Jennifer Aniston Watch

Last night, Marc Malkin of E!’s Planet Gossip brightened my week immensely. Not only did he reveal that Jen is set to receive an honor at next week’s L.A. GLAAD Media Awards, but he also gave major scoop on upcoming work:

Jennifer Aniston is one busy gal.

I can exclusively report that Aniston has been tapped to receive the Vanguard Award at this year’s Los Angeles GLAAD Media Awards on Apr. 14.

The award honors a member of the entertainment world who has been significant in promoting gay rights. Past recipients include Cher, Eric McCormack, Antonio Banderas, Liza Minnelli and Charlize Theron.

“She never expected this,” Aniston’s rep told me. “But she’s very honored and very happy about it.”

Aniston is also close to putting the finishing touches on a couple of upcoming film projects. While her rep was tight-lipped on details, he told me that she will go behind the camera for one. He said Aniston is likely to announce her plans to direct her first feature film.

But she’s acting, too. Aniston will most likely start shooting a new movie—in which she’ll costar—this summer, her rep said.

In honor of the GLAAD awards, I thought it would be fun to give you a recap of some of my favorite gay moments in Aniston’s career:
In 1998, Aniston costarred in the movie The Object of My Affection as a straight woman who attempts to raise her child with her gay male roommate, played by Paul Rudd.
Aniston and Winona Ryder enjoyed a girl-on-girl kiss in an episode during the seventh season of Friends, in which Ryder played a former sorority sister who had a longtime crush on Rachel.
Not only did Aniston appear in Melissa Etheridge’s video for the single, “I Want to Be in Love,” the out lesbian rocker performed at Aniston’s wedding to Brad Pitt.
She was the first guest on Ellen DeGeneres’ talk show.
Most recently, she had a little kiss (nowhere near the wild makeout that some reports claimed would happen) with Courteney Cox on Dirt, in which Aniston played a rival editor to Cox’s Lucy Spiller.
Don’t worry if you’re not at the awards. For the third consecutive year, the Logo network plans to broadcast the Los Angeles and New York ceremonies.

—Additional reporting by by Matt Donnelly

Special thanks to Rovie and eponine70 of JACF for the heads-up!

Jennifer Aniston, upcoming projects, directing, GLAAD

Here are the latest stories to circulate:

A Friendly Evening Conflicting reports have Jen eating at Il Sole earlier this week. Some sources, with People chief among them, claim that Jen was seated with Courteney and Lisa, sharing some decadent entrees. Other sources purport that Jen was seated with the ever-present “mystery man,” with Courteney and Lisa seated at another table. Either way, Splash News caught Courteney and Lisa leaving, but Jen somehow alluded the cameras.

A Goodbye Peck A couple of nights later, Jen didn’t escape so easily. TMZ caught Jen leaving a gathering suspected to be Vince’s birthday party, and planting one on an unidentified man. As any Jen follower knows, she is given to the odd friendly peck (remember the fuss about her rather enthusiastic greeting for Matt LeBlanc?). However, these days any public meeting invites much intrigue, as talk of a new project steadily builds.

Jennifer Aniston, gossip, sightings, Courteney Cox Arquette, Lisa Kudrow

It must be an odd thing to be as famous as Jen is; however, part of her appeal is the grace with which she handles such attention. Whether the hype of the moment is good or bad, Jen has the rare ability to separate herself from it and simply be herself. Here are some of her musings about life in the public eye:

They want to know, ‘How do you feel about the media?’ We’re victims of the media, too. It’s a double-edge sword. You’ve got to promote and sell your work, and yet the media are so harmful. The beauty magazines particularly are there to feed on women’s low self-esteem. The truth is we’re all the same; there’s nothing greater about celebrities. It’s just a job. The media create this wonderful illusion – but the amount of airbrushing that goes into these beauty magazines, the hours of hair and make-up! It’s impossible to live up to, because it’s not real. But it’s a big job, extinguishing the shame we all have.

- Vanity Fair, May 2001

I don’t understand it even now. I know that the real person isn’t worthy of the adoration of innocent girls. And yet, those girls are allowed to have that, aren’t they? I’ve been on both sides now, but that doesn’t make it any easier to understand.

- Esquire, October 2002

There is a machine that creates these unbelievable illusions, based on, I’m sure, some of what the person gives. But it’s an important thing for me to demystify the illusion.

Without fail, the night before, I go, ‘Why do I think I’m allowed to be in a magazine?’ I just get so terrified, but especially this time. I was afraid that Steven was going to show up and go, ‘Ohhh, OK, I see. Wow, we’ve really got our work cut out for us. ‘Bring in the big guns!’

- Vogue, January 2004

To be a public person is to have a lot of energy thrown at you. People put out so much of who they think you are, and then you can kind of get lost. What’s real and what’s fantasy? And what’s the priority here? For 10 years I haven’t had time to deal with that.

We’re human, and like all other couples we go through good times and challenging times. And there’s always going to be that.

- People, May 2004

It’s literally two different people – the real me, and the ‘Jen’ they write about. ‘fighting back’, ‘getting revenge’ everything I couldn’t be farther from wanting to do.

- Vanity Fair, September 2005

And one from Vince:

She’s so genuine and warm, and she has a lightness, a classy ease about it all. You can see why people are so enamored. It’s like she’s stuffed with Elvis dust. Little kids see her and they don’t know she’s famous, and they just gravitate to her, they hang on her.

- Elle, 2005

Jennifer Aniston, Vince Vaughn, fame, Vogue, Vanity Fair, People, Esquire, Elle

The bizarre rumors about Jen’s love life continue to swirl, as we now hear from Famemagazine.co.uk that Jen and Vince have taken on the arrangement of “friends with benefits.” Read on:

Vince and Jen more than Friends

By Michael McGlade

JENNIFER Aniston and Vince Vaughn are busy having no-strings attached dates.
Embracing an “open” relationship has meant they’re now “friends with benefits” according to one close friend.
The loved-up pair split last year amid rumours of Vince’s one-night stand with a student.
But since the break-up Jennifer has been spotted spending quality time with the Hollywood hunk.
And when Vaughn crashed her 38th birthday bash at friend Courtney Cox’s Malibu mansion, onlookers noticed a definite chemistry between them.
A close friend said: “When Vince saw her again at dinner in January, that spark was still there.
“They both admitted it afterwards.
“But they’re realistic about their chances of committing properly so they’ve decided to just be friends with benefits.”
It turns out there are no set rules but Jen sees it as spending time together with “no strings attached”.

Great Friends

The friend then added: “It just makes sense. They love spending time together, they’re great friends and they trust each other.
“So why not have some fun until something serious turns up?”
The couple first hooked up on the set of film The Break Up in summer 2005 while Jen recovered from a devastating split with ex-husband Brad Pitt.
“When Jen and Vince started dating, they had no expectations and just decided to enjoy themselves for a while,” said a close source.
“Vince knew he was helping Jen through one of the hardest times of her life and she’ll never forget everything he did for her.”

Warning Signs

But rumours of difficulties surfaced last September when Vince flew to London to shot a film.
Jennifer chose to stay at home and appear on The Opera Winfrey Show to insist they were still an item.
Then Jen met with Vaughn for the first time in two months, spending most of the visit holed up in the Dorchester Hotel.
Alarm bells rang when Vince spent Thanksgiving in Budapest with 20-year-old student Laura Mallory Lane, who claimed to have spent the night with him.
The latest twist in the celebrity couple’s ongoing relationship saga may well be the perfect solution for Jennifer, who has confessed to difficulties meeting new men.

Well, if a “close friend” says it then it must be true . . . Seriously, how do people know this?

Jennifer Aniston, Vince Vaughn, gossip, relationship

This weekend marks the release of a surprise critical favorite starring not one but two Jen costars. Jake Gyllenhaal (The Good Girl) and Mark Ruffalo (Rumor Has It) costar in Zodiac, a movie detailing the case of the infamous Zodiac killer of San Francisco’s Bay Area. Its Rotten Tomatoes rating is a solid 86%, driven by great performances and a subtle, dialogue-driven quality. Interestingly, a look through the credits reveals a supporting cast filled with others who have shared the screen with Jen, including John Carroll Lynch (Jack Field, The Good Girl), Dermot Mulroney (Gavin Mitchell, Friends), John Mahoney (Mr. Fitzpatrick, She’s The One, General Rogard, The Iron Giant), and Adam Goldberg (Eddie, Friends). Anyway, this film is my pick for this week’s must-see.

Zodiac, Jake Gyllenhaal, Mark Ruffalo, new releases, drama, thriller, mystery

Most of the public came to know Jen through her role on Friends While that was, of course, her longest-running television role, she has appeared on the small screen in other series, even before anyone knew her as Rachel. Here is a sampling of her lesser-known work on TV:

Ferris Bueller In this short-lived spinoff of Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, Jen played Jeannie, the big-sister role originally portrayed by Jennifer Grey in the film. This series, which also featured Charlie Schlatter as Ferris, lasted only a few episodes and did not achieve the renown of the original.

Molloy This summer replacement series starred Jen as Courtney, and Mayim Bialik as Molloy. Unfortunately, it lasted only two episodes.

The Edge This sketch comedy series lasted one season, riding on the success of In Living Color. It is actually regarded as an underrated gem by many; while some of its humor borders on the absurd, other sketches are, in fact quite witty. This show provided a vehicle for a young Jen to hone her skills as a comedienne.

Muddling Through This series was actually slated for the fall of 1994 alongside Friends. The producers of Friends took a risk in casting her, knowing that if she ended up committing to another show, she would have to withdraw from theirs. However, Muddling Through faded fast, and the rest, as they say, is television history.

Guest-starring roles
Quantum Leap - Kiki Wilson
Partners - CPA Suzanne
Hercules - Galatea
South Park - Mrs. Stevens
King Of The Hill - Pepperoni Sue
Dirt (upcoming) - Tina Harrod

In Season 4, the character development that began in Season 3 continued, often to dramatic effect. Friendships were tested (Joey and Chandler), and impulsive decisions were made (Rachel with Joshua, Ross with Emily). Throughout this eventful season, there was humor to be had; Phoebe’s surrogate pregnancy for Frank Jr. and Alice provided both tremendous comedy and incredible poignancy. Through it all, these are, after all, the friends that we know and love.

The One With The Cuffs Here, Friends very effectively uses Rachel’s workplace as the setting for an ever-escalating comedy of errors. Chandler has, unwisely, resumed his liason with Rachel’s boss Joanna, and rather than end it, as per Rachel’s request, he finds himself in Joanna’s office in handcuffs and a state of undress. Rachel discovers him, and her efforts to remain in her boss’s good graces lead to a hilarious battle of wills. This is one of very few Rachel/Chandler storylines in the series, and Jen and Matthew play off of each other remarkably well.

The One With Chandler in a Box Chandler has kissed Joey’s girlfriend Kathy, and Joey is, obviously, quite displeased with him. The obvious solution, then, is for Chandler to voluntarily trap himself in a packing box to think about what he did. As the rest of the gang (and Richard’s son, invited by Monica) enjoy Thanksgiving dinner, Chandler makes the most of the situation, providing levity even when things outside are tense. One such source of tension is plans for Secret Santa, which leads the Friends (Ross in particular) to call Rachel out on her penchant for exchanging gifts.

The One With the Embryos Phoebe has decided to carry a baby for Frank and Alice, and she anxiously waits for her implantation procedure to take. Meanwhile, a debate about who knows whom better leads to a trivia contest in which the boys (Joey and Chandler) face the girls (Monica and Rachel), with Ross presiding. We learn hilarious tidbits about the characters (i.e. “Big Fat Goalie”), while a steady-handed Monica raises the stakes just a bit too high for Rachel’s liking.

The One With The Fake Party Rachel has a major crush on personal-shopping client Joshua (Jen’s then-boyfriend Tate Donovan). In order to see him in a non-work setting, Rachel decides to throw an impromptu bon-voyage party for Emily (to whom Ross has become incredibly attached in a short period of time, despite her impending return to London). Rachel’s tactics become increasingly desperate and include a game of spin-the-bottle and a quick change into her high school cheerleading uniform. Jen is not afraid to look silly, and she really shows off her skill at broader comedy in this episode.

Today is Jen’s 38th birthday! Best wishes to her and to all February 11th babies (including her friend Sheryl Crow, who turns 45 today). There is no doubt in my mind that the coming year is filled with exciting prospects for this talented, beautiful woman, and it is my hope that she enjoys it to the fullest.

Hello all! I’m Erin, and I’ll be your blogger for Jennifer Aniston Watch. I’ve been a Jen fan for a long time; many women in their 20’s like myself can say that Jen’s looks on Friends were among their formative fashion influences, but to me she’s so much more than that. Any observer of her career on television and film can tell you that she is a gifted comedic actress with a gift for subtlety, and the few dramatic performances that she’s given hint at even greater things to come. Above all, however, she is refreshingly unaffected; for all of the glamour and fuss whirling around her, at the center of it all she is still a normal, hardworking woman, and in that crazy place called Hollywood she is an important reminder that one can have enormous success and remain modest. I look forward to sharing Jen’s journey with all of you!