She may be one of Hollywoodโs most famous stars, but Jennifer Aniston considers herself an ordinary woman at heart. Sheโs come a long way since her Friends days in the 1990s, and thereโs so much more to know about the iconic Hollywood actress.
Jen first got her start in acting at age 11 when she joined the Rudolf Steiner Schoolโs drama club, according to IMDb. The Weโre the Millers star, who was born to actors John Aniston and Nancy Dow in 1969, followed in her parentsโ footsteps as she began appearing in Off-Broadway productions including 1987โs For Dear Life and Dancing on Checkerโs Grave.
IT WILL ALWAYS BE HER YEAR! JENNIFER ANISTON’S NET WORTH IS IMPRESSIVEThree years later in 1990, Jen landed her first TV role on the comedy sitcom Molloy, which ran for one season. She also appeared in Ferris Bueller that same year, as well as 1991โs Hermanโs Head and 1992โs The Edge.
Although she was having a hard time finding gigs around 1983, everything changed for the California native when she landed the role of Rachel Green in Friends. Jen portrayed the beloved character throughout the iconic seriesโ 10 seasons from 1994 to 2004.
With the success of Friends, Jen was catapulted into a life of fame and superstardom. Her most impressive film credits include 2003โs Bruce Almighty, 2004โs Along Came Polly, 2008โs Marley and Me, 2011โs Just Go With It, 2013โs Weโre the Millers and many more.
Aside from appearing in more than 45 films and TV shows throughout her decades-long career, Jen โ who was was married to Brad Pitt from 2000 to 2005 and Justin Theroux from 2015 to 2017 โ also took home tons of accolades. So far, sheโs won two SAG awards, an Emmy Award, a Golden Globe and more.
Although the Horrible Bosses star has been a household name for more than 30 years, her status as a Hollywood star is challenging at times. In fact, Jen told the New York Times she can relate to her The Morning Show character, Alex, who struggles with fame.
โThereโs similarity to my life,โ she revealed in September 2019. โI relate in ways of feeling like, when you donโt want to be seen, and you donโt want to go out of the house, and you want to just scream, and you donโt want to walk on a red carpet. I donโt want to stand behind a podium, I donโt want to have my photograph taken, I just want to cry today. You know?โ
Even though she might feel like straying from the limelight, fans have been lucky to know and love Jennifer for as long as sheโs been killing it in her showbiz career!
Scroll through the gallery below to learn five facts you might not know about Jen.
She Was a Real-Life Coffee Shop Waitress
โI waitressed for years in New York before I got any [acting jobs],โ Jennifer told Instyle in October 2019. โAnd I was a telemarketer selling time-shares in the Poconos. I didnโt make one sale. I was terrible at it. I was like, โWhy do we have to call people at dinnertime?โ โ
She Almost Didnโt Get the Part on โFriendsโ
Jennifer was contractually bound to a CBS sitcom, Muddling Through, when NBC first cast her as Rachel Green. Fortunately for Friends fans, CBS canceled its low-rated show, but before that, โI had phone calls from girlfriends saying, โIโm auditioning for your part in Friends,’โ Jen recalled while attending the Santa Barbara International Film Festival in January 2015.
Reese Witherspoon Is One of Her Best Friends
โEven before Reese [Witherspoon] played my lovely, albeit somewhat spoiled sister Jill on Friends, she somehow felt like family to me,โ Jennifer once gushed of her costar in Apple TVโs The Morning Show. โHer amazing talent professionally and personally has long made her a very strong and welcome presence in my life.โ
Sheโs Happy Being Single
Divorced from Brad and Justin, โI donโt feel a void,โ she told Elle in December 2018. โMy marriages, theyโve been very successful, in my opinion. And when they came to an end, it was a choice that was made because we chose to be happy, and sometimes happiness didnโt exist within that arrangement anymore.โ
She Embraces Her Age
โFifty was the first time I thought, Well, that number,โ Jennifer, who celebrated the milestone in February 2019, told InStyle. โI donโt know what it is, because I donโt feel any different. Things arenโt shutting down in any way. I feel physically incredible.โ
