- JoAnna Garcia Swisher is part of the cast of Sweet Magnolias, playing Maddie Townsend.
- Since her years on Are You Afraid of the Dark as a teenager, Garcia Swisher has appeared in movies like American Pie 2, and TV shows like Reba and Freaks and Geeks.
- She and her husband, retired pro baseball player Nick Swisher, have two children.
Sweet Magnolias, a new Netflix series based on the novels of Sherryl Woods, is sweeping audiences away—including its star, JoAnna Garcia Swisher. "It's got all the things I want to watch. It's got it all. Romance, handsome men, and beautiful female characters," Garcia Swisher told ET Online. "It's a story about friendship."
Garcia Swisher, 40, charms as Maddie Townsend, a newly divorced woman looking to start over—after her ex-husband (Chris Klein) leaves her for his pregnant mistress (Jamie Lynn Spears) in the small town of Serenity, South Carolina. She and her two best friends, Dana Sue (Brooke Elliott), and Helen (Heather Headley), navigate life's curveballs and delights together.
Speaking of one curveball: Garcia Swisher has been left just as stunned by the finale's cliff-hangers as audiences were. In the finale scene, Maddie learns that her son was in a car accident. Garcia Swisher called the plot twist a "big pill to swallow," while speaking to UPI.
Now, Garcia Swisher is desperate to learn season 2's revelations—should the series be renewed. Per an interview with Southern Living, she even called Sherryl Woods, the author of the Sweet Magnolias book series, for spoilers: “I've been trying to get answers. I called Sherryl and told her, ‘You better not put two of my kids in that car!’"
Fans of Sweet Magnolias have been comparing Garcia Swisher to Amy Adams, another red-headed actress—but Garcia Swisher's performance stands on its own. The wife of retired baseball player, Nick Swisher, has been destined for stardom ever since she played a cheerleader in Freaks and Geeks, and then went on to appear in Reba and Once Upon a Time.
Chances are, you've seen JoAnna Garcia Swisher in a movie or TV show before. Read on to find out more about the woman who brought Maddie Townsend to life.
Thanks to her parents, she speaks Spanish fluently.
JoAnna Garcia Swisher was born in Tampa, FL to a Cuban father and a Spanish-American mother. Garcia Swisher speaks Spanish fluently, and hopes to one day have a Spanish-language acting role. "I definitely want it to be a part of my life. It would mean the world to me," she told People en Español.
She's working to pass on her family's traditions to her daughters. "Every holiday and meaningful event was filled with special traditions and Cuban food," she told ET Online. "We are still trying to perfect my abuela's recipes [and] thankfully my husband loves Cuban food, so he's always willing to enjoy."
Her husband, Nick Swisher, is a former Yankees player.
It's not lost on us that just like her character, Maddie, Garcia Swisher is also romantically linked to a former pro baseball player. Nick Swisher retired from professional baseball in 2015—but not before winning the World Series with the Yankees in 2009, and being named an All-Star in 2010. Over the course of his 12-year-long career in the MLB, Swisher played for five teams: the Oakland Athletics, the Chicago White Sox, the New York Yankees, the Cleveland Indians, and Atlanta Braves.
Swisher hails from a baseball family. His father, Steve Swisher, played Chicago Cubs, St. Louis Cardinals, and San Diego Padres in the '70s. Today, Swisher works as a studio analyst for FOX Sports.
Ahead of their 2010 wedding ceremony, Swisher shared thoughts about his wife with People. "I think for the first time in my life, I have a woman who I could not be more proud of," he told People. "We do such a great job really pushing the other one to do better and I think that's what you have to have."
Garcia Swisher gave a very candid interview with Andy Cohen about their sex life—and how they celebrate victory games. "We have a good situation," she said, with a laugh.
Reba McEntire was a bridesmaid at their wedding.
In 2010, JoAnna Garcia, then 31, and Nick Swisher, 30, were married in a ceremony at the Breakers Hotel and Resort in Palm Beach, FL. Garcia Swisher stunned in a strapless ball gown designed by Monique Lhuillier, according to People.
The guest list featured big names from the worlds of sports and entertainment. Jamie-Lynn Sigler of The Sopranos and NSYNC's Lance Bass were part of Garcia Swisher's wedding party, as was one very notable Reba co-star: Reba McEntire herself. Also present were Cameron Diaz and Swisher's Yankee teammates Alex Rodriguez and Johnny Damon. In total, the wedding had 375 guests.
Adorably, Garcia Swisher's friend crew has been involved in each others' weddings. In 2014, Garcia Swisher and Sigler officiated Bass's wedding. A year later, in 2015, Bass officiated Sigler's nuptials.
The couple has two daughters, Sailor and Emerson.
Garcia Swisher and husband are the proud parents of two little girls. Emerson Jay, 7, was born May 21, 2013. Sailor Stevie, 3, came into the world three years later, on June 28, 2016.
Garcia Swisher writes sweet tributes to her daughters on their birthdays. When Sailor turned two she wrote: "Happy Birthday to the most delicious, sassiest, & sweetest little nugget on earth! Two years ago today I held you in my arms and my heart was so full. You made our family complete. Watching you grow has been pure magic."
On Emerson's third birthday, she wrote, "Emme Jay, you amaze me everyday with your imagination, kind heart, and wit. I love you more than I could ever describe and I’m so proud and thankful to be your mommy."
Her Instagram is teeming with family photos.
Unsurprisingly, Garcia Swisher's Instagram page is a delight. She uses the feed to give a peek into her life with her husband and daughters.
She also opened up about the difficulty of parenting during the coronavirus pandemic.
Maybe you remember her from Are You Afraid of the Dark or Freaks and Geeks.
How's this for a throwback: Between 1993 and 1996, Garcia Swisher starred on Are You Afraid of the Dark, Nickelodeon's horror anthology series for tweens. In each episode, a member of the "Midnight Society" would gather to tell a spooky story.
Garcia Swisher said she learned something important about her acting abilities while on Are You Afraid of the Dark. "I don't scream well," she said, laughing, on the BUILD Series.
In 1999, she appeared in Freaks and Geeks, the short-lived Judd Apatow high school drama that became known for casting many stars before they were famous. She played Vicki Appleby, the head cheerleader at the top of the high school popularity pyramid. Other notable cast members include Linda Cardellini, James Franco, Jason Segel, Seth Rogen, Busy Phillips, and Lizzy Caplan.
She also played Reba's daughter on Reba.
Reba McEntire really can do it all. Between 2001 and 2007, the country singer helmed this warm-hearted sitcom Reba, playing a single mother of girls (also named Reba). Garcia Swisher played her oldest daughter, Cheyenne.
In the pilot episode, Cheyenne—then a high school senior—is revealed to be pregnant with her high school boyfriend's child. The rest of the show follows her evolution as a mother.
Another one of her notable TV stints? Gossip Girl.
She had brief, but memorable, appearances on Gossip Girl, playing Bree Buckley, a conniving Southerner on a sojourn in New York, in season 3. In 2009, she made a one episode cameo on How I Met Your Mother as one of Ted's girlfriends.
She's made many more TV and movie appearances.
JoAnna Garcia Swisher keeps busy. She starred in the CW show Privileged, set in the upper echelons of Palm Beach, and the sitcom Better With You. Her period piece, The Astronaut Wives' Club, makes for an excellent binge-watch.
With her red hair, Garcia Swisher was perfectly cast as Ariel—yes, Ariel the Little Mermaid—on the fairy tale-centric series Once Upon a Time. Other appearances include the shows Royal Pains, Kevin (Can) Probably Save the World, and Animal Practice. For a double feature, watch her two raunchy movies from 2001: American Pie 2 and Not Another Teen Movie.
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Elena Nicolaou
Elena Nicolaou is the former culture editor at Oprah Daily.
