Actress Jennifer Garner is the cover star of People magazine’s annual Beautiful Issue.

The 47-year-old star of films including 13 Going On 30 and Dallas Buyers Club unveiled the cover during an episode of The Ellen DeGeneres Show, which is due to air on Wednesday.

In a clip posted online, DeGeneres praised Garner as a “beautiful person inside and out”.

Garner later admitted: “I’ve never been more nervous than I am today.” People recognised Garner for her work in Hollywood, for charity and as a mother.

She sits on the board of Save The Children, is the co-founder of a baby food company and has three children with ex-husband Ben Affleck; Violet, 13, Seraphina, 10 and seven-year-old Samuel.

The Beautiful Issue of People features Garner seated on the bonnet of a car, along with the quote: “I’m grateful every day.”

Last year People rebranded its Most Beautiful issue as the Beautiful Issue.

Its editors said it did not want it to sound like a contest. Previous cover stars include Michelle Pfeiffer in 1990, Courteney Cox in 1995 and Beyonce in 2012.