Jennifer Aniston Watch

Management is the one of Jen’s upcoming movies about which perhaps the least is known. During filming, set pictures were few and far between, and despite extensive searching, I still have not found out the name of Jen’s character! What is known is that in this film, Jen plays a traveling saleswoman whose one-night stand with a motel manager (another nameless wonder) leads to a more persistent pursuit, as he then follows her in her travels. All this, despite the fact that that she is otherwise involved with yogurt mogul Jango, played by Woody Harrelson.

This gentleman, who may either be a hopeless romantic or just hopeless, is played by Steve Zahn, a versatile actor who got his start on the stage, first in his local theater in Minnesota and then in New York City. The Harvard alum went on to play memorable roles in Reality Bites (a personal favorite of mine), That Thing You Do!, and Saving Silverman. He has actually shared the screen with Jen twice prior to their most recent endeavor; not only did he make a hilarious turn on Friends as Phoebe’s secret husband (maybe it was Jen’s neat bird-in-a-pot trick that piqued his interest), but he also appeared in The Object Of My Affection as George’s brother Frank.

Steve has been a busy man lately. In addition to Management, he has also recently wrapped upcoming releases Calvin Marshall and Night Train and is currently filming A Perfect Getaway. We will see plenty from him in coming months, and I am very much looking forward to that!

David Schwimmer at the New York premiere of Run, Fatboy, Run on March 24

After honing his skills during the Friends days, Jen’s onscreen “lobster” has made his feature film directorial debut with Run, Fatboy, Run, a comedy in which Dennis (played by Simon Pegg) clumsily attempts to win back the affections of Libby (Thandie Newton), the woman whom he’d previously dumped at the altar - while pregnant. Also appearing in the film, as Libby’s new love interest, is Hank Azaria; not only did he play Phoebe’s “scientist guy” love interest on Friends, but he took a hilarious turn in Along Came Polly as clothing-averse scuba instructor Claude.

David recently did an interview with The Onion’s A.V. Club about his directing experience on Friends, the challenges that were particular to this shoot, and his approach towards future work. The interview is a very interesting read; I particularly enjoyed reading what he had to say about public perception of his post-Friends work:

I just said to myself, “Stop thinking about it. You can’t change people when they want to think something, or when they want to believe something.” So I just decided then, I was just going to do what I wanted.

Run, Fatboy, Run is now showing in select theaters.

New York’s holiday festivities are noted the world over, so it’s no surprise that a show set there would mark the season in a festive way. The backdrop of a New York winter, combined with the Friends’ own religious and cultural traditions, ensured that viewers often enjoyed memorable holiday episodes. Here is a sampling of Friends celebrations of Christmas, Chanukah, and other December holidays over the years:

Season 1 - TOW The Monkey This episode centers around the New Year’s Eve bash at Monica’s and the not-so-gradual dissolution of the Friends’ “no-date pact.” In a Christmas-themed twist, Joey meets his date (a single mom) while working as a department-store elf. Meanwhile, Phoebe brings David, Chandler brings Janice (of course), and Ross brings Marcel.

Season 2 - TOW Phoebe’s Dad Monica throws a holiday party in her very own sauna after the knob on her radiator breaks; meanwhile, holiday tipping becomes a source of tension. Meanwhile, Chandler and Joey, who accompany Phoebe on her quest to meet her dad, return with some rather unconventional Christmas presents for the gang.

Season 3 - TOW Rachel Quits In this episode, Joey gets a job selling Christmas trees, while Ross lands his own gig selling Christmas cookies to help a little girl meet her sales goals.

Season 4 - TOW The Girl From Poughkeepsie This season’s festivities were limited to a very unique Phoebe song, in which all of her friends were included (albeit in rather unusual fashion).

Season 5 - TOW All The Resolutions The Friends make New Year’s resolutions - and Rachel’s resolution not to gossip comes at a most inconvenient time.

Season 6 - TOW The Routine Rachel and Phoebe enlist Chandler’s help in searching for Monica’s Christmas presents, while Joey, Monica and Ross bust a move on the set of Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve.

Season 7 - TOW The Candy & TOW The Holiday Armadillo Monica kicks off the holiday season by making festive candy for the neighbors - who still don’t know her name. Then, Ross suits up as the Holiday Armadillo to teach Ben about Chanukah, and incorporates Santa and Superman in the lesson. Meanwhile, Phoebe shows off her prized Christmas skull, which serves as a reminder that “even though it’s Christmas, people still die.”

Season 8 - TOW The Creepy Holiday Card Ross and Mona’s relationship is progressing at warp speed - or at least that’s what the card would have you believe.

Season 9 - TOW Christmas In Tulsa Spending Christmas away from Monica leads Chandler to realize his priorities for the future.

No holiday episode in Season 10.

Friends, Christmas, Chanukah, New Year’s, Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc, Matthew Perry, David Schwimmer

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

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

As I have previously noted on many an occasion, some of the best Friends episodes took place on this holiday. Not only does it effectively trap the Friends in a room together, but it often gets family in on the act as well, which as we know, can yield some rather awkward situations. So with that, I’d like to know which Friends Thanksgiving was your favorite?

Season 1 - TOW Underdog Gets Away Various circumstances lead all the Friends to spend Thanksgiving as a group.

No Thanksgiving episode in season 2

Season 3 - TOW All The Football The Friends hilariously compete for the Geller Cup.

Season 4 - TOW Chandler In A Box While the rest of the Friends feast, Chandler learns a very important lesson (all mooning aside).

Season 5 - TOW The Thanksgiving Flashbacks The Friends remember Thanksgivings past (and in Phoebe’s case, past lives).

Season 6 - TOW Ross Got High Ross is forced to come clean about his college transgressions (and a whole lot else).

Season 7 - TOW Chandler Hates Dogs Phoebe’s been hiding a furry friend, and Rachel’s been hiding her crush on Tag.

Season 8 - TOW The Rumor Brad Pitt, the hermaphrodite cheerleader from Long Island, and a lot of turkey for Joey.

Season 9 - TOW Rachel’s Other Sister Amy instigates a rather heated dinner conversation.

Season 10 - TOW The Late Thanksgiving The Floating Heads beg forgiveness for their late arrival.

I would like to wish my readers a very happy Thanksgiving! Here’s hoping it doesn’t involve divorce or projectile vomiting (a la Chandler).

Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc, Matthew Perry, David Schwimmer, Friends, Thanksgiving

All good things must come to an end, and the series that brought Jen to many millions of fans the world over was no exception. After ten years, it became time for both the cast and the characters to move on with their lives, and move on they did, with Joey moving to LA and Monica and Chandler opting for adoption and a house in the suburbs. Of course, what would become of Ross and Rachel? The show and its brilliant writers left us hanging on that one until the very end . . .

TOW The Home Study A trip to the park with Emma reveals Rachel’s swing-phobia; as it turns out, a childhood run-in with the swings left the perennially well-coiffed Rachel in something of a hairy situation. Meanwhile, Phoebe and Mike face a moral dilemma regarding their wedding funds. Finally, Monica and Chandler do everything they can to impress their adoption social worker - but Joey’s womanizing ways provide an unexpected (and hilarious) obstacle.

TOW The Late Thanksgiving This strong episode wrapped up the grand tradition of Friends Thanksgivings rather nicely. Hell hath no fury like Monica scorned, as the other Friends, except for Chandler, are all very late for Thanksgiving dinner. The gang’s antics while locked on opposite sides of the door are nothing short of genius; the “floating heads” were the source of great hilarity. At the end, though, all was forgiven and forgotten, as Monica and Chandler got a phone call that made them very, very happy.

TOW Phoebe’s Wedding Phoebe’s nuptials to Mike are going according to plan . . . a very strict plan, as Monica’s in charge. Her taskmaster ways during the rehearsal dinner lead to Phoebe firing her, then rehiring her. But things are about to get a bit frosty - literally, as the biggest blizzard of the season has hit New York. A frantic change of plan leads to a winter wonderland wedding outside Central Perk. Vows were exchanged, and they lived happily ever after. Well, Phoebe and Mike did anyway . . .

The Last One The event you’ve all been waiting for; viewers dropped everything to see how the series would end.

Spoiler under the jump - in case you didn’t know:
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For 10 years, we watched her give the character of Rachel Green heart and humor, and we even saw her take home Emmy gold in 2002 (above). Now, according to Entertainment Weekly, it’s official: Jen’s a TV icon. The publication has just released a list of the 50 greatest television icons, and Jen placed 39th on the list; her charm and natural comic ability are cited as deciding factors in her selection for this honor.

TV Land will air a corresponding special on Friday at 8/7c; viewers can anticipate seeing profile segments on each of the top 50. Meanwhile, the full list can be seen here; others on the list include Lucille Ball, Oprah Winfrey, and David Letterman, with Johnny Carson topping the list. Congratulations to all who make an appearance!

Entertainment Weekly, TV icons, lists, Jennifer Aniston

Season 9 saw new mother Rachel struggling with the demands of her new role, while at the same time navigating her increasingly complicated relationship with Ross. The pair struggled with understanding one another’s intentions, when in fact both had the aim of simply doing what was best for their new family. Meanwhile, Monica and Chandler’s attempts to start a family of their own lead to heartbreak, as Chandler begins a new career in advertising. For all of the angst, however, this season did provide its fair share of comic relief. Here are some of the more notable episodes:

TOW The Male Nanny In looking for a caretaker for Emma, Ross and Rachel interview a young man named Sandy, who shows remarkable sensitivity. While Rachel is a fan of Sandy’s unconventional approach, Ross is not as forward-thinking. Meanwhile, Phoebe gets a surprise visit from “scientist guy” David, and Monica hits Chandler where it hurts: the joke department.

TOW Ross’s Inappropriate Song Ross inadvertently comes up with a rather, er, bootylicious way to make Emma laugh. Rachel is not amused - until she tries it. Meanwhile, in one of Lisa Kudrow’s finest comic performances, Phoebe meets Mike’s uptight, wealthy parents; her attempts to ingratiate herself become the stuff of comic gold. Meanwhile, before Paris had her tape, Richard had his - much to Chandler’s dismay.

TOW Rachel’s Other Sister Our Green family portrait is complete, as we meet Amy, Rachel’s utterly oblivious sister. Amy drops by for a hair straightener, but ends up with an invite to Thanksgiving dinner, where she engages the Friends in a morbid debate over who would have custody of Emma should the unthinkable happen. This results in the mother of all sisterly catfights - and affirmation of Chandler’s ability to stand firm when the going gets tough.

TOW The Lottery The ensemble was always strongest when stuck in a room together, and this episode proves no exception. The Friends buy tickets for the Powerball lottery, and as they await the results, chaos ensues, thanks to Monica’s competitive nature and the unfortunate arrival of Scary Pigeon. Meanwhile, Emma says her first word, and her unusual choice thrills Ross to no end.

Friends, season 9, Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc, Matthew Perry, David Schwimmer

Certainly the season to attract the most critical attention, Season 8 brought us the storyline of Rachel’s pregnancy, as well as the romantic complications that ensued. Not only do we find out that Ross is the father of Rachel’s child, but in a controversial twist, Joey confesses his love for Rachel. Meanwhile, Monica and Chandler navigate the realities of married life, and Phoebe . . . is Phoebe. A look at some of Season 8’s most noteworthy episodes:

The One After “I Do” This episode, picking up where Season 7’s finale leaves off, resolves the cliffhanger that revealed that the positive pregnancy test was, in fact, Rachel’s. As the truth is revealed to Monica and Phoebe, Rachel realizes the impact of this outcome, and eventually not only accepts this development but embraces it. Jen gives one of many great performances in this episode, realistically portraying the mix of emotions that a woman in Rachel’s situation would experience.

The One Where Rachel Tells . . . Thanks to a conveniently placed red sweater, everybody knows that Ross is the father of Rachel’s child - except for Ross himself, that is. She approaches him to rectify that, and the response that she gets is . . . perhaps not what she hoped. However, Ross eventually emerges from his catatonic state and is supportive, although he and Rachel clash on what support entails. The pair’s scene at the OBGYN office is simultaneously one of the most touching and hilarious moments of the series.

The One With The Videotape This episode provides a flashback to the “bonus night” on which Ross and Rachel conceived their child. Ross, in practicing his seduction techniques, accidentally videotapes the encounter. Rachel finds this appalling, but she quickly engages in the “who came on to whom” debate. As it turns out, both parties favor a particular seduction story - one that both can trace back to Joey.

The One With The Rumor As Friends Thanksgivings tend to be, this was among the strongest episodes of the season, but this one attracted quite a bit of attention, as it featured Jen’s then-husband Brad Pitt. He appeared as a Lincoln High alum who cofounded the “I Hate Rachel Green” club with Ross, and it is revealed that the club started a rather unflattering rumor about what Rachel had underneath that cheerleading uniform. While certain offscreen circumstances have since changed, this episode remains thoroughly entertaining.

The One Where Rachel Has A Baby The title says it all - in this episode, we welcome baby Emma, and a fair amount of drama along with her. Rachel goes through the longest labor in the history of labors, and the presence of Janice at the hospital does not make it any easier. Once Emma has, at long last, come into the world, Rachel becomes nervous about the upcoming challenge of single motherhood, and Joey’s attempts to comfort her lead to a rather unfortunate misunderstanding - involving a wedding ring and a bended knee.

Friends, Season 8, Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc, Matthew Perry, David Schwimmer, Brad Pitt, cliffhanger

Even though Jen has always shined onscreen, it was her work during season 8 of Friends that really showed critics just what she is capable of. Throughout Rachel’s pregnancy storyline, Jen infused the role with the appropriate emotional depth and just the right amount of good humor, and captured perfectly the journey of a young woman unexpectedly pregnant by the man who would ultimately prove to be the love of her life. In September of 2002, she was presented with a well-deserved Emmy, and a few months later, she received a Golden Globe for her performance as well.

At that time, Jen was nursing a broken toe, having had an unfortunate run-in with an ottoman at home. However, just as she had at the People’s Choice Awards a week earlier, Jen managed to put her best foot forward anyway. She wore a glittering black halter dress (just long enough to cover her boot), with a cane to match. She completed the look with a sleek ponytail and dramatic makeup. She arrived fashionably late (thanks to the traffic) and spent very little time on the red carpet, but when her win was announced just a moment later, she made her way up to the stage and accepted her award with charm and good humor. Here’s what she later told Allure about the evening:

I was a blithering, stuttering idiot that night. No eloquence at all. The dress was falling apart. I couldn’t keep my boobs in it. My toe was still broken. The traffic was awful. Mine was the first award up. We had barely sat down when they called my name. You know what it is finally: I realize how silly all this is.

As she often does, Jen played it modest, but given the circumstances, she did very well that night. Jen has always had grace under fire, and many would say that that is one of the secrets to her staying power.

Jennifer Aniston, Golden Globes 2003

More responses:

From Bella:

I would like to know what ever happened to Voxxy? and why did Jen never direct an episode of ‘Friends’ anymore?

Ahhh, dear sweet Voxxy. I was bummed about its demise as well. Seems it just didn’t have the audience that was anticipated. As for your other question, Jen’s directorial intentions were, no pun intended, derailed by film scheduling. Filming of The Good Girl cut into her opportunity to direct a season 7 episode. Then, in season 9, she was tentatively scheduled to direct again, but filming the show simultaneously with Bruce Almighty and Along Came Polly did not afford her the opportunity.

From Sue:

I would like to know if she is still close to her other Friends cast members - not just Courtney?

Thanks Erin x

She has only been spotted out with Courteney recently, but given the close bonds she formed on the set, it is reasonable to guess that she has more privately maintained contact with other cast members.

Jennifer Aniston, Friends, Voxxy, directing

During her Friends days, Jen was a regular at the Emmy Awards, as she and the series had garnered many nominations (and a few wins) over the years. So a few months after the series ended, September of 2004 brought Jen’s final Emmy appearance for Friends, as she was nominated once again for Lead Actress in a Comedy Series.

With the show over, Jen focused on film; at the time, she was filming Rumor Has It, and she was slated to begin work on Derailed soon after. And in true film-star style, she brought a sophisticated glamour to the red carpet. Her beautiful beaded Chanel gown was complimented by long, flowing locks and a golden glow. Cliche though it may be, I’ll say it anyway: She looked like a Greek goddess.

Jennifer Aniston, Emmy Awards 2004, photos, fashion, flashback

While Jen doesn’t have any children in real life, judging by her onscreen roles, she’d be a natural. She has often played the part of a mother or expectant mother, and always brings warmth and realism to the part. Here is a sampling of such roles (some may be spoilerish):

Friends At the end of season 7, it was revealed that Rachel was expecting, and a season later, she and Ross welcomed Emma. The remainder of the series saw Rachel juggling the demands of parenting with work, love, and life.

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In the past several years, Jen has been a reliable presence at the People’s Choice Awards, as she is a perennial fan favorite, along with her fellow Friends. Today, having made the transition to film, she continues to shine, most recently receiving the award for Favorite Female Movie Star. Here are some pictures from PCA’s past:

1995 Jen and her castmates celebrate a win for Favorite New Series.

2000 Friends is going strong, and boasts a win for Favorite Comedy Series.

2001 Friends continues its hot streak, and Jen starts one of her own, with her first of many Favorite Female Television Performer wins.

2002 Jen wasn’t present to pick up her award this year, but she accepted with a taped speech (she was at Sundance for The Good Girl).

2003 It takes talent to look fashionable while injured, but Jen, nursing a broken toe, did exactly that while accepting her third consecutive PCA. Matthew Perry, ever the gentleman, helped her to the stage.

2004 Jen was again unable to attend the awards, but she once again showed her appreciation with a taped speech.

2007 The success of The Break-Up made Jen a front-runner for this year’s Favorite Female Movie Star award. Her speech, in which she said, “Thank you for loving The Break-Up, I did,” was regarded by many as a highlight of the evening, and her light, airy Versace dress was a fashion favorite.

People’s Choice, Jennifer Aniston, Friends, The Break-Up