Star garners energy for ‘Elektra’ premiere

Kirk Baird

Monday, Jan. 10, 2005 | 8:16 a.m.

Jennifer Garner might play tough characters in TV's "Alias" and in her new film, "Elektra," but the actress proved she's pretty tough herself.

Ever since the announcement early last week that Garner was ill with a viral infection (and amid unverified reports that she might be pregnant), there was a growing concern about her attending the world premiere of "Elektra" on Saturday night at Brenden Theatres Las Vegas 14 at the Palms.

Rumors that the film's studio, 20th Century Fox, was shelving the entire event made the rounds as well.

But at 7:15 p.m. the Golden Globe nominee proved the doubters wrong, as she gamely made the red carpet run in front of a throng of eager fans, paparazzi and national media.

Tall, slight and resplendent in a fashionably snug black dress, Garner certainly looked healthy, with her hair neatly pulled back -- all the better to show off diamond earrings larger than her pupils -- wearing a matching jeweled bracelet and necklace.

She even pushed a giant red button to ignite pyrotechnics on a large "Elektra" sign as part of the festivities for "Palms Elektra Day," as decreed by both the city of Las Vegas and Clark County.

"I hope you guys like (the movie)," she told the crowd. "Thanks so much for coming out."

While Garner made the event, her well-publicized new boyfriend, Ben Affleck, was nowhere to be found, much to the dissatisfaction of the media, one of whom casually strolled by with "Ben N Jen" plainly visible in her reporter's pad.

But the absence of Affleck seemed to be the only disappointment from Garner, whose movie opens nationwide Friday.

The actress smiled wide for cameras, chatted with interviewers from "Extra" and "Inside Edition" and made a point of signing autographs for fans.

Garner, though, wasn't the only star from the film to walk the red carpet.

"Elektra" cast members Kirsten Prout, Natassia Malthe, Bob Sapp and Goran Visnjic were all in attendance. Michael Clarke Duncan, who starred with Garner in the film "Daredevil," in which her character, Elektra, first appeared, was also at the premiere, as was Dean Cain, best known as TV's Superman on "Lois and Clark."

But it was clear who everyone came to see the moment Garner stepped out of a limousine: hundreds of fans erupted and the sky was lit up by camera flashes.

For 12-year-old Luis Torres, the opportunity to see Garner up close was even worth the effort to sneak past security into the fenced media area.

Craning his neck to get a glimpse of the actress through cracks in the wall of paparazzi, Torres was delighted with what he saw.

"I think she's beautiful," he said. "I wanted her to grab my hand, but she never came to me."