Julia Garner's Best Movie and TV Roles, From "Inventing Anna" to "Ozark"

Updated on Oct 4, 2023 at 6:50 PM

With her springy blond Shirley Temple-like curls, Julia Garner may be one of the most recognizable celebrities in Hollywood — but her talent, of course, is even more recognizable than her fabulous hair. The 29-year-old actor rose to widespread prominence thanks to her starring role as Ruth Langmore in the Netflix crime drama "Ozark," which netted her an Emmy for which outstanding supporting actress in a drama series in 2020 and another for in the same category in 2022. That same year, she took on perhaps her biggest role yet as the shape-shifting scammer Anna Delvey in Netflix's "Inventing Anna," which tells the true story of how Delvey conned a host of wealthy New York socialites. That performance also netted her an Emmy nomination for lead actress in a limited anthology series.

If "Ozark" and "Inventing Anna" are the only place you've seen this talented actor, though, you have some catching up to do. Garner has shown off her acting chops in the disconcerting drama "The Assistant," appeared alongside Emma Stone in "Maniac," and many more. Up next, you can catch her in "The Royal Hotel" playing a young female traveler who takes a job at a sketchy hotel. She was also cast as Madonna in a hotly anticipated biopic, though the project was scrapped in January — though in March, Garner expressed hopes that it might not be permanently shut down, per Entertainment Tonight.

Regardless, there are still plenty of amazing movies where you can see Garner, who undeniably has a fabulous career ahead of her. Here are all the movies and TV shows where you can spot the star.

Rachel McKnight in "Electrick Children" (2012)

Garner's first lead role was in this 2012 indie film, where she plays Rachel, a 15-year-old girl from a fundamentalist Mormon community in Utah who — after learning that she is expecting — believes she became pregnant by listening to a song on a cassette tape.

Rose Parker in "We Are What We Are" (2013)

In this 2013 horror flick, Garner plays Rose, a young woman whose mother dies unexpectedly and under curious circumstances, and whose father seems to be slowly unraveling following her death.

Gwen in "The Last Exorcism Part II" (2013)

This 2013 supernatural drama is a sequel to 2010's "The Last Exorcism," and Garner plays the friend of Nell (a role reprised from the last film by Ashley Bell) who, along with her other friends, stands witness to the demonic inner forces that take over her friend.

Sage in "Grandma" (2015)

Garner stars alongside Lily Tomlin in this dramedy as Sage, a teen who goes to her lesbian, widowed, poet grandmother to ask for money to pay for an abortion, and her grandmother helps her raise the money through a crowdfunding effort.

Kimberly Breland in "The Americans" (2015–2018)

Garner joined the cast of the FX period spy thriller series in its third season as Kimberly, or "Kimmy," the daughter of the head of the CIA's Afghan group who has some major daddy issues.

Tinsley in "Good Kids" (2016)

In this 2016 comedy, Garner plays Tinsley, a young woman who befriends (and eventually becomes romantically involved with) an MMA instructor who goes by "The Lion" and who's on a mission to have a wild Summer before his first year of college.

Jamalee Merridew in "Tomato Red: Blood Money" (2017)

This film tells the story of a drifter who winds up meeting a red-headed girl (Garner) and her brother. Together, the trio try to improve their lives, but they're soon wrapped up into criminal activity.

Catherine in "100 Percent More Humidity" (2017)

This 2017 drama costars Garner and Juno Temple as Catherine and Iris, college-age childhood friends who spend a summer coping with the death of a mutual friend, who died in a car accident that almost claimed both their lives as well.

Ruth Langmore in "Ozark" (2017-2022)

Garner is perhaps best known for playing Ruth in "Ozark," a young woman from a crime-ridden family who unexpectedly partners with a financial adviser from Chicago (played by Jason Bateman), who is forced into money laundering in the Missouri Ozarks.

Michelle Jones in "Waco" (2018)

Garner took on another intense role in this miniseries, which tells the story of the tragedy that ensued when the US government invaded a cult in Waco, Texas, in 1993 and eventually killed nearly 80 people. She plays Michelle Jones, a survivor of the massacre.

Ellie Landsberg in "Maniac" (2018)

In this Netflix psychological miniseries, Garner plays Ellie, whose death in a car accident haunts her sister Annie (played by Emma Stone), as she feels largely responsible for it.

Terra Newell in "Dirty John" (2018)

In the series "Dirty John," Garner plays Terra Newell, a girl who teams up with her sister (played by Juno Temple) to get to the bottom of her mom's (Connie Britton) new relationship with a mysteriously questionable man.

Jane in "The Assistant" (2019)

Garner scored rave reviews as the star of the tense 2019 drama "The Assistant," a "day in the life" story inspired by the Harvey Weinstein scandal.

Anna Delvey in "Inventing Anna" (2022)

Garner plays socialite Anna Delvey in this Netflix series, which tells the true story of how Delvey scammed wealthy New Yorkers into believing she herself was an heiress overflowing with cash.

Hanna in "The Royal Hotel" (2023)

Also based on a true story, "The Royal Hotel" follows Garner's character Hanna, a young backpacker who takes a job at a hotel — and gets a lot more than she bargained for. The movie premiers on Oct. 6.