More than two decades after 13 Going on 30 became a rom-com staple, Jennifer Garner and Mark Ruffalo are still finding reasons to reconnect. The former co-stars recently crossed paths at the 2026 Golden Globe Awards, turning the star-studded evening into a small reunion. While fans might expect movie nostalgia, the actress revealed their conversation focused on something far more personal and relatable.
What Jennifer Garner and Mark Ruffalo Discussed at 2026 Golden Globe Awards
Jennifer Garner shared that she and Mark Ruffalo had a “good catch-up” when they ran into each other at the 83rd annual Golden Globe Awards. What they ended up talking about most wasn’t Hollywood or their iconic 2004 film. According to Garner, the topic that always seems to come up is parenthood.
“Mark and I, we’ve just known each other through so much of our careers,” she said. “But you know what we end up talking about the most every time we’re together? Our kids, parenthood, the ups and downs of having teenagers.” Garner added that Ruffalo’s life as a father has come full circle, noting that she remembers when his oldest child was just a baby during the filming of 13 Going on 30 (via People).
The moment was extra special for fans of the movie that made both actors unforgettable. Jennifer Garner played Jenna Rink, a 13-year-old who suddenly wakes up as her 30-year-old self in New York, while Mark Ruffalo played Matty, her childhood best friend with whom she gets romantically involved. With familiar faces like Judy Greer and Andy Serkis, the film has aged like a comfort classic and remains a fan favorite.
Their Golden Globes reunion happened even before the awards kicked off. Garner and Ruffalo were spotted laughing and catching up over dinner at the Beverly Hilton in Los Angeles. Ruffalo has said that 13 Going on 30 is still the movie fans bring up the most when they see him, especially around its 20th anniversary in 2024. “Probably more than every other movie, that’s the one I get people talking about when they come up to me,” Ruffalo said in a different interview.
