The Morning Show star Jennifer Aniston takes the cover story of WSJ. Magazine‘s Fall 2023 Woman’s Style edition lensed by fashion photographer Gray Sorrenti. In charge of styling was Clare Richardson, with beauty from hair stylist Chris McMillan, makeup artist Angela Levin, and manicurists Diem Truong and Kim Truong. In an extensive interview conducted by Ellen Gamerman, which took place in May prior to the announcement of the SAG-AFTRA strike, Jennifer Aniston delves into her less recognized yet equally remarkable role as a powerhouse behind the scenes. She sheds light on her partnership with Kristin Hahn as co-founders of the production company Echo Films, responsible for producing ‘The Morning Show‘ in collaboration with Reese Witherspoon’s Hello Sunshine. Jennifer Aniston talks about topics including her business principles, her approach to navigating the gender dynamics inherent in the predominantly male industry, and how her experiences with ‘Friends‘ provided her with invaluable lessons for skillfully charting her course in Hollywood’s landscape.
Jennifer Aniston on her approach:
“There was a time in my world, my career, where I realized it’s not being aggressive or combative or bitchy or emotional to stand up for what you deserve and what you want. It’s a tough muscle to build. And also be loved and respected. It’s hard to achieve.”
On her Echo FIlms co-producing ’The Morning Show’ with Reese Witherspoon’s Hello Sunshine
“This is very big-girl,” she says. “The other projects we’ve done have been a movie here and there. So this is the first real big show that was sold to Apple…. And we kind of felt like we were all partnering up together and launching this new maiden voyage together.”
On her “chick club” behind the camera:
“Being that we’re female, there’s a level of understanding, compassion and consideration that I think doesn’t always exist amongst the dudes,”
On her business ethos:
“I’m a businesswoman who’s got a crunchy side,” she says with a shrug, explaining why she brought up subjects like her psychics, and the time one of them predicted she would meet Pitt—not him specifically, but a description that fit him.
“It was one of our big rules up front,” she says of ‘The Morning Show.’ “No assholes.”
“Make sure you’re getting in bed with people you’re going to be happy to wake up with in the morning,” she says of vetting business partners.
On who she’s currently sleeping with:
“My dog,” she says. “That’s who I’m sleeping with.”
On the formative experience of ‘Friends’:
Friends continues to loom large for the actress, who still wears Rachel’s red loafers and a floral dress belonging to Monica, her show friend played by her real friend Courteney Cox. She hangs onto not just the sentimental leftovers of the show that ran from 1994 to 2004, but the business acumen that came from it.
“It taught us everything,” she says.
On learning from sticking together during ‘Friends’ negotiation:
“It would’ve destroyed us, I think, if someone was soaring financially,” says Aniston.
On the gender dynamics at play in the industry – even at her first production company, Plan B:
“Talk about a male-female situation,” Aniston says of her and Hahn’s reception. “It was a male- dominated sort of environment, and it was like, ‘Oh, aren’t you two cute?’ ”
On cancel culture:
“I’m so over cancel culture,” she says. “I probably just got canceled by saying that. I just don’t understand what it means…. Is there no redemption? I don’t know. I don’t put everybody in the Harvey Weinstein basket.”
On Harvey Weinstein:
“He’s not a guy, you’re like, ‘God, I can’t wait to hang out with Harvey.’ Never. You were actually like, ‘Oh, God, OK, suck it up.’ I remember actually, he came to visit me on a movie to pitch me a movie. And I do remember consciously having a person stay in my trailer.” Weinstein says that“she never had any uncomfortable instances with me.”
On relationships:
“It’s just about not being afraid to say what you need and what you want. And it’s still a challenge for me in a relationship. I’m really good at every other job I have, and that’s sort of the one area that’s a little….”
On beauty:
When it comes to looking young, she says she’ll try almost anything once. Recently, an aesthetician suggested a salmon-sperm facial. “First of all, I said, ‘Are you serious? How do you get salmon’s sperm?’ ”
She doesn’t know if it did anything. She also swears by weekly peptide injections that purport to battle the effects of aging. “I do think that’s the future,” she says.
On the death of her father, actor John Aniston:
“I feel closer to him now than I did almost when he was alive. I feel like he’s everywhere. I really do.”
On her career:
“I feel like I am a self-made woman,” she says, “and I’m really proud of that.”
On September 13, 2023, viewers can start streaming the initial two episodes of Season 3 of Apple TV‘s ‘The Morning Show‘.
Photography © Gray Sorrenti for WSJ. Magazine, read more at wsj.com
WSJ. Magazine’s Fall Women’s 2023 Issue available Saturday, September 2nd.
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