With the start of 30 Rock’s third season fast approaching, NBC has released a preview of upcoming guest appearances, including Jen’s! As previously mentioned, on the November 13th episode, Jen plays Claire Harper, Liz’s former roommate who takes a particular interest in Alec Baldwin’s character Jack. Watch the preview and you’ll see that by “particular interest,” I mean Fatal Attraction-style obsession! Claire is unlike any character Jen has played before, and from the looks of it, she rocks it! In coming weeks, Tina Fey and her costars will be joined not only by Jen, but by Megan Mullally, Steve Martin, and Oprah!

So what has Jen been up to lately? She’s been laying low, although she was snapped warmly greeting her publicist Stephen Huvane on Wednesday. Those pics, along with caps of the preview, can be found below - enjoy!

As we already know, Jen is set to produce and star in Getting Rid of Matthew, a film based on the novel of the same title by Jane Fallon. Whenever I hear about a potential upcoming project for Jen, I can’t help but imagine it a bit, and this especially goes for movies based on books. With the story already available to read, the curiosity nearly always gets the best of me, and I end up reading it often before production has even started. It happened with Derailed, it happened with Marley & Me, and now it has happened with Getting Rid of Matthew.

Spoiler alert under the jump . . .

According to the author, she had always thought that Jen would be an ideal choice to play Helen, and having now read the book, I have to say that I agree. This is despite the fact that on the surface she doesn’t seem to be an obvious choice - not only is the story set in London, and Helen presumed to be British, but Helen is described as a brunette. Looking at the heart of the character, though, it’s easy to see how Jen is really a perfect fit. She does very well with morally ambiguous characters - an immediate comparison can be drawn between Helen and Jen’s Olivia character in Friends With Money - and above all, Jen has the emotional capacity to keep that ambiguity ambiguous. Even though Helen has an affair with a married man and continues to manipulate those around her, the insight into the character that the novel provides keeps Helen from coming across as pure evil, and I can think of nobody better than Jen to bring that to life on the screen. All the surface stuff, if it’s even necessary, can very easily be achieved with accent coaching and hair dye.

As for the other characters, there have not been any casting announcements so far, so naturally, the imagination runs wild as the possibilities abound. First up is Sophie, Matthew’s wife, who is just a few years older than Helen and a successful professional in her own right. For some reason, as I read the book, I could not help but picture Catherine Keener in the role. At every turn, she seemed to be a perfect fit, especially as Helen (or her alter ego “Eleanor”) befriends her. As for Leo, Matthew’s son from his first (pre-Sophie) marriage? He is described as being “well-built,” which made imagining this one rather fun; I can see Matthew McConaughey fitting the bill. As for Matthew himself? That’s where I’m stumped. And that’s where I’d like to hear what you think - who do you imagine playing the part?

No matter how this plays out, I’m sure that the finished product will be terrific. With this wonderful book as its basis and with Jen attached, how can it not be?

Back in 2006, The Break-Up brought in over $200 million worldwide and entertained audiences all over the world, and it has been rumored that Jen and Vince just might recreate that magic. According to Osoblog, Jen has been offered $20 million to star in a sequel to the Chicago-set dramedy. I can’t help but wonder what the plot would be - the ending of the original did leave some things open-ended, after all. Either way, while I’m taking this story with the requisite ton of salt for now, the prospect of Jen returning to Chicago for filming does excite me!

Meanwhile, Jen has some promotion to do for the films that she already has in the can, and according to the same Osoblog article, Jen has gotten a start on that with a cover shoot for Vogue! Jen will appear on the cover in December, just in time for the release of Marley & Me, and according to the blog, Jen lets photographers and readers have a glimpse into her home, showing off her decorating sense. Somehow, I get the feeling that her decorating sense is as classy as her dress sense - I am sure that she and her surroundings will look beautiful!

The luxury is not limited to her decor - it has been reported that Jen is treating Norman to spa treatments and acupuncture to ease the aches and pains of aging. Jen has always been good to her friends, and Norman has always been a faithful one, even traveling with her on location - no wonder he gets only the best!

Jen returned to Los Angeles the other day, and she has already been snapped out and about - and getting a new phone! Jen was photographed yesterday (October 2) getting out of her car, with her brand-new Blackberry still in the box. Clearly the weather is still lovely in Los Angeles, as Jen still looked summery in a white tee and turquoise earrings - as temperatures dip here in the Windy City, I am officially jealous! Pics are above (click to enlarge) and at INF Daily.

Jen will only get busier in coming weeks - according to the American Film Market website, Management will show at AFM, which runs from November 5th to 12th in Santa Monica. The Film Catalogue tells us that Management will show at AFM on November 6th and 8th - here’s hoping that it shows to a wider audience soon!

Remember when Jen was snapped arriving at Leonardo DiCaprio’s house a couple of weeks ago? It turns out that the reports that they were there to film a PSA were right on the money - a new PSA has surfaced in which Jen, Leo, Halle Berry, Eva Longoria, Sarah Silverman, Natalie Portman, and many other stars urge United States citizens of voting age . . . not to vote? Watch the whole video, and you’ll see that that’s just a bit of sarcasm designed to shed light on just how much the issues do mean to each and every one of us, and why it is important for all of us to make our voices heard. The PSA reminds us that the voter registration deadline is fast approaching - furthermore, it tells us to spread the word to five friends (as Jen’s pal Courteney says in the vid, “I did have five friends . . .”). Now that’s just silly. Why would you vote, let alone get your friends to vote, when it’s only about your future? Well, that’s exactly it - it is about your future, and the issues that affect it.

So what has Jen been up to lately? After spending some time in Cabo at the One & Only Palmilla Resort, she has been snapped boarding a plane back to Los Angeles. PopSugar has the pics. She looks relaxed and refreshed as she boards the plane with Nina and Claire. Now, it’s back to LA and back to business for Jen!

Check out the Politics & News channel on 451 Press for the latest on the issues impacting the 2008 US Election.

Cabo is sunny, but Jen shines in her own right as she continues to enjoy the sun and sand at One & Only Palmilla Resort. She has been snapped enjoying another day on the beach, alongside Nina, Claire, and an assortment of other friends - one of them even brought a puppy along! Jen enjoyed some delicious-looking seafood, with plenty of Smartwater on hand to wash it down, and it looks like she had a wonderful time - just look at that smile! She’s worked hard for the past several months, and she’s about to go into promotion mode for her many projects, so if anyone’s earned a relaxing day (or week) at the beach, it’s Jen!

Check out more pictures of Jen letting her hair down, literally and figuratively, below and at PopSugar!

Congratulations to Scarlett Johansson and Ryan Reynolds! In a small ceremony this weekend, Jen’s He’s Just Not That Into You costar married her beau of over a year, according to People. The ceremony, at a Canadian wilderness retreat, was very private, attended only by family and close friends of the couple. Scarlett and Ryan had been engaged for four months before tying the knot and had been dating since February 2007; this is the first marriage for both the bride and the groom.

While Scarlett’s character in HJNTIY seems to look for love in all the wrong places (as the trailer shows), she has clearly had far better luck in real life. Congratulations to the newlyweds!

Read more about Scarlett on Scarlett Johansson Watch, here on 451 Press.

Even though certain gossips have kept themselves more than a little bit busy this week, Jen herself has been rather quiet lately - she’s even managed to escape the ever-present paparazzi, until now. This weekend, Jen was photographed on vacation in Cabo San Lucas, marking her second trip there in as many weeks. Reports vary on whether this trip was for business or pleasure, although what we do know is that Jen was accompanied by her stylist pals Nina and Claire, just as she was on her previous trip, which was for a magazine photoshoot. So there is the possibility that Jen’s trip to Cabo, however pleasant it appears, also had a business purpose. It’s a tough job, but someone’s gotta do it!

Check out other pictures below and at Gossip Girls. Jen has terrific style, and her breezy beach ensemble is no exception!

As many of us remember, in 2004 Jen appeared in a voting PSA (above) prior to the US election, and it looks like she may be doing the same this year! Sky Showbiz reports that Jen arrived at Leonardo DiCaprio’s house on Sunday, the same day that stars including Selma Blair, Tobey Maguire, and Usher arrived on the premises to film their PSA’s. Despite the more ridiculous theories floated by many media sources, it seems far more likely that she was there for the same purpose. Pictures are at X17 and at Norwegian website Seher - looks like even Norman’s getting in on the act!

Even though Jen has said that private citizens should not make their political decisions based on her views or those of any celebrity, her support of voting itself is something to be admired. Privately, she does make an effort to remain educated on the issues and to support her preferred candidates, but above all, she encourages citizens to be thoughtful and to educate themselves, so that when Election Day rolls around, they are casting their votes for the right reasons.

As we all know by now, Jen will soon appear as a guest star on the hit NBC comedy 30 Rock as Liz Lemon’s former roommate Claire Harper. Well, last night was a very good night for the cast and crew at the Emmys! Tina Fey was a big winner - she won the award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series (the same award that Jen won in 2002 for Friends), as well as the award for Outstanding Writing in a Comedy Series. Alec Baldwin, who plays Jack Donaghy, the object of Claire’s affections, also took home an award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series. Finally, the show took home the big prize for Outstanding Comedy Series (just like Friends did in 2002). Congratulations to Tina, Alec, and the cast and crew of this terrific show!

As Jen’s guest appearance approaches, we’re hearing more and more about her time on the set - and naturally, it’s all good things. According to a recent People article, the cast was “star-struck” when Jen arrived on the set:

“It was really fantastic. It was impressive. We were all taking notes,” Jack McBrayer, who plays the air-headed Kenneth the Page told PEOPLE about Aniston’s performance while he was attending Entertainment Weekly Pre-Emmy party.
. . .

“She was an absolute delight,” he said. “She’s such a pro, and she was just so lovely to be around.”

In a post-awards interview with Access Hollywood, Tina Fey corroborated the star-struck sentiment, and discussed Jen’s role on the show:

“They were very happy to have a real TV star on our show,” Tina laughed. “She was great too… She plays an old Chicago roommate of mine and Jane Krakowski’s character. We have a name for her that you can’t really say on TV.”

Jen’s episode will air during November sweeps.