Jennifer Garner Accepts Award While Eating Pizza and Comparing Her Work Day to Ben Affleck's

Jennifer Garner with her favorite pizza at Elle's Women in Hollywood Celebration in Beverly Hills, California. (Jeff Vespa/Getty Images)
Jennifer Garner with her favorite pizza at Elle's Women in Hollywood Celebration in Beverly Hills, California. (Jeff Vespa/Getty Images)

We all picture Jennifer Garner as an actress, wife, mother, activist… but pizza connoisseur? Who knew?!

Garner was honored at Elle’s Women in Hollywood Celebration in Beverly Hills on Monday night, and her Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day co-star, Steve Carell, emphasized that last characteristic. The actor introduced the 42-year-old beauty and set a high bar for the evening's speeches.

"Some people meet expectations, others exceed them," Carell, 52, said. "Some people are nicer, and better, and kinder, and smarter, and funnier, and more awesome than you could ever imagine, and such was my experience with Jen. In Boston, where I'm from, Jen Garner would be referred to as 'a hot s--t.' She's actually — she's much more than that. She's a wicked hot s--t. And just an FYI, Jen Garner really, really loves pizza."

Steve then brought out his (and apparently Jen's) favorite pizza from Barone's in the Valley for guests to enjoy while highlights from her career — some a bit scantily clad — played on screen.

Jennifer Garner nibbling on her pizza (Getty Images)
Jennifer Garner nibbling on her pizza (Getty Images)

"I wasn't eating pizza when I was dressed in lingerie was I? No, things have gotten better for me. Better to play moms, honey," Garner said, slice in her hand, as she addressed the star-studded audience. "Smooth your way into the mom zone. Mr. Carell, thank you for that lovely, edible introduction… and thank you for getting and maintaining an erection during our love scene in Alexander — a girl likes to know she's still got it, you know? Even if she's in Spanx," she added, no doubt referencing her little wardrobe malfunction at their movie's premiere.

[Related: Jennifer Lawrence Battles the Teleprompter While Honoring Elizabeth Banks]

At that, Steve half-jokingly stood up and walked out of the room. "Please don't leave! There is no one at my table!" Jen yelled. "You know you have too much going on when you forget to invite your girlfriends, when you say 'No, no I invited some mom friends, they would love to come,' then I clearly forgot. So if anyone — if your tables are too crowded — join us. We have lots of pizza!"

Jennifer Garner and Steve Carell at Elle's Women in Hollywood Celebration in Beverly Hills, California (Michael Buckner/Getty Images)
Jennifer Garner and Steve Carell at Elle's Women in Hollywood Celebration in Beverly Hills, California (Michael Buckner/Getty Images)

Jen then cut straight to the somewhat serious point after thanking Elle and her fellow nominees, a group that included Elizabeth Banks, Annette Bening, Tina Fey, Jessica Lange, Brie Larson, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, and Zoe Saldana.

"As lovely as this evening is — and it is, it's really nice — I look forward to this whole thing just being put out of business, because the fact that there needs to be a women in Hollywood event is a little bit sad," she began. "I mean, the 'men in Hollywood' event is everyday. It's called Hollywood. Fifty-one percent of the population should not have to schedule a special event to celebrate the fact that in an art that tells the story of what it means to be human and alive, we get to play a part!"

That point hits close to home… literally. Jen set the scene for what it was like returning from her press day for Alexander when husband Ben Affleck came home after promoting Gone Girl.

"For example, my husband and I do kind of the same job. A little bit. Not long ago we both had one of those magical days, we call it a junket, where we both attended these lovely events where people come in every four minutes, they ask the same questions over and over again — you know the drill. We got home at night and compared notes," she continued. "I told him, 'Every single person who interviewed me, and I mean every single one — and this is true of the red carpet here tonight Elle — asked me, 'How do you balance work and family?' And, he said the only thing anyone asked him repeatedly was about the tits on the "Blurred Lines" girl — which, just for the record, if we're talking about them, they are real and they are fabulous, so everyone should take a look and enjoy — but as for a work-life balance, he said that no one asked him about it that day, as a matter of fact, no one had ever asked him about it. Not once. And we do share the same family.

"Isn't it kind of time to change that conversation?" Garner asked to a cheering audience. "For the record, he is not on diaper duty tonight. No, he's at work, it's okay."

Garner concluded her speech by thanking the women before her for their strength and inspiration, and cheekily concluded by asking Elle to lead the way on a few simple things: "Can we just stop pretending that skinny jeans are a good look on anyone? Can we just band together and go for a boot cut, please? Ladies? And crop tops while we're at."

Judging from the room, she’s got a lot of support with those requests as well.