Jennifer Aniston Watch

Yesterday, I met one of the stars of Marley & Me - one of the four-legged stars, that is! Chicago pet store Tails In The City hosted a meet-and-greet with Jonah, one of the yellow labs who plays Marley in the flick, and I was there, along with many curious onlookers!

Jonah was remarkably well-behaved, in contrast to his onscreen alter ego. According to NBC Chicago’s interview with trainer Larry Madrid, Jonah mostly played Marley in the film’s emotional scenes, and clearly, he was ideally suited for those parts of the film. Jonah was very calm, even in a room full of excited dog lovers, and he very obediently took the trainer’s instruction. And yes, he posed for photos!

So where are the human stars? While Owen goes for a swim with his own furry friend Garcia, Jen has hit the Big Apple for promotional appearances. She’s made time for fun, too - PopSugar has adorable pics of Jen and John taking a walk after dinner at La Esquina. Just a reminder - Jen’s on Conan tonight!

The real-life Grogans have been in on the excitement, too - on his blog, John Grogan talks about his family’s experience at the Marley & Me premiere last week - and speaks highly of Jen and Owen’s performances! He also shares some pictures from the premiere. Early reviews so far indicate that the film is at turns funny and touching - much like the book, and much like life itself. I know that I am looking forward to seeing this movie for myself!

As John’s tour moved on to its North American leg in recent days, he and Jen have evaded the paps - but fan sightings of the pair have been plentiful! The first stop on the tour was Milwaukee’s Summerfest - and according to People, Jen and John arrived together in style:

The happy couple arrived at the city’s annual Summerfest music festival at around 5:30 p.m. Aniston – wearing black flip flops, a polka dot skirt and a white tank top – and Mayer stepped off the tour bus holding hands, said one festival employee.

“They looked cute together,” said the worker. “And she looked like she wasn’t trying too hard, like she was just being herself.”

During his performance, John also addressed the myriad (often ridiculous) rumors surrounding his personal life:

Mayer made no direct comment about his special Friend, but he did address the constant media attention he’s gotten lately. “Let me tell you, if it happened on the Internet, it didn’t really happen,” he said. “I’m going to scour the Internet for the most vulgar things people have written about me and I am going to a make a record, I swear.”

People also reports that at his next stop, in Maryland Heights, MO, John had even more fun at the expense of gossips the world over:

Instead, he playfully peppered his nearly two-hour concert with dubious confessions designed to feed those who were curious about his private life: He fears the color green. He weighed 400 pounds when he was 12. He wrote the lyrics to the Kenny Loggins hit “Danger Zone” – at age 9. And he was “33 percent done” with building a time machine.

“When I was a child I would kill small animals and wear their teeth as necklaces,” he deadpanned. “True. Print that. And I’ve always felt deep down that I was born a woman.”

Fans spotted Jen in the audience during the pre-show soundcheck, but it seems that she relocated during the actual show. As the pair left the show, fans approached them for autographs! According to Chicago Red Eye’s Eye Contact, John opted not to give autographs, but Jen did give autographs to several lucky fans after asking John’s permission - she didn’t want to steal his thunder, but he gave her the go-ahead.

John’s next show was in Indiana, and on July 4th, Casey of Moosh In Indy fame saw Jen and John enjoying a low-key lunch at Shapiro’s deli! It seems that even celebs appreciate good pastrami. She didn’t get a pic - but her story is very entertaining.

Most recently, they hit the Rothbury festival in Michigan, an eco-friendly festival held at the Double JJ Ranch. From the Detroit News:

Jennifer Aniston is at Rothbury…

But something tells me she’s not camping for the weekend. Aniston showed up to watch her beau John Mayer’s set, and she’s standing side stage in a floral print dress. Backstage security is tight — so tight, even the Double JJ owners are locked out of the on-stage area.

Finally, much has been made of Jen’s resemblance to John’s opening act Colbie Caillat. That friendly smile, that lovely long hair . . . what do you think?

As we all know by now, Tuesday night’s scene on West Gay Street in West Chester, PA attracted a lot of attention. Well, I have happily had the opportunity to interview one of the many dedicated souls who stuck around to see filming in action. As a German major and film minor at nearby West Chester University, Ashley seized the opportunity to watch the production of a major motion picture, and she was rewarded for her tenacity, as she not only got to watch the work behind all that movie magic, but she also saw Jen and Owen! She was kind enough to share her experience with me, along with video footage (above) and photos (under the jump). Without any further ado, here is my interview with Ashley!

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According to recent reports, Jen has been quite the social butterfly lately! In recent weeks, she has been spotted mingling with lots of people, from friends to fans, and remaining down-to-earth all the while.

While filming Management, Jen took the time to meet a very special fan. According to The National Ledger, Jen met with Isaiah Beeson, an 8-year-old with brittle bone disease. When Jen learned that Isaiah wanted to meet her, she made arrangements for the boy to be brought to the set. She signed a photo for him and according to relatives, Isaiah remarked that Jen was “super nice.” No surprises there, but it’s always nice to hear of her kindness with fans.

Monsters And Critics reports that last week, Jen took a trip to New York City to attend a reunion at the Rudolf Steiner School. As previously mentioned, Jen discovered her passion for acting while attending the Steiner School, and it seems that she also formed many close friendships. A fellow alum reported that “Jennifer was really happy to see everybody. She didn’t play the star and was genuinely interested in finding out how everyone else’s lives had turned out.” Once again, while this is not surprising, it’s always nice to hear.

Finally, Jen was spotted back in Malibu over the weekend; video posted at x17 Online shows Jen leaving a gathering at the Arquette residence. Fellow guests included Scott Caan, Sacha Baron Cohen, Isla Fisher, and baby Olive. However, on a less festive note, other footage shows Jen evacuating her beach house this weekend with Norman and Dolly in tow. Here’s hoping that all Malibu residents are safe from this current round of wildfires.

Jennifer Aniston, Management, Isaiah Beeson, fan stories, Rudolf Steiner School, reunion, Courteney Cox Arquette, David Arquette, Sacha Baron Cohen, Isla Fisher, Scott Caan, Malibu wildfires

Even though Courteney Cox is known to have a passion for interior design, it is Jen who treated Court’s daughter Coco to a room redo, according to Janet Charlton’s Hollywood. The doting godmother splurged on child-sized versions of modern pieces by Eero Saarinen and Mies Van Der Rohe, and chose carpeting and other items to compliment the new furniture. With Jen’s impeccable taste, the end product was, most likely, amazing. Coco is a lucky little girl!

According to Oregon’s Willamette Week, Jen may be treating herself next. Portland’s Fashion Week kicks off today, featuring pieces from local designers with a focus on environmental savvy. As Jen is currently in the area filming Management, it is not entirely implausible that she might make an appearance, even though she has said in the past that fashion shows are not something that she typically enjoys. This event looks to be a bit more low-key than many fashion shows, and what better way to take in all that Oregon has to offer? Stay tuned.

She’s already been winning them over, though; according to PoppyandIvy, Jen has been dining out around Portland, and unsurprisingly, she has charmed waitstaff and fellow diners with her easygoing demeanor. Furthermore, although there haven’t been any new pics of Jen on the set since last week, filming has continued to take place. Flynet brings us some very amusing shots of Steve Zahn playing volleyball with a group of Buddhist monks. Furthermore, word on the street is that Jen plays soccer in a scene, although as previously stated, there is no photographic evidence of this. This is certainly shaping up to be an interesting project, though!

Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Coco Arquette, Management, Steve Zahn, Portland Fashion Week

To kick off the fan interviews, I spoke with Caity, a 17-year-old student from Chicago. A relative newcomer to the Jen fan scene, she has been a fan for about two years; nevertheless, she knows her stuff and is very enthusiastic! Here is what she had to say (under the jump):
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Wrapping it up . . .

From Maria:

I would like to know about Jen’s personality. Through her movies and tvshow, and interviews she looks sweet and funy, but I will like to know more about how she really is.

Thanks

Based on my own experience, I’d say that your impression is correct. She is very thoughtful, and incredibly kind with fans and colleagues. On the set of The Break-Up, she happily took photos with crew members, and was very friendly with extras. Her longer-lasting relationships speak volumes; I of course saw her closeness with Chris in action, and the loyalty she inspires in her entire circle of friends speaks to what a wonderful thing it is to be her friend. And funny? She kept pace with the famously hysterical Vince Vaughn. Not a whole lot more needs to be said there.

From Kathy Bear:

I would like to know-how does she keep under the radar for so long of a time.I’d like to know her “disappearing” or “evasive” tactics on advoiding the media and paps….

First of all, she is something of a homebody. In interviews, she has said that she can stay at her house for days at a time without leaving, and certainly with her means, goods and services can come to her if need be. However, another factor in her “disappearing” tendencies is simply her unassuming presence. When she does go out, she isn’t particularly flashy, and in person she’s a normal (albeit beautiful) woman and it almost strikes the observer as an afterthought that she just so happens to be famous. So unless the paparazzi know where to look for her (which they still often do), she can slip out without too many people creating a fuss.

Jennifer Aniston, fan encounters, The Break-Up, paparazzi

Today I’d like to hear from you: Are you a copycat?

- Is smartwater suddenly your beverage of choice?
- Do you buy other products knowing that Jen uses them?
- Cliche though it may be, have you ever brought her picture to the salon?

You can tell me, I won’t tell a soul . . . well, that doesn’t quite work out on a blog, lol. But being guilty of, well, some of the above, I can’t exactly cast stones. So let’s hear it!

Jennifer Aniston, fans, fashion, beauty, brand names

Jen is known to be gracious with her fans, as I and many others can attest. Here’s a particularly sweet story, from Cincinnati’s Enquirer newspaper:

Jennifer Aniston with members of the dance team from Starmaker Dance Studio in Delhi Township in Chicago, 2005.

“Several of the members of Starmaker’s dance team met Jennifer Aniston while in Chicago attending a national dance competition in the summer of 2005,” writes Michelle Westerfeld of Harrison, the mother of one of the dancers, Maggie .

“Jennifer was there filming ‘The Break-Up.’ The girls talked the security personnel into asking Jennifer to come out and meet them. The best part of the story is how nice she was to the girls. She was in no hurry to get away from them - (she) talked to them for quite a while. She even agreed to watch them dance, but her security guards said no.”

Left to right: Carlin Ram of Bridgetown, Kacey Willis of Dayton, Maggie Westerfield of Harrison, Priya Ram of Bridgetown, Anna Flinchbaugh of Bridgetown, Allison Mercurio of Delhi, Abbey Watson and Chris Flinchbaugh, both of Bridgetown.

Stories like this make me smile; Jen made their trip to Chicago a memorable one!

Jennifer Aniston, Chicago, fan encounters