Jennifer Aniston Watch

Prior to the start of 2007, Jen had said that she would take some downtime. Well, I don’t know about you, but my downtime doesn’t look like this! This year, our girl made some smart business decisions and won praise for her work both in front of and behind the camera. Furthermore, she has set herself up for a very exciting 2008, with two movies in the can and at least two more lined up. Here’s a rundown of what Jen’s been up to in the past 365 days:

People’s Choice! Jen started the year on a high note, winning the People’s Choice Award for Favorite Female Movie Star. She gave a gracious speech with just the right amount of good humor and showed why she is the people’s favorite.

Room 10 makes the rounds Jen’s directorial debut, filmed in the summer of 2006 for Glamour’s Reel Moments series, made its way around the festival circuit, earning a great deal of praise along the way. The film showed at venues that included SBIFF, Aspen Shortsfest, CineVegas (where it won the Short Film Jury Prize), and Palm Springs. This will without a doubt open up many behind-the-camera opportunities for Jen, should she choose to pursue them.

A Smart Move Early in the year, Jen watchers noticed that in many candids, Jen was seen carrying a bottle of Glaceau’s smartwater. In June, we found out that Jen was turning her passion into profit, appearing in billboards and magazine ads for the drink. Jen also invested in the company just before its sale to Coca-Cola, a move that landed Jen on the Forbes list of 2007’s savviest businesswomen.

GLAAD to be Dirty In March, Jen appeared on Courteney’s show Dirt in the Season 1 finale, titled Ita Missa Est. Jen played Tina Harrod, a rival magazine editor with whom Lucy had once had a “four-time thing.” This portrayal, along with Jen’s long history of participation in projects that challenge heteronormative convention, earned her this year’s GLAAD Vanguard Award.

Back On The Set The second half of the year brought a flurry of activity, film-wise. She joined the star-studded cast of He’s Just Not That Into You, and filmed her part in September. She then made her way to Oregon to film a very quirky part in the comedy Management. She has also signed on the dotted to star in Traveling with Aaron Eckhart and Marley & Me with Owen Wilson. Both are set to begin production in early 2008.

With that, I’d like to wish my readers a happy and healthy new year. See you in 2008!

Jennifer Aniston, year in review, films

Whether your nearest and dearest celebrate Christmas, Chanukah, Festivus, or just a December birthday, you are most likely looking for gifts right about now. Well, if you have a fellow Jen fan on your list, here are a few ideas (provided, of course, that your recipient does not already possess these items):

DVD’s

Dirt: Season 1 Here’s one that nobody has yet, as its release date is December 11. Not only does Jen’s costar and confidante Courteney star in this FX series, but Jen herself appears in the season finale as rival editor Tina Harrod. And yes, they kissed. This set is currently available for pre-order on Amazon, and it hits stores on Tuesday.

Office Space - Special Edition with Flair This cult classic was rereleased a couple of years ago with additional special features, including behind-the-scenes interviews and deleted scenes. Available on Amazon and anywhere DVD’s are sold.

Friends - The Complete Series Collection While the Frienatic on your list most likely already has all, or at least most, of the series on DVD, those who don’t will without a doubt regard this comprehensive, collectible 40-disk set as the ultimate Friends jackpot. Available on Amazon.

Decor

Rumor Has It poster Allposters.com carries this full-size, double sided poster - and promises delivery by December 24.

Derailed poster Poster Check Out carries this poster - as well as posters for Bruce Almighty and Along Came Polly.

Framed Rolling Stone cover This retro portrait of Jen and her Friends costars is framed for display - and also available for timely delivery.

Jennifer Aniston, gift ideas

Over the years, many of Jen’s costars and colleagues have had great things to say about her work ethic, professionalism, and kindness. Here are some examples:

Herschel Bleefeld: “In ‘Bruce Almighty’ I worked for the whole day with Jennifer Aniston and she was totally sweet to everyone and chatted, but I was way too intimidated to even say a word to her. At the end of the day … she said to me, ‘Even though we didn’t really get to talk, it was so nice to meet you.’ I left the set on cloud nine,” Source: new article

Bryan Adams: “We shot this photo in the back of a parking lot in Los Angeles. Jennifer is so lovely, she was on the set of her new film and was nearing the end of her day but there was an army waiting for her to get out of her trailer and into the car.”

Courteney Cox Arquette: “When she first arrived [on the set of Dirt] everyone was really quiet. It was like they were giving her respect and I was like, ‘This is my bud Jen. Come on people, let’s have some fun.’ And by day two everyone was more loose, and by day three we were having a ball.”

Doug Liman (who wanted to cast Jen in a film but didn’t get to): “The next year, Jennifer got Friends. I was like, You guys were idiots not to let me cast the person I wanted.”

Shirley MacLaine: “I’m really proud of her for the way she is handling this while also being an icon - if you can be one at 36 - of knowing what to do when you get trampled in public. Her emotional discipline is extraordinary, and I really want to compliment her for that.”

Debra Messing: “Jennifer is so lovely - you forget she’s famous after about three minutes of talking to her.”

Melissa George: “I love this girl so much. She was so good to me and she’s so beautiful in person. I can’t even get over that. When you see her physically, it makes sense. I was just like, ‘Yeah, perfect, great casting’.”

Jennifer Aniston, quotes, costars, work

Sooo, Jen’s long-awaited appearance on Dirt episode Ita Missa Est was last night, and she really rocked it! She appeared as Tina Harrod, a frienemy from Lucy’s past who one day shows up at the office of DirtNow. Disarmingly saccharine in her demeanor and famously committed to her partner and family, she provides a somewhat unflattering contrast to icy, lonely-at-the-top Lucy. Lucy fears that with DirtNow’s circulation suffering, her superiors view Tina’s catch-flies-with-honey approach as the solution (along with an ouster of Lucy herself). Tina does her part to assuage Lucy’s anxieties, but not without a few underhanded digs at Lucy’s personal and professional life. And yes, they kiss, as you can see here.

Jen’s portrayal was very clever; despite Tina’s surface sweetness you can see why the characters drifted (other than awkwardness over what Tina refers to as a “four-time thing”). Tina is a master at the backhanded compliment, which Lucy sees right through and visibly stews over. Meanwhile, it was refreshing to have a non-heteronormative model of the happy family woman; it is rare to see households headed by same-sex couples represented in popular culture.

Dirt, Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, rivalry, lesbian interest

It is now less than one week until Jen’s guest turn on Dirt airs, and the anticipation is steadily building. The first pictures from the set have surfaced:

Picture Source

Don’t forget to tune in on Tuesday at 10/9c to see Jen as Tina Harrod!

Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox Arquette, Dirt, FX

Excitement is building for Jen’s guest role on Dirt next month. In keeping with that spirit, Terry Armour of the Chicago Tribune brings us this tidbit:

Terry Armour

Cox: The job is dirty, but the kiss won’t be

Published February 25, 2007

Courteney Cox tells us that to prepare for her role as the powerful editor of a tabloid magazine in the FX show “Dirt,” she chatted with people in the business to get the, uh, dirt. “I understand how it works a little bit more and how important it is to get the shot and to compete with your rival magazines,” Cox said.

“But I’m definitely not more sympathetic.”

We had to know about that ballyhooed lip lock Cox has with a former “Friends” co-star on the season finale of “Dirt,” which airs Tuesdays. “Don’t expect too much,” Cox told Armour & Co. “Just expect gorgeous Jennifer Aniston on the show having some fun. But don’t make it about the kiss. I don’t want you to be disappointed.”

———-

tarmour@tribune.com

Also, the “Mike” rumor is swirling again. According to Extra TV, Jen denies the claims that she is invloved with a Dirt cameraman.

As we know, Jen’s friendships are very important to her, and her friendship with Courteney is famously so. They met in 1994, at the beginning of Friends, and have been inseparable ever since. Given that their early experience with sudden megastardom was shared, it is perhaps not surprising that they understand each other so well. In many ways, they complement each other in that each posesses traits that the other doesn’t. Jen has said, “Courteney’s a neat freak. And thank God, because my dressing room would be a mess if it wasn’t for her!”. Similarly, Courteney has said of Jen, “I was so jealous when I went to her house once and she was actually watching the sunset. She has a beautiful rose garden, and she takes things in. I’m too busy puttering and moving around. She has an amazing love of life.” However, the two women are incredibly similar in other ways. Jen has said of Couteney, “Courteney’s not stand-offish, she’s not threatened by women, and she doesn’t have to throw her womanliness all over you to show what kind of woman she is.” That could very easily be said of Jen herself.

It has been nearly 3 years since Friends ended, but their friendship remains as strong as ever. And on March 27, we will have the joy of watching them together onscreen once again, when Jen guest-stars as tabloid editor Tina Harrod on Courteney’s show Dirt. It has been reported that they share a kiss onscreen, although more of a peck than the full-on makeout session reported by gossips. Nevertheless, it’s perhaps fitting that Jen once said, “If we were lesbians, we would marry each other.” [Edited to clarify: They are not actually lesbians, Jen just plays one on Dirt]