Jennifer Aniston Watch

One of Jen’s costars in her upcoming film Management is Woody Harrelson, who plays Jango, a yogurt mogul (and yes, there is such a profession). He can be seen in Semi-Pro, coming out Friday, but many viewers came to know him during his days on Cheers; fittingly, his character was named Woody, and from then on everybody knew his name. Many years later, he made a brief return to the small screen with a turn on Will & Grace as Grace’s “bran flake” boyfriend Nathan, but he has firmly established himself as a cinematic presence, with memorable roles in Natural Born Killers and White Men Can’t Jump. Recently, he appeared in critical favorite No Country for Old Men, a film that triumphed at last weekend’s Academy Awards.

It’s a small world, and Hollywood’s even smaller; Woody is good friends with Jen’s soon-to-be costar Owen Wilson, who was recently spotted vacationing with Woody and his wife Laura! The group hit locales that included Maui and Peru; the trip to Peru was of particular significance, as Owen and Woody paid a visit to an orphanage there that they support. Woody also spends time in Jen’s social circle; in a recent interview with ReelzChannel to promote Semi-Pro, Woody shared a very sweet (if somewhat odd) story from the time he has spent with Jen:

“I was at this party in Malibu at Courteney Cox’s house, and it was so funny because I was freezing,” recounts Harrelson. “I was barefoot. Now I won’t say how I came to be barefoot, but Jennifer Aniston was so nice. She was like, ‘You’re freezing! You must be so cold.’ She’s very maternal that way. And I’m like, ‘Yeah, I’m a bit cold.’ So she takes her boots off and then takes her socks and gives them to me.”

“So these are my ‘Jen’ socks,” he declares. “And they’ve become kind of my lucky socks.”

Like the “lucky” socks, it does seem that everything that Jen touches turns to gold, and I am sure that Management will be no exception. It is set for release on September 19.

As many anticipated, Jen did attend this weekend’s Night Before The Oscars party, held at the Beverly Hills Hotel on Saturday night, as one of the event’s hosts. According to Variety, the evening was a huge success, raising $6 million for the Motion Picture & Television Fund. Abiding by the motto “taking care of our own,” MPTF is an organization dedicated to meeting the health and social needs of those working in the entertainment industry and their families. Jen was one of many, many stars in attendance that evening, and she kept company with many friends and costars at the bash; in fact, the evening’s guest list read like a game of Six Degrees of Jen! Some notable faces in the crowd:

Christina Applegate (Amy on Friends)
Courteney Cox & David Arquette
The Break-Up costar Jason Bateman
James Burrows (director of some early Friends episodes)
Sacha Baron Cohen
Kristin Davis (Erin on Friends)
Laura Dern
Cameron Diaz
Traveling costar Aaron Eckhart
Melissa Etheridge
He’s Just Not That Into You costar Ginnifer Goodwin
Former Plan B partner Brad Grey
The Good Girl costar Jake Gyllenhaal
The Object of My Affection costar Allison Janney
Universal exec Ron Meyer
Along Came Polly costar Ben Stiller
Derailed executive producer Harvey Weinstein

Meanwhile, the gossips among us have already discussed who was not there, so it would be redundant of me to discuss that as well. Ultimately, what matters is that a lovely time was had by all, as money was raised for a wonderful cause.

According to Variety, Marley & Me has a new release date. It will open on December 25, 2008, making it a Christmas Day release like Rumor Has It three years before it. Even though they say not to act with animals or children, this flick will have to break both of those rules, and it will be all the more heartwarming for it. It will without a doubt resonate with families who have gathered for the December holidays.

Word has also surfaced of a definite schedule for filming to begin. According to articles such as this one, production is set to begin on March 10 in Miami. This is costar Owen Wilson’s first film since his August suicide attempt, and it is my hope that he is able to enjoy good health and happiness as he returns to once again light up the screen.

Last night brought some unfortunate news; Bryce Norwood, the boy who appeared with Jen in the most recent St. Jude’s Thanks and Giving campaign, passed away yesterday at the age of 6. From the Shreveport Times:

Bryce Norwood’s mother knew today would be the day her 6-year-old son would go to Heaven.

The boy with the infectious zest for life crammed into so short a span succumbed at about noon to the cancer that has ravaged his body off and on for about 18 months.

Deepest condolences go out to his family and friends at this difficult time.

In the spirit of Valentine’s Day, here are some of the things that we’ve learned about love from Jen’s movies:

It’s the little things that count
In a famous scene from The Break-Up, Jen’s character Brooke notices that her boyfriend Gary has brought home three lemons instead of the twelve that she requested, and she is not pleased; this misstep is later worked into their knock-down, drag-out, break-up fight later in the evening. While something this small seems like a petty arguing point, it is not when it is a mere example of one partner’s pattern of behavior. Every day is a chance to show that you care.

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Traveling

Look at that woman in the picture above (and in other on-set pictures at PopSugar); is it even possible that she’s 39 years old? Well, believe it; today, Jen celebrates her 39th birthday! Here’s to a year filled with many things as beautiful as Jen herself, and here’s to many, many more.

Beth of Astrology Explored has the following to say about Aquarians like our birthday girl:

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With the many movies that Jen currently has in production or already in the can, Jen fans can look forward to her making plenty of public appearances later in the year. He’s Just Not That Into You, Management, and Marley & Me are all set to come out this year, with Traveling set for its release early next year, and with that, we can be certain that Jen will be a very busy woman, and that she will look fabulous all the while.

I for one am very interested to see what statements she makes on the red carpet this year. As seen above, she is very fond of the classic little black dress, but there are only so many LBD’s a woman can wear! In the past, she’s branched out by wearing various light neutrals, and even the occasional showstopping red dress. One of my personal favorite looks for Jen is a more ethereal look, like she opted for at the 2004 Emmys. In coming months, there just may be a suitable opportunity for her to make yet another stunning statement like that.

More casual appearances, such as press conferences, call for polish, and in her casual style Jen certainly delivers that, as she has always favored sophisticated basics in her everyday wardrobe. She is also very consistent in her approach to red carpet beauty, and upcoming appearances will likely prove no exception. Whether straight or wavy, she usually wears her hair down for public appearances, although the few updos she’s tried have been lovely as well. And she always opts for a minimal, classy approach with the makeup, letting her natural beauty carry whatever she’s wearing.

So tell me: what do you think she’ll be wearing on the red carpet this year?

Special thanks to Caity for the heads-up!

It seems like it’s been ages since we first heard about Jen’s involvement in Oprah’s Big Give; indeed, a look through the archives confirms that it has been the better part of a year, and with other recent excitement, it is one project that seems to have fallen off the radar of some Jen fans. However, a recent advertisement and addition to the ABC website confirms that the show is set to premiere on March 2nd, with Jen making a special appearance; check out the commercial here.

This advertisement also clarifies any confusion about the format of the show, which in early news items was somewhat unclear; some seemed to suggest that Jen and other celebrities would actually be among the contestants, when in fact her role in the program is slightly different. The premise of the show is to “give big or go home”. Contestants will be given a sum of money, with the task of finding the most effective way of helping others with it. It seems that Jen, along with other celebs including John Travolta and Jada Pinkett Smith, will be on hand to surprise the contestants as they progress through the competition and participate in escalating challenges across the country, while Jen’s friend Jamie Oliver is on the judging panel. At the end of the show, the biggest giver will be surprised with one million dollars!

Looks like a unique premise, and definitely something to look forward to! Be sure to tune in! More screencaps of the advertisement under the jump.

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Jen may have played a copywriter in Picture Perfect, but in real life, Jen has taken a more front-and-center role in many campaigns over the years. Most recently, she partnered up with Glaceau in promoting smartwater, and even more notably, her investment in the company was noted as one of the savviest business moves of last year. However, she has been the face of many brands, albeit overseas more often than not. Read on for a sampling of Jen’s commercial work:

2004 Election: Although Jen’s support of Obama has made news in the past year, this is not the first time that she has had an active voice in political matters. In 2004, Jen appeared in a simple, hard-hitting PSA that encouraged single women in the U.S. to vote in the upcoming presidential elections.

Public Service Announcement

Barclaycard: In 2004, Jen appeared in a series of quirky ads for this British credit card company. Ever wanted to see Jen try her hand at beekeeping? Here’s your chance.

Ad 1 - “Guys are just too much”

Ad 2 - “Beekeeping”

Ad 3 - “Pottery class”

Heineken: This 2003 ad aired in many overseas markets. Many of the more vertically challenged among us can sympathize with Jen’s predicament in this ad - the Heineken is on the top shelf, again. Of course, the guy down the aisle can reach it - for himself.

Heineken ad

L’Oreal: Although Jen once said that she would not advertise hair care products in the U.S., this did not stop her from doing so overseas. Here it is - the infamous Elvive commercial.