Jennifer Aniston Reveals Something Fans May Not Know About Her

Jennifer Aniston is letting fans in on a little secret. In a new interview with The Hollywood Reporter for the outlet’s Drama Actress Roundtable, the Friends star, 55, shared that despite her decades-long career in the entertainment industry, fans might be surprised to find out she doesn’t audition well. 

Talking with her fellow roundtable attendees — Naomi Watts, Brie Larson, Anna Sawai, Jodie Foster, Nicole Kidman and Sofia Vergara — Aniston shared her thoughts on one of her least favorite parts of the job: auditioning and reading for chemistry with potential scene partners. 

“When you’re in an audition room, you’re already at a disadvantage. Maybe you’d have chemistry with this person if you were in a different environment, and not, like, ‘Create chemistry. Ready? Go!'” the We’re the Millers star explained, detailing the unnatural experience in those moments. 

She added, “And I’m a terrible auditioner, always was. I waitressed forever before I could finally get something, which was a Bob’s Big Boy commercial. So, if you’re a nervous auditioner to begin with, to then say, ‘Now let’s have you make out with a complete stranger,’ it’s very uncomfortable.”

So how would Aniston change the process if it were up to her? Aniston has a suggestion.

“Put some music on or something,” the actress, who started her career in 1988, joked. 

The conversation comes as each of the actresses gears up for Emmy nominations to be released in just over a month. Aniston — an eight-time nominee and one-time winner (she took home the trophy for Lead Actress in a Comedy Series in 2002 for playing Rachel Green on Friends) —  is currently eligible for her role on AppleTV+’s The Morning Show. 

In the esteemed series, Aniston stars as Alex Levy, the embattled but beloved anchor of The Morning Show on the fictional network of UBC. Alongside her is Bradley Jackson (Reese Witherspoon), Chip Black (Mark Duplass) and Cory Ellison (Billy Crudup). The show has been nominated for 11 Emmy Awards for its first two seasons, with Aniston scoring a Best Lead Actress nod in 2020. 

Talking with her fellow actresses during the roundtable, Aniston explained that as the depth of her characters has changed over the course of her career, she has found it more important than ever to find the fun outside of work. 

“Well, living in that dark space as a comedian, ultimately, when I started, it’s really hard. That’s why I listen to SmartLess on my way to and from work [on The Morning Show], just to laugh and get out of that [headspace],” she shared with THR, detailing her decompression process. 

Aniston continued, “I don’t live in my character, which I know some people do. I choose to just get rid of it as fast as I can. And then I usually say, when I’m done [with the season], ‘I need a comedy right now.'”

In January, the Just Go With It star spoke with ET at the 2024 Critics Choice Awards about the show, which picked up six nominations, including Best Drama Series and two Best Actress in a Drama Series noms for both Witherspoon and herself. She called it a joy to celebrate a project she loves so dearly.

“It’s such a wonderful thing that everyone gets to be celebrated because everyone works so hard,” she told ET at the time. “It’s also fun to be in this room with all of these extraordinary people who have created such beautiful, created such gorgeous work. And we’re all here to celebrate each other.” 

The celebration continued when she responded to an inquiry about the much-anticipated season 4, which does not yet have a release date. Aniston said, “I don’t even know where to begin. Should be fun.”

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