Jennifer Aniston, known for her iconic role in the hit '90s series, found herself locked in the image of Rachel and sought to showcase her versatility as an actress.
It wasn't until her performance in "The Good Girl" alongside Jake Gyllenhaal in 2002 that she finally succeeded in demonstrating her range.
During a roundtable discussion for The Hollywood Reporter alongside Janelle Monáe, Zendaya, Reese Witherspoon, Helena Bonham Carter, and Rose Byrne, Jennifer Aniston shared her experience of feeling pigeonholed as Rachel Green. She expressed the challenge of moving away from a character that had brought her immense fame.
Aniston reflected on the burden of being forever associated with Rachel Green, as the character seemed to follow her wherever she went. "I couldn't escape 'Rachel from Friends' because she's on all the channels, all the time, and you're like, 'Stop playing that damn show!'" she revealed.
It was her role in "The Good Girl" that allowed her to shed the shadow of Rachel and explore new horizons as an actress. She described it as a profound relief, even though the transition was not as straightforward as she had hoped. Jennifer admitted that, initially, self-doubt crept in, leading her to question if she was truly cut out for acting. "I remember the panic that came over me, and I thought, ‘Oh God, I don't know if I can do this. Maybe I’m just that girl in the New York apartment with the purple walls,'" she reminisced.
However, over time, Jennifer Aniston proved both to herself and the world that she possessed incredible acting talent. She went on to become a Hollywood star, showcasing her abilities in films such as "Horrible Bosses" and the Apple TV series "The Morning Show," for which she earned a SAG Award.
Aniston emphasized the personal and professional growth that came with age, revealing that she had wrestled with her identity in the industry for a long time. She shared that, as she got older, she learned to care less about others' opinions. "I struggled with myself and who I was in this industry forever, and I was constantly trying to prove that I was more than that person (Rachel). But there is so much freedom in getting older because you just stop caring what other people think," Aniston added.
Despite the challenges she faced while trying to move beyond her role as Rachel Green, Jennifer Aniston is now ready to reunite with the cast of "Friends" for the highly anticipated HBO reunion, which will bring back Courteney Cox (Monica Geller), Lisa Kudrow (Phoebe Buffay), Matt LeBlanc (Joey Tribbiani), Matthew Perry (Chandler Bing), David Schwimmer (Ross Geller), as well as series creators David Crane and Marta Kauffman.
