CHARLESTON, W.Va. - "Alias" star Jennifer Garner didn't start her acting career to find fame — she just wanted to emulate the Charleston Light Opera Guild's director.

Nina Denton Pasinetti was an early mentor when Garner, who grew up in Charleston, performed as a child in local guild productions.

"I didn't get into this to be famous," said Garner, 31, during a visit to her hometown. "I wanted to be Miss Denton."

Garner, who also starred in the recent Ben Affleck action movie "Daredevil," is getting used to being recognized in Los Angeles. But when she returns to West Virginia she wants to be able to relax with her family and catch up with friends.

She visited her alma mater, George Washington High School, on Thursday but left when television crews showed up.

"I didn't want anybody to know about it," she said. "I just wanted to be there for the kids and to see my school. I did it from my heart; it wasn't a publicity stunt."

Fortunately, she said, most people in Charleston respect her privacy.

"I'm a normal Garner girl," she said. "I may be famous to the rest of the world, but I'm not to myself, and I'm not to my mom and to my friends."

That's good that she visited her hometown & she didn't get into acting for fame. U rarely hear about a entertainer visiting their hometown & wanting to give back to their community. Halle Berry visited Cleveland, Ohio 2 summers ago which is her hometown to talk to students in drama class at Bedford high school where she went to school. I know this cause a girl i know told me about it cause she had drama classes at Halle's high school.