Jennifer Garner reacts to Rita Wilson playing her mom

Jennifer Garner has opened up about casting detail that’s already sparking conversation ahead of The Last Thing He Told Me season 2.

Rita Wilson, 69, joins the upcoming season of the Apple TV+ series as the mother of Garner’s character, Hannah Hall, a choice that raised eyebrows given the actresses are only 16 years apart in age. Speaking at a January 15 event in Burbank, Calif., celebrating the release of Laura Dave’s new novel The First Time I Saw Him, Garner addressed the age gap with humor and perspective.

“Rita comes into the show this year as my mom,” Garner, 53, said during a Q&A with Dave. “Now, Rita is not old enough to be my mother, but in Hollywood, we play hard, loose, and fast with women’s ages.”

Her advice to viewers? “Don’t look too much into it.”

Despite the close age difference, Garner teased that the on-screen relationship carries emotional weight. “Emotionally, we have something really complicated going on,” she added, hinting at deeper layers in the storyline.

Season 1 of The Last Thing He Told Me followed Hannah and her stepdaughter Bailey (Angourie Rice) after Hannah’s husband, Owen (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau), mysteriously disappeared, leaving behind a note urging Hannah to protect Bailey.

Season 2 picks up after a time jump, with Owen resurfacing after five years on the run. 

According to the official logline, Hannah and Bailey find themselves racing to reunite their family before the past catches up to them.

In addition to Wilson, Judy Greer also joins season 2, reuniting with Garner nearly two decades after their hit 2004 rom-com 13 Going on 30. 

The longtime friends filmed parts of the season in Paris, where Garner shared photos of the duo sightseeing off-camera.

Season 2 of The Last Thing He Told Me premieres February 20 on Apple TV+.