That Time Jennifer Garner Bit Off Part Of A Co-Star’s Ear ‘Like Mike Tyson’ While Filming

We’ve all had awkward days at work, but few can top Jennifer Garner casually biting part of a co-star’s ear during a fight scene. While promoting the 2026 TV schedule release of The Last Thing He Told Me Season 2, the actress shared one of the most unhinged on-set stories imaginable, revealing she didn’t need a refresher on her scene partner at all. The two already had a history that involved a very much “like Mike Tyson” ear loss.

While speaking at Apple TV’s press event in Santa Monica (via THR), Garner veered delightfully off-script and shared the story in front of a packed room, much to the visible disbelief of her The Last Thing He Told Me co-star Nikolaj Coster-Waldau. What started as context for an intense scene quickly escalated into a jaw-dropping anecdote. She shared:

Yes, you read that right. The Elektra star bit his ear. Not a playful nibble. Not a “movie bite.” A full-on, documented chunk was missing from a human ear because both actors were operating under a “do whatever it takes” directive.

What makes the story even wilder is that nearly two decades later, Garner and that stunt performer, Sala Baker, found themselves reunited on the popular Apple TV original series. And instead of dialing things back, the Alias veteran star made it clear that history was repeating itself. She joked that the crew was visibly nervous during one of their first days shooting together, gently suggesting everyone be careful. Her response:

Neither Garner nor Baker had any interest in pulling their punches, and she was quick to reassure the crew that the best move was simply to clear out and let it happen. Baker, she added, stuck around for the entire new season of the upcoming book-to-screen adaptation, which suggests that whatever chaos that energy creates onscreen is very much intentional.

That’s when co-star Nikolaj Coster-Waldau finally hit pause on the story to ask the question everyone was probably already thinking: Did she really bite off part of someone’s ear? The Adam Project actress didn’t miss a beat:

Coster-Waldau reportedly looked genuinely horrified, jokingly asking his fellow The Last Thing He Told Me castmate and the audience why anyone in the room seemed impressed by this information. Garner, meanwhile, leaned fully into the moment, smiling as she half-warned him not to underestimate her.

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Once you get past the shock value, though, the story actually lines up perfectly with the kind of work Garner has been doing lately. The Last Thing He Told Me operates on a strict no-half-measures philosophy, which makes her approach on set feel less unhinged and more on-brand. The mystery-thriller, available to stream with an Apple TV subscription, centers on Hannah Hall (Garner), a woman thrust into survival mode after her husband vanishes, leaving one instruction: “Protect her.” That intensity bleeds directly into her performance and explains why, when a fight scene calls for real desperation, she doesn’t play it safe. She commits.

The ear-biting anecdote is funny and absurd. But it’s also a reminder that beneath the affable talk-show energy and calm public persona is an actor who, when told to survive at all costs, will apparently do exactly that. Now, she's set to bring that same energy to the latest season of the upcoming original Apple TV show, ideally with fewer off-camera injuries this time around.