Jennifer Garner Says She Was in 'Mourning' After Losing 'West Wing' Role: 'I Wanted It So Badly'

Jennifer Garner is a HUGE star, but that doesn't mean everything has always worked out for her.

In a recent interview for Emma Grede's "Aspire" podcast, the 13 Going on 30 actress recalled losing out on a role that she had set her hopes really high for — and shared how it only helped her later on.

"You have to shake it off," Garner told Grede about dealing with things that don't go your way. "I always think back to this audition for West Wing. It was for a new role."

She recalled, "God, I wanted it so badly. I went down and I tested for it, and when I didn’t get it, I had to go to the desert — my first time in Palm Springs by myself — and just sit there for a couple of days."

The show, created by Aaron Sorkin, ran between 2001 and 2006 and ended up starring Martin Sheen, Bradley Whitford, Allison Janney and Rob Lowe, among others.

But Garner didn't have to wait long for her "mourning" process to turn into her big break.

"And then like two weeks later, Alias came to me," she told the Good American co-founder. "Like, what is it? God’s rejection is divine, divine … protection? Rejection is God’s protection. … I’m all for that. Let's believe that. Let's go with that."

Alias became the springboard for the actress' career, as she played the lead role between 2001 and 2006.

The star has had plenty of things not go right in her career — whether roles or business ventures — so she's learned to be philosophical.

"I'm an actor, and so, do you know how many auditions or meetings I've gone on that I have gotten down to here, to here, and not gotten?" she said. "And then you do get one and you take it and it's like this big thing and you think, 'Oh great, this is going to be amazing!' You get it and you sell it with everything you have and it just lies there on the floor, and you just think 'Ah! I loved you! I thought you were great!'"

Thanks to things not panning out, Garner said, "I'm built with a good bounce. I've got a good bounce back."

During the same conversation, the Five-Star Weekend actress shared that she hadn't really worried about her finances until she and Ben Affleck separated — because she hadn't worked as much while raising their three children.

"I panicked when I was first out of my marriage and realized I had taken such a step back in my work," she said.

"Suddenly, I realized, I don't know how long I'll be able to work. This isn't a career that's like, 'Hey, you're 60, you're 55, you're 43, come on! Let's pay you more than you've ever made.' You know what I mean? That's not been traditionally the role. I was suddenly like, 'Wait a minute, I have to take care of myself, I have to take care of these kids. So what is it going to be?'"

Thankfully, her career has been doing just fine!