Background

Ethnicity: Jennifer Aniston's father is Greek, and her mother was of English, Irish, Scottish, and Italian descent.

Jennifer Aniston was born on February 11, 1969, in Sherman Oaks, Los Angeles, California, the United States, to soap opera star John Aniston and actress Nancy Dow. Her parents, both actors, perhaps hoped that she would follow in their footsteps and made Telly Savalas, alias TV's Kojak, her godfather.

After spending a year living in Greece, the family returned to the States, settling in New York, where her father won a part on the United States soap opera, Days Of Our Lives. Aniston’s parents divorced when she was nine, and she grew up with her mother while her father worked as an actor. She has a half-brother named Alexander Aniston from her father’s second marriage.

Education

Jennifer Aniston spent the first part of her childhood in Eddystone, Pennsylvania, where the family shared a three-bedroom house with her grandmother. There she started her education in an elementary school. Later the family shifted to New York City.

She was admitted to Waldorf School when she was six years old. Jennifer first started acting at the age of eleven while she was studying at Waldorf School. Later, she enrolled at Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts and graduated from there. When she was in high school, Aniston was the class clown.

Career

In 1988, Jennifer Aniston started her acting career by working in Off-Broadway shows like For Dear Life and Dancing on Checker's Grave. However, she could not make much money out of her acting career. Instead, to support herself, she had to take up different part-time jobs, such as that of a telemarketer, waitress, and bike messenger.

In 1989, Jennifer appeared on The Howard Stern Show, the American radio show hosted by Howard Stern. She also worked as a spokesmodel for Nutrisystem, the company that deals in weight management. In the same year, she moved to Los Angeles, where her father used to stay. In 1990, she was cast in her first television serial named Molloy. It was aired from July 25, 1990, until August 29, 1990, on Fox.

Next, she acted in another short television serial called Ferris Buller; it was first aired on August 23, 1990, on NBC; but could not last the season. Undeterred, she kept on acting in different television serials such as The Edge, Muddling Through; but none of them could last long. In fact, her casting in the Muddling Through might have deprived her of being selected as the main cast in Friends. In 1993, Jennifer Aniston made her film debut in Leprechaun. It was a horror film that received mostly negative reviews. Although it later became a cult film, it could not do much to improve Jennifer’s standing.

After several minor film and television roles, Aniston hit Hollywood gold by playing Rachel Green on the hit sitcom Friends. Friends was a huge success, with the nation even dubbing Aniston's signature hairstyle on the show as "The Rachel." She stayed with Friends for 10 years, banking $1 million per episode for the last three seasons, until the show ended in 2004. She won both a Golden Globe and an Emmy Award during her tenure on the show. Along with the other cast members, she became one of the highest-paid television actors, earning $1 million for each episode by the show’s end in 2004.

While acting on Friends, Aniston continued to appear in feature films and was often cast as the girl-next-door type. She starred in a series of romantic comedies - including The Object of My Affection (1998) - before portraying a waitress in the cult hit Office Space (1999), which centered on disgruntled office workers. Other films include 2004's Along Came Polly opposite Ben Stiller, Derailed (2005) and Rumor Has It (2005).

In 2006, she continued her mix of filmmaking styles with the ensemble production Friends with Money, which opened at Cannes, and the blockbuster romantic dramedy The Break-Up. Aniston starred in Marley & Me alongside Owen Wilson in 2008. It set a record for the largest Christmas Day box office ever, with more than $14 million in ticket sales and a No. 1 ranking at the box office. Her next film, He's Just Not That into You, premiered in February 2009. The movie made $27.5 million, again ranking No. 1 at the box office in its opening weekend. While the film received mixed reviews, Aniston's performance was praised by critics.

Aniston has continued to keep steady work in her genre of comedies and romantic comedies. In 2011, she starred in the film Horrible Bosses alongside Jason Bateman, Colin Farrell, and Jason Sudekis. She would later work with Sudekis again in We're the Millers (2013). In 2014, she starred in Horrible Bosses 2 as well as the drama Cake, for which she earned a Golden Globe nomination.

The actress was featured in multiple movies during a busy 2016, joining the ensembles gathered for the rom-com Mother's Day and the comedy Office Christmas Party, while also delivering voice work for the animated Storks. She then appeared in the war drama The Yellow Birds, which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in early 2017.

After signing on for a series of projects with Netflix, Anniston appeared in the 2018 coming-of-age comedy Dumplin', as a former beauty queen who struggles to connect with her teenage daughter, before teaming up with Adam Sandler in June 2019 for Murder Mystery. That fall, she returned to a full-time TV gig with the TV series The Morning Show, alongside Reese Witherspoon and Steve Carell.

In 2002, she also founded a film production company named Plan B Entertainment. It was a joint venture with Brad Pitt and Brad Grey. Later she withdrew from it to form Echo Films, another production company, with Kristin Hahn. Besides, she is the co-owner of a hair care company called Living Proof. On November 18, 2020, Jennifer announced that she had become the Chief Creative Officer of Vital Proteins and would care about the product innovation and brand strategy.

Achievements

• 

  Jennifer Aniston received five Emmy nominations for her work in Friends and won in the Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series category. She was also nominated for two Golden Globe Awards for the same work and won the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress - Television Series Musical or Comedy in 2003.
  
  In 2002, Aniston won an Emmy for Best Actress. Jennifer Aniston received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6270 Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood, California on February 22, 2012. Forbes also dubbed Aniston one of the 10 Most Powerful Actresses in the world.

Works

More photos

• movie

  • Picture Perfect

    (Adorable as she is ambitious, Kate (Jennifer Aniston) is ...)

    1997
  • Wanderlust

    (Paul Rudd and Jennifer Aniston star in Wanderlust, a come...)

    2012
  • Friends With Money

    (Jennifer Aniston, Catherine Keener, Frances McDormand, an...)

    2006
  • Rumor Has It

    (Sarah Huttinger, whose return home with her fiance convin...)

    2005
  • The Good Girl

    (A young wife (Aniston) gets bored with her marriage and l...)

    2002
  • Derailed

    (When two married business executives (Owen and Aniston) h...)

    2005
  • Life Of Crime

    (A pampered housewife (Jennifer Aniston) is kidnapped by a...)

    2013
  • Horrible Bosses

    (Three friends, harassed, insulted, and terrorized by thei...)

    2011
  • Just Go With It

    (After telling his girlfriend that he's married as a means...)

    2011
  • Office Space

    (Life in the corporate world becomes fodder for hilariousl...)

  • Mother's Day

    (From the director of Pretty Woman comes a feel-good comed...)

    2016
  • She's Funny That Way

    (Peter Bogdanovich's comedy about a love triangle involvin...)

    2014
  • Along Came Polly

    (Risk-assessor Ben Stiller's disastrous marriage prompts h...)

    2004
  • Marley & Me

    (Jennifer Aniston and Owen Wilson unleash huge laughs as J...)

    2008
  • The Object Of My Affection

    (Straight Jennifer Aniston and her gay roommate Paul Rudd ...)

    1998
  • The Break-Up

    (After Brooke (Aniston) calls it quits with her boyfriend ...)

    2006
  • The Bounty Hunter

    (Jennifer Aniston and Gerard Butler, two exes continually ...)

    2010
  • She's The One

    (Edward Burns directed and stars in this comedy about two ...)

    1996
  • Dream For An Insomniac

    (An aspiring actress (Ione Skye) who suffers from insomnia...)

    1996
  • Bruce Almighty

    (Jim Carrey reveals in spiritual glory as a TV reporter wh...)

    2003
  • Love Happens

    (Jennifer Aniston and Aaron Eckhart star in this heartwarm...)

    2009
  • We're the Millers

    (A small-time pot dealer creates a fake family as part of ...)

    2013
  • Leprechaun

    (When a greedy tourist steals a leprechaun's pot of gold, ...)

    1993
  • Camp Cucamonga

    (An accountant (John Ratzenberger) and his wife do what he...)

    1990
  • The Switch

    (Seven years after the fact, a man comes to the realizatio...)

    2010
  • Rock Star

    (Mark Wahlberg stars as a copier repairman who moonlights ...)

    2001
  • He's Just Not That Into You

    (An all-star cast looks for love and finds laughs in this ...)

    2009
  • 'Til There Was You

    (Two strangers, whose paths are always crossing, finally m...)

    1997
  • Horrible Bosses 2

    (Nick, Dale, and Kurt decide to become their own bosses by...)

    2014
  • Office Christmas Party

    (You're invited to the most outrageous holiday party of th...)

    2016

• TV series

  • Friends

    (This is a show about love and sex and careers and a time ...)

    1994

Religion

Jennifer Aniston states she doesn't have a strict religion. She said: "I don’t have a religion. I believe in a God. I don’t know what it looks like but it’s MY God. My own interpretation of the supernatural."

Politics

Jennifer Aniston is a Democrat. She donated to Barack Obama's 2008 presidential campaign. In 2016, she took part in a fundraiser for Hillary Clinton during her presidential campaign. Later, Aniston endorsed Joe Biden in the 2020 United States presidential election.

Views

Jennifer Aniston is known for her generosity and support of several non-profit organizations. She is an activist and often indulges in various charitable foundations that strive to achieve social parity. Jennifer supports many charities. She also attends various events and fundraisers in aid of various causes.

Aniston is often seen in commercials for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. Her advocacy for St. Jude began in 2008 with their Thanks and Giving Campaign, which featured several celebrities in prime-time TV ads around the Christmas holiday season. Since 2008 Jennifer has been involved with several campaigns for St. Jude including a recent one in which several celebrities remade the Beatles song, Hey Jude.

Another charity that Jennifer has been a big supporter of is Friends of El Faro, which improves the lives of children at the Casa Hogar Sion Orphanage in Tijuana. In 2010 Jennifer created the Farita doll in partnership with One&Only Palmilla (a hotel where Jennifer celebrated her birthday in Mexico). The doll was designed and crafted by local artisans and all proceeds were donated to Friends of El Faro.

The GLAAD Vanguard Award was received by Jennifer in 2007 for her outstanding contributions to increasing understanding and awareness of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender community. The Vanguard Award is given each year to an entertainer that has significantly promoted gay rights. Aniston was honored to receive the award, which has previous recipients such as Cher, Liza Minnelli, and Charlize Theron.

Additionally, in 2010, Jennifer donated $500,000 to the Haiti relief appeal through organizations such as Doctors Without Borders, Partners in Health, and AmeriCares. Aniston also took part in the Hope for Haiti Now telethon, which raised over $58 million. Jennifer continued her support of Haiti in 2011 when she purchased an art piece at a Haitian Charity Event for $450,000.

Jennifer has supported many other non-profit organizations and charities throughout the years, some of which include: hosting the Stand Up To Cancer Show in 2008; directing and starring in a video with Woody Harrelson for the It Can’t Wait free Burma Campaign in 2008; an honorary board member of the Lili Claire Foundation and continued support of Clothes Off Our Back, Feeding America, EB Medical Research Foundation, Project A.L.S., Best Friends Animal Society, and the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network.

In 2017, Aniston donated $1 million to the Red Cross and the Ricky Martin Foundation for Hurricane Relief. Her next donation was $500k to an anti-harassment campaign. Aniston also donated $1 Million to Several Racial Justice Charities in 2020.

Quotations: "The greater your capacity to love, the greater your capacity to feel the pain."

"There are no regrets in life. Just lessons."

"If we can say, "I loved, and I received a lot of love," then great. That's enough."

"It's impossible to satisfy everyone, and I suggest we all stop trying."

"I think there comes a point where you have to grow up and get over yourself, lighten up...and forgive."

Personality

When Jennifer Aniston was young, she was riding a tricycle around a pool and ended up crashing into the water. She was too scared to let go of the trike, so her brother had to help her out of the water. This caused her to be terrified of being underwater and she’s even had a hard time filming scenes in the water. She also has a fear of flying.

In her twenties, Jennifer was diagnosed with dyslexia. Until then, she was suffering from low self-esteem. The diagnosis helped her to understand her shortcoming. She soon overcame all her troubles. To keep fit, Jennifer Aniston practices yoga. From 2014 onwards, she has also started practicing transcendental meditation twice a day.

Interests

• Hatha yoga

• Politicians

  Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton

• Writers

  Lifespan by David Sinclair, The Brain that Changes Itself by Norman Doidge, The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins

• Artists

  Glenn Ligon

• Sport & Clubs

  Budokan karate

• Music & Bands

  Lil Nas X, U2, Aerosmith, Crash Kings

Connections

Jennifer Aniston married actor Brad Pitt on July 29, 2000, after two years of courtship. However, the marriage broke down within five years. The couple announced their separation on January 7, 2005, and finalized their divorce on October 2, 2005.

In August 2012, Aniston announced her engagement to American actor and director Justin Theroux, known for his roles in several comedy films, including 2005's Strangers with Candy, 2011's Your Highness, and 2012's Wanderlust, which also starred Aniston. In August 2015, they married in a secret, private ceremony at their home in Bel Air.

In February 2018, the A-list couple announced in a joint statement that they had separated late the previous year. Initially intending to keep the matter private, they decided to "convey the truth directly" to address the media speculation. "We are two best friends who have decided to part ways as a couple, but look forward to continuing our cherished friendship," they said.

Father:

John Aniston

Mother:

Nancy Dow

Ex-husband:

Brad Pitt

Aniston married actor Brad Pitt in 2000. The couple divorced in 2005 following media speculation that Pitt had an affair with co-star Angelina Jolie.

Ex-husband:

Justin Theroux

Half-brother:

Alex Aniston

Friend:

Ed Sheeran

Friend:

Courteney Cox

One of Jennifer Aniston’s closest friends is Friend’s co-star, Courteney Cox. Aniston is also the godmother of Cox’s daughter, Coco.

Friend:

Adam Sandler

Friend:

Ellen DeGeneres

Aniston was Ellen DeGeneres' first guest on her daytime talk show.

colleague:

Nicole Kidman

Friend:

Selena Gomez

Friend:

Jimmy Kimmel

Aniston and Kimmel are such good friends that he officiated her 2015 wedding to Theroux. Kimmel is also a frequent guest at Aniston's Thanksgiving and Christmas parties.

Friend:

Matthew Perry

Friend:

Jason Bateman

Bateman and Aniston appeared in five films together over the years, but they have also been close friends for many years. They know each other since they were 23.

References

• Jennifer Aniston on Instagram
• Jennifer Aniston on Twitter
• Jennifer Aniston on Facebook