The Hollywood Reporter’s current cover story is the Drama Actress Roundtable ahead of the 2020 Emmy nominations. This year’s drama roundtable included Zendaya, Janelle Monae, Jennifer Aniston, Reese Witherspoon, Rose Byrne and Helena Bonham Carter. I’m not going to do exhaustive coverage of this because I generally hate trying to parse through and highlight multi-person conversations, and you can easily read THR’s full piece here. The magazine definitely gave a lot of space to Janelle and Zendaya to speak about Black Lives Matter and what it’s like for them, as black women, to work within the industry and to live in America during this time. The white actresses mostly just nodded and said “mm-hm” to what Janelle and Zendaya had to say. It wasn’t bad or anything, it was just an interesting dichotomy, especially since Reese and Jennifer (especially) managed to bring the conversation around to themselves and their favorite subjects anyway. I’m doing some excerpts about Aniston, because why not? People love to talk about her.
Aniston on the lockdown: “…Having the [space] to be alone and not be distracted has been almost divine timing in terms of the order of how everything has unfolded. I think that’s a blessing of this pandemic because there wasn’t any chance for people to get distracted going back to work or going out to dinners or whatever. We were all pulled together, and it feels extremely unifying and oddly beautiful. And I’ve never read more in my life.
Aniston on struggling with typecasting: “Oh my God, yes. You just exhaust yourself. I mean, I could not get Rachel Green off of my back for the life of me. I could not escape “Rachel from Friends,” and it’s on all the time and you’re like, “Stop playing that f–king show!” The Good Girl was the first time I got to really shed whatever the Rachel character was, and to be able to disappear into someone who wasn’t that was such a relief to me. But I remember the panic that set over me, thinking, “Oh God, I don’t know if I can do this. Maybe they’re right. Maybe everybody else is seeing something I’m not seeing, which is you are only that girl in the New York apartment with the purple walls.” So, I was almost doing it for myself just to see if I could do something other than that. And it was terrifying because you’re doing it in front of the world.
Fighting to be seen as something else: “So, I just fought with myself and who I was in this industry forever, and it was constantly about trying to prove that I was more than that person. But there is such a freedom in getting older because you just stop giving a crap.
On drama/comedy: “Once you play comedy, they don’t think you can do the drama; and if you’re only seen as a dramatic actor, they don’t think you can do comedy. They forget that we’re actors and we actually have it all in there. It’s just about finding it and accessing it and getting the material.
I… don’t know how much longer Aniston can play this song! As tired as she is of being connected to Rachel Green, we’re all tired of hearing her complain about it. She’s literally been bitching about it for twenty years!! I’m also sort of side-eyeing what she says about the pandemic too. I mean, granted, what she says is better than “woe is me, the pandemic was so hard to survive in my mansion.” At least she’s not doing that. But it does seem somewhat tone-deaf to use words like “blessing” and “oddly beautiful.” Whatever. The whole piece is worth a read.
Cover courtesy of THR, photos courtesy of WENN, Avalon Red.
As somebody who lost their job because of the pandemic, knowing many others who did as well and are really struggling, grappling with finding a job with what I saw this morning described as the ‘worst recession in 300 years’ – Ms Aniston, please kindly open your wallet BIG TIME and shut up. You know, Jennifer, you don’t need a mansion. Downsize and donate the money.
Ugh. I am so sorry. How are you doing? Are you connected to any mutual aid networks?
It’s terrifying how so many elected officials—specifically state officials are Kimye Shrugging at the economy falling apart.
People need real help and Rich people like Aniston paying a fair share in taxes not donations (which they get to write off) would help.
She continues to be an idiot and so above it all. She needs to let her PR do the talk for her because at least then she sound coherent. Bette not do Friends remake Rachel.
In what fn universe is this idiot living?
omg.
A rich White one. She has no damn clue…
And a child-free one where she doesn’t have to deal with bored, scared, agitated children.
Yeah, Rachel needs to stfu. People are dying, ill and struggling. She literally morphed into Rachel Green.
She’S tone deaf
Why the hell is she doing the reunion show? She never had a problem accepting the cheques.
Sure Jen, it must have been beautiful and unifying up in Beverly Hills but not out here.
Every time this airhead opens her mouth on any subject, she manages to say something superlatively stupid..
Rich white privilege personified.
last I checked it was $7 million a year in residuals from Friends playing 24/7 in multiple countries. But thats an old statistic.
OK, as of 2018 the actors get $20 million. Each. (Please correct if you know more)
Plus every rom-com she’s ever made, etc.
signed,
A front line RN.
and no, it’s NOT beautiful
Tone deaf as hell. Has she looked at the obituaries? I saw one for a father of five kids. Jobs lost. Small businesses ruined. And for those of us lucky enough not to have gotten it, many of us have not seen family or friends for months. And while it may seem like a small thing, I also am sad for kids who lost the last few months of their school experience, their graduations, their First Communions, bar/bat mitzvahs and weddings being downsized, funerals being minimal. These rites of passage are important too.
I look at the obituaries in the newspaper every Sunday, hoping I won’t see anyone I know. Since mid-March, every Sunday, I have seen at least three people I know, sometimes as many as five, parents, siblings, children of people I know; people I went to school with; people I worked with; people who taught me; people I would see at various activities or events; people from the gym; people in my office building; a man who I would see every day walk by me on the street when I left my office at night – I never knew his name, until I did in that obituary. I dread every ring of the telephone, every text, every email. i’m afraid to look on Instagram or Facebook because every single day since mid-March, someone I know is gone or someone I know loses someone dear to them. I have sent so many sympathy cards. I know at least six people battling it right now, women ranging in age from 27 to 65, most of them in their late 40s-early 50s. Others post about the parents or children battling it. A friend lost her son, age 27. Another’s twin nephews are on vents, they’re 16!
I truly don’t see anything beautiful or unifying about any of this. If that’s her world, so be it. It isn’t mine or anyone I know.
Lightpurple, that is horrific. I am so sorry. I can not imagine what it must be like for so many of you, and especially for those in places where you have felt unable to trust your governments to do the right thing. It’s heartbreaking.
Lightpurple may I ask where do you live? Death rate in my country was 0,2% of all infected and everybody that died was over 80….
I mean… I doubt any frontline workers would agree with any of this. Even for my field, working from home has not been unifying or oddly beautiful in any way for anyone I know… and it certainly isn’t for anyone who has been hospitalized with the disease.
I just watched the beginning and Monae literally says that for her and her community this has not been a happy time (paraphrasing). Yikes. Talk about tone deaf Ms. Aniston 🥴
Yeah. It felt like Janelle was directly addressing JA. Rightly so. Boom – JA instantly exposed as the shallow idiot she is.
God, and how she nodded and smirked when Reese mentioned how women should be paid… yes, JA. Good thing you at least care about that issue.
Okay, her description of the pandemic is weird, and I’m a big Jen fan. Like….”beautiful?” People are dying Jen!!!!
I admit there have been parts of the quarantine that I have enjoyed. It’s nice not having to commute, and its been nice having more time to read or do puzzles since we’re not doing anything on weekends. But I recognize that I’m really privileged – I can afford books and puzzles, my job was not affected and I’ve been working from home FT, I have a very flexible job that allows me to help the kids with school, etc.
but there have been some hard parts too obviously, and one of them is the stress over the fact that we are in the midst of a PANDEMIC.
I think she’s right about Rachel Greene though. It has taken her decades to shed that role.
yeah, I’m with you. I like her but her words here come off as SO out of touch and privileged. I agree, parts of this lockdown have been “good” for me…I’m reading more, I feel closer to the bf, no traffic in the commute, etc…BUT I fully recognize that most are not so lucky. and yes, people are dying.
however, she’s right when she says people are pulling together. whether it’s the pandemic or the BLM protest, or a combination, I feel a sense of community and support that I haven’t felt in the country in a LONG time. and being the kind of person she is (kind of a pollyanna, not focusing on anything too deep or dark), it’s not surprising to me that she only wants to talk about the positive. I wish she would have tempered her comments with something to the effect of “I mean, I KNOW how lucky and privileged to have this kind of viewpoint; most of the world is not as fortunate as I am”.
whatWHAT? totally agree with you. As a PR lesson, she should have acknowledged her privilege. And her tone-deafness came from a place of hippy-dippy-dom or whatever you want to call it. All the self-help “gurus” are trying to make this a positive thing and she’s totally into that chill, personal-development stuff. It’s related to her abusive childhood (her mother, verbal abuse).
Are you serious? She loves every Rachel minute to stay in the news. Who is she kidding? You are so full of BS, Jennifer!!! I want to puke in your face!!!
That seems like a bit of an overreaction.
Good Lord. Puke in her face? That’s gross.
The title quote you use makes me want to punch Aniston in the face. But i think just yesterday y’all made a note about reading past the headline if you are going to comment, so i did.
And ugh, she is so far up her own ass, its amazing she can see herself in the mirror. But i am sure she can.
@ariel, maybe she’s got a mirror up her ass so she can see herself in there as well.
hahahahahah
Wow @Ariel you sound like such a lovely person!
Ugh. As a long time and hardcore ‘AniStan’, this is infuriating and mind boggling. You know what would be beautiful and oddly satisfying if this spoiled uber rich Hollywooders would just STFU and not feel the need to express every single stupid thought that enters their often empty heads.
There is nothing beautiful about the pandemic. People have died. People are dying. People have lost jobs. Companies are struggling. I can’t find anything to explain away that stupid comment and thought she just willingly expressed. Just shut up and drink another margarita, you half wit.
This is what the people who have not ever been fans of her have always seen about her,but her fans had always been so blind about how self envolved she truly is specially Because most felt sorry for her and love her as Rachel.
I don’t think anyone is blind to anything, we just realize that these are all silly celebrities who will (more often than not) say stupid stuff, so we don’t take them seriously.
Exactly!!!!
Bitch, read about what people are going through in Brazil, or India, or Mexico, or right there in front of you in the USA, and realize how people are suffering. See how families are being destroyed, how people are dying terrified and alone, and see if you still find it ~beautiful~. Or did you drop your empathy somewhere along the journey up your own ass?
What unity? People are out here protesting, coughing and spitting on people all because their states implemented mandatory mask usage in public spaces.
Oh that’s an excellent point, you’re so right. I bought several things of pepper spray in case one of those nutters shows up where I’m at. And I live on Long Island, believe me they are a dime a dozen here. Yeah there’s been no unity.
No words. She literally does not have any idea how many of us are out of work, can’t find work, have to go to work even if we have underlying conditions, have lost loved ones….
My stepfather works with developmentally disabled clients, he’s 63, he was very ill for 6 weeks, likely Covid-19. It’s a big problem in that community because social distancing and precautions are hard (people take their masks off, etc.). And at the time his small NY doctor’s office had no tests for him and now he’s back at work not even knowing if he had it and is therefore (hopefully) safe. It’s been such an upsetting and confusing time for his clients. Aniston is an a**hole.
You can say there’s parts you’ve been able to enjoy but to call it “oddly beautiful” is so tone deaf. I need people to stop asking celebrities about the pandemic all together. no one has answered in a way that doesn’t make me roll my eyes.
I agree.
Helena’s answer after hers is better, elaborating on that they she too felt some unity (which I personally don’t feel), but that it’s based on privilege and health. I think it’s fine to say some parts of it have been ok for you, if you acknowledge that it’s been downright horrible for many others, those who have lost jobs, those who have been ill, those who are on the front lines, and those who have lost loved ones. To not recognize that, one’s own health and financial, privilege, is a serious mistake.
The whole thing, read as a conversation, is worth the time though. Zendaya in particular always impresses me, and I thought some of Reese’s comments were good too.
I mean she was kind of a shut in before all this so maybe thats why she doesnt see beyond her own walls now?
I have no words. Well one or two…you self-absorbed f***ing idiot!
Yeah, no. There is nothing beautiful about the pandemic. It’s awful and miserable and I want It to go away. Unifying? It’s been very isolating and lonely for many people. Not to mention the jobs lost. I like Jen but that was a dumb ass thing to say.
Cringe. So many people have died. This isn’t unifying and beautiful. It’s a tragedy.
Yes, this pandemic has put some people in a similar situation and I can see how that might be “unifying.” But that’s only for those who are privileged enough to still have a job, to not have to be constantly exposed to the virus, to have been able to literally quarantine this whole time, to not have loved ones who have caught the virus, etc. People are scared and people are dying. Let’s not romanticize this.
As for being constantly attached to Rachel Green — maybe she shouldn’t have continued to play the same character in every movie she did for 20 years after Friends, then?
Jennifer Aniston never impressed me as someone all the deep or intelligent before. But GOOD LORD, she sounds like a complete a**hole here! “unifying and oddly beautiful?” WTF
Over 120,000 people have died in this country ALONE, people are out of work and businesses are failing; we are in the midst of an economic crisis and it is being exacerbated in the political arena where our two political parties are out for blood against one another. We are in the midst of protests for racial injustice, demands for reform to our police departments to prevent further crimes and senseless murder. Healthcare workers are risking their lives every day to save people from this pandemic b/c some people think that wearing a mask is infringing upon some basic right and wearing a mask has now become a huge political issue…I could go on and on. But this b**ch thinks it is unifying and oddly beautiful LMAO!!
Please take several seats Jen and STFU!
She owes her whole career to Rachael Green. Shut up and be grateful!
Duplicate
Shut up, you clueless, dry-haired, under-educated, zero-talent idiot. People HAVE DIED.
I can’t. I just can’t. I posted above about reading the obituaries, about dreading my social media, and the phone. There is so much loss, so much suffering, so much pain, so much anguish, and so much anger. There was nothing beautiful about my governor having to ask Bob Kraft for use of his airplane because he needed to find a way to get PPE to our hospitals that Trump couldn’t interfere with and he knew damn well the whole world would see it if Trump seized the New England Patriots plane. What didn’t get covered was that Baker had pretty much the entire state police, local police departments, and was ready to call in the National Guard at that airport if Trump made a move on that plane. Not beautiful, Jennifer, not unifying. So, enjoy your solitude and your books just hush about them while I worry about my 88 year old aunt and her disabled son out there in Arizona where the ICUs are filling up fast.
Some Houston area hospitals are reporting ICU’s at 97% capacity.
There are people dying, Rachel.
I have felt guilty myself because in some ways, I’m benefiting from this. But also, my business was really kind of destroyed. It’s starting to come back now though. And in the meantime I pursued another avenue I’ve always wanted to pursue, well, two actually, but one is a money maker, and I’m doing okay. And I have such guilt because I see so many people suffering. I have been donating as much as I can.
Personally I would not have what she said.
Okay I went and read the whole paragraph and she’s answering a question about BLM and the Pandemic both, and she means divine as in godly intervention, so that we all had to pay attention to what happened to Floyd. I get what she is saying now. In context, it’s actually fine. IMO of course.
But what Monae says is stunning and that should be the highlight of this whole thing. Wow.
But as Janelle said, this is not an exciting time at all for their community, that lots of people are dealing with trauma especially the black people, not only with the murders happening but also because they are more vulnerable to the virus, In other words, there is nothing beautiful in what is happening right now. Aniston is just so out of touch of the reality.
Aniston didn’t call it an exciting time though. I read it as her clearly saying that if Floyd hadn’t been murdered on camera during a pandemic, he would have been quickly forgotten by white america JUST LIKE EVERY OTHER MURDERED BLACK MAN BEFORE HIM. I read the whole thing and that’s how I read it. She’s dead wrong that this is a unifying time, but I do get what she’s saying here. Now, Janelle also said this wasn’t a time for her community to “reflect” and that was in my view a response to what Aniston said. Like, white people are reflecting, but black people are in an incredible amount of pain. Two very different experiences. She’s totally right. White people shouldn’t have to ‘reflect” or have a pandemic to pay attention to police murdering black people. And what she said about she wants to see action, not words, that could be to any white person in that conversation, and any one of them in this comment section. Also, totally right. There’s a lot of nuance in this conversation, AND the fascination that very recently, this could easily have been an all white conversation, right? And presented as, look at us, we’re so liberal! I think many of the takes in the comments are reductive. Just my view.
I agree about the context, though I definitely think Jen needed to add the qualifier that Helena followed with, that it’s easy to say such things when you have financial security and health. It was sort of a half formed thought, and didn’t come off well.
Janelle’s comments were fantastic though, and I wish this post had focused on that instead of Jen’s tone deafness.
No matter what Darla is saying to defend Aniston, one thing is clear, there is nothing unifying and beautiful with what is happening, that is not the reality at all. Its divisive more than ever, whites vs black, with protests everywhere and riots before, and there is nothing beautiful when people gets sick and die or are hungry and worried. There is no context to be considered, its a wrong choice of words, it just confirms how shallow she is.
Unifying? Beautiful? Wow. I never really liked her but even if it is these things for her, while she isolates in her mansion with all her dreaded “Rachel Green” millions, SHADDUP and make a token mention of “little people” who lost their jobs and are dying. For god’s sake.
I really like Jennifer, however, she isn’t relating to a majority of the population with these comments.
Many of us have had to continue to go into work everyday and deal with the stress of contracting Covid while she sits at home reading and sipping wine. I have neighbours that have echoed the same sentiments and it pisses me off every time I hear it.
Life is hard, precious Jen. 🙄 Amazing how that mentality is even expressed.
No, just no.
You can tell how self absorbed she is, you know her life revolves around just going to dinners, lol, and she was happy being alone in her mansion not getting distracted and have the time to read, with no empathy to whats really been happening to many of the people, who some of their love ones have died, and those who lost their jobs, and who cant hardly eat anymore. Yes, oddly beautiful indeed for her, because she thinks she is the only person in this world.
I would not have recognized Reese Witherspoon. What kind of plastic surgery has she had?
Her typecasting comments are also tone-deaf in this time of coronavirus. How many actresses have been out of work since February? And of those actresses, how many have a cushion of tens of millions of dollars because they were on an iconic tv show that is still streamed/played frequently? She was already pretty well off to begin with but Rachel Green made her a multimillionaire able to whether a PANDEMIC. Can Nicole Beharie or Kiki Layne do so as easily?
that question was asked, and she was not the only one who answered the question, come on now.
The way the interview is edited Aniston appears to answer first when the typecasting question is lobbed to the rest of the group. And this is after HBC shares with her casting experience in response to Janelle Monae’s.
I’m not trying to dogpile. I still find her comments (and HBC’s) tone-deaf. Especially when the interview starts with COVID19 and BLM Movement at the top. Honestly, it’s an inappropriate question for what I wrote above. She or any of the white women could have pushed back and reframe it.
I will say the pandemic has had some big silver linings for us. Our son was in a preschool that we were really unhappy with, but due to our long commutes we didn’t have any other good options. When his school closed we were able to make use of the new FMLA provisions to take time from work to care for him without taking a big financial hit. Eventually we were able to find a preschool that was a better fit and able to operate within the local public health constraints, and our son is absolutely blossoming there. Our jobs are both fairly secure and can be done from home and we’re both feeling much healthier and calmer with the commute removed (and for my husband it looks like his job is going permanently remote). So on a day-to-day basis things are fine for us. But we have friends who have lost jobs or had their income slashed, who have had close relatives die, who are having trouble getting medical treatment. I’m grateful for the little silver linings we have but I’m also very aware that this virus could come out and take a swipe at us at any minute, so no, I’m not crowing to my friends about how great life is–I know it wouldn’t go over well.
I’m glad she’s enjoying the “beauty” of the pandemic. I’d have thought it would be challenging for someone whose head is so far up their own ass, but not being bothered with going out to dinner really does free up a lot of time for extra tanning sessions and complaining about the role that is the only reason a non-talent like her is famous. Why is she doing the reunion if being associated with the character of Rachel Green is aggravating and apparently so beneath her? I get that celebrities live in their own universe, but to be this out of touch and tone deaf in these incredibly difficult times is unforgivable. I always thought she came across as having the depth of a puddle, but this obliviousness to the reality that others are facing, just cements my opinion.
No, I don’t find it beautiful. How tone deaf and just goes to show how she is insulated by her millions. No wonder I was never a fan of her.
My 65 yr old mother who is a nurse has just tested positive for covid-19, she’s had to move out to quarantine alone as she lives with my sister who is an icu nurse, who is in isolation now and waiting on getting another swab test done to see if she can go back to work. It’s been very stressful for our family to say the least and to be away from each other also adds to that.
I love JA but a pandemic is not beautiful. It’s horrifying, thousands and thousands of dead people, thousands more in hospital. There are millions out of work which is nearly equal to the Great Depression of the 30s. Stupid people not wearing mask, police killing left and right and protected by their unions and a code of silence. I love JA but maybe she should not talk about herself sooo much in these terrifying times.
I know Jen took a gamble on a career that has a 1% success rate. PLEASE JUST SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP!!! You hit the lottery every day since you were 25.
This isn’t a poem, this isn’t lovely, people are dying and don’t have the means or financial safety blanket you do. It’s f’n scary and awful for most of us.
Plus her dad was a pretty big soap opera actor at the time…so she already had her foot in the door.
Everybody in Hollywood is related to somebody. I don’t think nepotism helped her. But she has had a phenomenal career playing herself in every movie.
I have to wonder how different social distancing/isolating during this pandemic is for Jennifer Aniston than her regular existence. She’s a self-described homebody and is uncomfortable with change and thus lives a pretty unvaried life (only vacations in Cabo, ate the same craft-table salad every single day when filming Friends). I think she goes to a gym but if I recall correctly, she also has a yoga instructor who’s come to her house for years to give her private classes. On top of that, no matter what she says about “The Good Girl,” she tends to choose projects and roles that are not particularly demanding, and require her to be on set for a mere 6 or 8 weeks at a time — and only one or two projects a year, for a grand total of a whopping 4 or so months of work out of 12. For which she makes millions of dollars.
This isn’t someone whose life has been impacted at all by COVID-19. That’s why she can toss out words like beautiful and unifying, and gloat about all the time she’s had to read. Honestly, what she said here is so ridiculous. And reminds me that I really need to stop reading interviews with wealthy celebrities about what they’re doing to get through this period.
I’m surprised her future self didn’t appear out of a time machine and wrestle her current self to the ground before she could give this interview.
@coco, oh man, LOLed hard at your comment. Thank you.
Why can’t they just say no to interviews vs doing it and just saying the dumbest things? It’s not that hard, just say no.
I cancelled this woman a long time ago. She has never had anything of substance to say. I guess if she’s not talking about her face regime she doesn’t know what to say.
I strongly disagree with Jennifer. She probably wanted to say something along the lines of times of calamity bringing out the best in people, but even that hasn’t really been true with all those anti-lockdown protests, politicization of mask wearing, Trump toddler drama, etc.
May I ask where do you live, lightpurple ? The death rate in my country is about 0,2% of all infected people and everybody that died was over 80…
Oh no Jen…. very tone deaf.
Also, you will always be Rachel… embrace it!
PS honk for Rose Byrne (Just finished Mrs America & she was fab in it, along with everyone else in the cast!)
If she were a good actress she could have moved beyond Rachel whatever her name is. She’s barely mediocre and boring af. Now she sounds completely tone-deaf.
On the cover of the magazine you only see actresses who only know them in the United States, in the world they are not very important. they are false…
Jen does sound clueless. I think some women who don’t have children get used to being wrapped up in themselves and become out of touch with the real world. The opposite side of the coin is they also deal with a lot of loneliness. Regardless, she CAN and SHOULD do better. As for the Rachel character, the show made her a multi millionaire…show some grace.
We need to let this extremely dated narrative that women who don’t have children eventually become these barren and lonely shrews who are secretly pining forever for that baby they never had. Or that they somehow evolve into these narcissists just because they’ve “never experienced a mothers love”. Stop perpetuating that ridiculousness that motherhood is supposed to be the be-all and end-all ultimate culminating experience in a woman’s life! 🤦♀️
To Cheryl: AuntieSef said “SOME women” and I agree to what she said.
She is too vain to play other roles. Most serious actresses are prepared to change their hair and wear different clothes she doesn’t she dresses and looks the same in all her films.
No. Only a privileged a-hole would say something like that after over 100k deaths. It’s been a nightmare for everyone. I had family members pass away from covid, so she can go @#$% herself.