Jennifer Garner turned 50 on April 17, but the celebrations began a few days earlier when she received a surprise from her childhood celebrity crush, Donny Osmond.
On Instagram, the actress posted a video of the event. In the video, she is seen sitting in a restaurant, stunned, as she watches a personalized video message from Osmond, 64, who is singing her a birthday song.
She had no idea that she would be confronted with her idol a few seconds later.
Before Garner could thank the person who made the virtual greeting possible, the pop icon snuck up behind her and sang, “Jennifer! It’s your special day! ”
Garner stood up from her seat, blushing and fighting back tears, and hugged Osmond, who had brought a birthday cake with the words “13 Going On 50! I adore Donny! ”
“My first (pre)birthday surprise was a doozy— the one and only, legend in his own right, object of my childhood adoration and devotion— @donnyosmond showed up to knock my purple socks off,” the “Alias” star wrote in the video caption.
The crooner took a seat beside Garner and joined her in an impromptu performance of some of his previous hits, including “Make the World Go Away.”
Garner is grateful to Osmond for making her pre-birthday extra special.
“He took an hour and a half out of his day to sit with me, sing my favorite songs, and teach me how to be a class act,” Garner wrote. “Thank you very much, Donny.”
She also praised Osmond’s former onstage partner and sister, Marie, as well as his wife, Debbie.
Osmond shared Garner’s video on his Instagram page, along with a message that included an invitation.
“Surprising fans is one of my favorite things to do, so I was overjoyed when I had the opportunity to surprise the lovely @jennifer.garner for her 50th birthday,” the singer wrote. “Thank you for inviting me to join you in your celebration!” Come see me at @harrahsvegas the next time you’re in Vegas so you can be my special guest on stage.”
The comments on Garner’s post were flooded with birthday greetings from fans and industry colleagues.
“I seriously think this is the best surprise that could ever be! The joy!!!” Rita Wilson said.
“This is unreal,” wrote Gwyneth Paltrow.
If you follow Garner on Instagram, you’d know that her feed is a breath of fresh air. From her hilarious pretend cooking shows to her sharing suggestions of how people can give back to the community, it’s clear that Garner is the kind person you’d want to be friends with.
The cute interaction between Osmand and Garner shows that even famous actresses are just like us regular people, who grew up crushing on certain celebrities.
The “Donny & Marie” show was a staple throughout America during the late 1970s. Back then, Osmond was a famous teen heartthrob who had throngs of adoring female fans around the world, including, apparently, Garner.
Garner enjoyed a rather normal childhood in West Virginia. She is a middle child of working parents who took the family to church on Sundays. She also attended ballet class, and when she decided to become an actress, she had to work as a waitress to get by.
Happy birthday, Jennifer Garner! We’re so glad to see you celebrate your 50th with so much happiness. Indeed, this was a childhood dream fulfilled.
See how the surprise played out in the video below.
