We first discovered Julia Garner on “The Americans,” the acclaimed FX series starring Keri Russell and Matthew Rhys. We loved that show and we showed it some love in our annual TV Power Rankings. Julia played Kimberly “Kimmy” Breland starting in Season 3, and her recurring role was a pivotal part of the Cold War spy drama. Garner portrayed a young, beautiful and naive teenager who becomes entangled with Philip Jennings (Rhys), a Soviet spy posing as an American. Kimmy’s loneliness and vulnerability made her a target for Philip’s manipulation, as he used their relationship to gather intelligence. Julia was fantastic in this role, and her performance was praised for its emotional depth. The dynamic between them was fascinating, as she was no match for Philip, even with Philip’s reluctance and guilt about what he needed to do for his job.
Julia’s career skyrocketed with her role as Ruth Langmore in the Netflix crime drama series Ozark (2017–2022), created by Bill Dubuque and Mark Williams. As the tough, street-smart niece of the Byrde family associates, she starred opposite Jason Bateman and Laura Linney in a story about money laundering in the Ozarks. Her portrayal of the complex, foul-mouthed anti-heroine earned universal acclaim for its raw emotional depth and earned her three Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series (2019, 2020, and 2022), as well as a Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Series, Miniseries, or Television Film (2023). Ruth was a badass and Julia was amazing as she embodied this unique character.
More Acting Roles
“Weapons” (2025)
Julia stars in this fantastic horror film:
“Weapons” is a horror film with comedic elements that is ultimately about the fallout of a seemingly inexplicable tragedy. Writer/director Zach Cregger offers explanations for the tragic mystery at the heart of his tale, but all it does is lead to greater questions and absurdity. In lesser hands, this would be an occasion for confoundingly anticlimactic moments and plot contrivances. But Cregger, with only his second feature film, masterfully uses the full gamut of human emotions and experiences to not only produce a great meditation on tragedy but also create a thoroughly satisfying and unique film that will remain with audiences for decades to come.
