan, Paul, and Angela. Cook was declared legally blind in the second grade due to extreme astigmatism. However, she had contacts and thick glasses to help her see better. Cook underwent surgery in 2007 to correct her impairment through a lens implant. As a dancer since the age of four, Cook began taking jazz ballet, tap, and ballet classes. She was a competitive dancer for many years, before deciding at the age of 16 she wanted to take on acting. Cook also taught dance when she was younger and has said that if she hadn't become an actor, she would likely have set up some kind of dance studio. She also said that she tap dances when she is interviewed.