JENNIFER ANISTON

Biography

Jennifer Aniston (her original last name was Anastassakis, but her family changed it when they moved to the U.S. from Greece) was born on February 11, 1969, in Sherman Oaks, California. Jennifer is no stranger to the acting world: She is the daughter of John Aniston, who starred as Victor Kiriakis on the daytime soap Days of Our Lives, and Nancy Dow, an actress and model. Jennifer is also the goddaughter of the late Telly Savalas (of Kojak fame).

After living in Greece with her family as a young child, Jennifer's parents got divorced, forcing Jennifer to live with her mother in New York City as of age 9.

jennifer aniston on quantum leap
In high school, Jennifer Aniston was a member of the drama club, which sparked her decision to pursue a career as an actress. In addition to acting, Aniston had always been passionate about painting; one of her creations was even displayed in New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art when she was 11.

A graduate of New York's High School of Performing Arts (the Fame school) in 1987, Jennifer worked in the off-Broadway productions For Dear Life and Dancing on Checker's Grave. But after heading for Hollywood (which dad John wasn't pleased about, as he didn't want Jennifer to pursue acting), she landed her first television role in 1989, as a regular on Molloy. It took a while for Aniston to get more roles, and apparently her agent suggested she lose some weight -- she wasn't fat, but she wasn't "L.A." thin.

Unfortunately, none of the TV roles she landed were worth watching. Does anybody remember catching the sitcom Ferris Bueller (based on the 1986 film, Ferris Bueller's Day Off) or the sketch show The Edge? But Jennifer Aniston kept busy with a recurring role on Herman's Head, as well as appearances on Burke's Law and Quantum Leap in the early '90s.

jennifer aniston is rachel on friends
By the time the pilot for a new NBC show called Friends came along in 1994, Jennifer Aniston was trying to make her mark in Hollywood. But with the 1993 bomb Leprechaun as the biggest credit on her resume, Jennifer had nothing to lose and auditioned for Friends. The producers originally wanted Aniston to audition for the role of neurotic chef Monica Gellar, but Jennifer thought she was more of a "Rachel Green" -- and she was right. The role of Monica went to fellow hottie Courteney Cox.

When Jennifer first appeared in the pilot (which was called Friends Like Us) as a runaway bride, she was also starring in a show called Muddling Through... but we don't need to tell you what happened to that one.

jennifer aniston's hair starts a trend
Friends became a huge hit as part of NBC's "Must-See TV" lineup, and the six cast members became TV's hottest stars. Thanks to the "Ross and Rachel" plot and Jennifer's haircut -- which became known as "the Rachel cut" -- Jennifer Aniston became a household name (and haircut).

Jennifer websites and shrines cropped up all over the internet. Aniston's other "digital" gigs include an appearance on the Microsoft Windows 95 Video Guide, with costar Matthew Perry, and a role on an interactive CD-ROM directed by Steven Spielberg and co-starring Quentin Tarantino, entitled Steven Spielberg's Director's Chair (1996).

jennifer aniston in office space
Whenever Friends was on hiatus, Jennifer Aniston kept busy with movie roles. In 1996, she appeared in the independent film, She's the One, costarring Cameron Diaz and Edward Burns, and the following year saw her starring in Picture Perfect with Kevin Bacon. In 1998, Aniston starred in The Object of My Affection and The Thin Pink Line, while the comedy Office Space (directed by the creator of Beavis and Butt-head and King of the Hill) and The Iron Giant (to which she lent her voice) followed in 1999.

Joining the ranks of fellow beauties Tyra Banks and Rebecca Romijn, Aniston and her Friends co-star Lisa Kudrow proved they "Got Milk" by showing off their milk mustaches for the famous milk ad campaign.

jennifer aniston and brad pitt get married
In the meantime, Jenifer Aniston's star rose to the stratosphere when she and Brad Pitt appeared together at awards shows and premieres. Although she had already been romantically linked to Counting Crows vocalist Adam Duritz and actor Tate Donovan, her relationship with Pitt made Jennifer part of one of Hollywood's top "It" couples.

On July 29, 2000, Jennifer and Brad exchanged vows at a Malibu estate, in a million-dollar wedding that was hailed as "the showbiz wedding of the year." Their divorce was finalized in October 2005.

jennifer aniston is the good girl
In 2001, Jennifer returned to the big screen with her role as Mark Wahlberg's loyal girlfriend in Rock Star. The following year, she wowed audiences and critics alike with her turn as an unfaithful wife in the independent flick, The Good Girl.

Not only did she develop a Southern drawl for the role, but she also proved that she could go beyond the ditzy "Rachel" character and even downplayed her looks for the role. Aniston received Best Actress nominations from the Independent Spirit Awards and the Golden Satellite Awards thanks to The Good Girl.

jennifer aniston in bruce almighty
In 2003, Jennifer Aniston joined Jim Carrey in one of the summer's top blockbusters, Bruce Almighty. She also proved her star power by topping Forbes magazine's "Celebrity 100" list of the world's most powerful celebrities, beating out Brad, Jennifer Lopez and Steven Spielberg.

jennifer aniston wins awards
In 2004, Jennifer Aniston costarred with Ben Stiller in the romantic comedy Along Came Polly, proving once again that although she was the least known of her Friends costars when the show debuted in 1994, Aniston is without a doubt the star who would have a career after Friends.

Speaking of the hit NBC show, after the highly-publicized negotiations that featured an "all-for-one" strategy, the six cast members were each locked into a contract that garnered them a $1 million-per-episode paycheck. But after a 10-season run on NBC, the cast of Friends finally said goodbye on May 6, 2004. After two Emmy nominations and a Golden Globe nod for the role of Rachel, Jennifer finally took home both trophies in 2002 and 2003, respectively.

jennifer aniston concentrates in friends with money
Life after Friends turned out to be busy for Jennifer Aniston: Not only did she start work on Plan B Productions -- the production company she and Brad founded -- but she also moved on to more film work.

Among Aniston's most high-profile post-Friends films were Derailed (2005) with Clive Owen and Rumor Has It (2005) with Kevin Costner.

jennifer aniston in the break-up
Following her breakup with Brad Pitt, Jennifer Aniston found comfort with her The Break-Up (2006) costar Vince Vaughn. And though the pair formally announced that they were no longer dating in November 2006, Jennifer's statement also clarified that the two thespians would remain friends.

That same year Jennifer Aniston appeared also in the underground favorite Friends with Money (2006) costarring Catherine Keener and Joan Cusack.

The following year Jennifer Aniston ranked No. 76 on AskMen's Top 99 Most Desirable Women of 2007.

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