Jennifer Garner had undeniable reasons for joining “Party Down” in its long-awaited return.
“This is a group of legends,” Garner told ET at the Los Angeles premiere on Wednesday. “There’s no one funnier. There’s no writing that is better, more sparkly, more naughty, more fun. I could not jump in it fast enough, honestly. I was so, so excited to be invited.”
While “Party Down” originally aired to dismal ratings on the Starz network and was canceled in 2010 after only two seasons, the beloved show became a streaming-era phenomenon after briefly appearing on Netflix and then being streamed on Hulu.
Fans have been clamoring for a third season, only for Starz to announce in March 2021 that six news episodes were on the way. Garner, who starred on the small screen before, was more than gung-ho to join — despite a certain challenge.
The “Alias” actor was daunted by one particular episode in which her character swallows magic mushrooms, an age-old psychoactive formally known as psilocybin. The mother of three said most of her trips in life have been to locations — rather than altered states of mind.
“I haven’t seen the episode,” Garner told ET. “It was terrifying — any time I have to play inebriated, or any altering anything — to me. I don’t have a lot of experience. But Ken Marino really held my hand, and he was an amazing director.”
Marino stars in “Party Down” as catering service leader Ron Donald, who routinely falters in his futile attempts at perfection — leading to hilarious results. He also took the helm as director for an episode in the new season.
“He really made me feel as good as one can feel when they are standing on their head,” Garner told ET.
Her co-star Jane Lynch said Garner was “really, really happy to be a part of it” and “probably saw the show and wanted to be in a comedy ensemble.” She noted fellow newcomer James Marsden likely had the same experience and was “so game” to do it.
“When I said she’s game, she was game for anything, and you have to be,” Lynch told ET. “So, she didn’t hold back and do the star thing like, ‘Oh, I don’t do those things.’ She was like, ‘Yeah, bring it.’”
The “Party Down” revival premieres at 10 p.m. ET Friday on Starz.