Jennifer Aniston Biography Filmography Awards

Jennifer Joanne Aniston was born February 11, 1969 in in Sherman Oaks, California to Greek actor John Aniston (originally Ioannis Anastasakis) and his then-wife Nancy Dow, an actress of Scottish and Italian descent. Aniston's godfather is late Greek-American actor Telly Savalas, her father's best friend. She spent much of her childhood in New York, where her father appeared in several soap operas. In 1985, the family moved to Los Angeles, where John Aniston starred on the soap opera Days of our Lives.

During her teenage days, Jennifer attended Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts in 1987, and was a member of the drama club. Her desire to become an actress grew as she worked in off-Broadway productions such as For Dear Life and Dancing on Checker's Grave.

Jennifer started her major acting career when she appeared as a "Nutri-System" girl on the The Howard Stern Radio Show in the late 1980s and early 1990s. She moved to Hollywood and was cast in her first television roles in 1990, starring as a regular on the short-lived series Molloy and in the TV movie Camp Cucamonga. She also co-starred in Ferris Bueller, a television adaptation of the 1986 teen movie Ferris Bueller's Day Off, the same year (it barely lasted a season). Aniston then appeared in two more failed sitcoms, The Edge and Muddling Through and guest-starred on shows such as Quantum Leap, Herman's Head, and Burke's Law. After this string of cancelled shows, along with her appearance in the critically-derided horror movie Leprechaun, Aniston seriously considered giving up acting.

Her plans changed, however, when she auditioned for Friends, a new sitcom on NBC's 1994-1995 fall line-up. The producers of the show originally wanted Aniston to audition for the role of Monica Geller, but she persuaded them that she was better suited for the role of Rachel Green. She was cast in the role and played the character from 1994 until the show ended in 2004. The program was very successful and Aniston, along with her co-stars, gained wide renown among television watchers.

Jennifer has starred in a handful of theatrical films, including the cult hit Office Space. She gained the most critical acclaim for her role in the low-budget 2002 film, The Good Girl, playing an unglamarous cashier in a small town. In late 2005, Aniston headlined two major studio films, Derailed and Rumor Has It, both of which performed fairly, if unexceptionally, at the box office, grossing a little over $30 million each.

She has previously dated musician Adam Duritz and actor Tate Donovan. Later then with her highly publicized relationship with Brad Pitt, they got married on July 29, 2000 in a lavish Malibu wedding. They separated on January 7, 2005, and Aniston officially filed for divorce on March 25, 2005. The divorce was made final on October 2, 2005.

Filmography

Leprechaun (1993)
She's the One (1996)
Picture Perfect (1997)
The Object of My Affection (1998)
Office Space (1999)
The Iron Giant (1999)
Rock Star (2001)
The Good Girl (2002)
Bruce Almighty (2003)
Along Came Polly (2004)
Derailed (2005)
Rumor Has It (2005)
The Break Up (2006)

Awards

Emmy Awards
Year Category Movie Win/Nominated
2002 Best Actress in a Comedy Series, Friends Win

Golden Globe Award
Year Category Movie Win/Nominated
2003 Best Actress in a Comedy Series, Friends Win

Logie Awards
Year Category Movie Win/Nominated
2004 Most Popular Overseas Star, Friends Win

Screen Actors Guild Award
Year Category Movie Win/Nominated
1995 Outstanding Ensemble Performance in a Comedy Series, Friends Win