Interview 1: With Jennifer Aniston

REGARDING HER UPCOMING FILM "SHE'S THE ONE"

Q - So you are doing this movie and another movie, "Till There Was You", and you are still doing "Friends." I don't get it.
A - When I hear it actually described my head goes (makes explosion sound). No, it's been really fun. It's a challenge but its fun.
Q - Physically how do you actually do it? You come to New York for a couple of days to do this movie, right?
A - We will sort of finish, film "Friends" on a Tuesday night and then work on "Till There Was You" in Los Angeles and then fly here and start this and then fly back we've been able to work this out. It's unbelievable. Usually you can only work on a summer hiatus, so it's great that they have made this possible, to squeeze it in.
Q - They have managed to work around your schedule a little bit so you could do it. Tell me a little bit about your character in this movie?
A - She's a poor wife. She is just sort of a very fun loving and good woman. It's not your traditional victim. She is a great girl who works at a magazine and she is in this relationship with this completely emotionally unavailable man and she just cant figure it out why - and she keeps on searching and she just can't understand him. Then she finds out what the deal is. Its nice. It's fun to sort of play a character that is not the doudy wife, the at home, the traditional story you hear . She is just what the norm is. You have a great wife and this stuff still happens.
Q - Well I thought that was interesting when they cast you in this part too. I thought it was very good to do that, to take someone that is very attractive and known for that and put you in the roll in the wife that is being cheated on. Is this a situation you can relate to?
A - Not me personally yet, thank god, knock on wood! Anywhere it is. But you know of course, I have grown up with it and it's around, it's out there. It's not a pleasant thing.
Q - And so now Rene, your character here, is getting cheated on and also, on "Friends", Rachel is having some unrequited love at the moment.
A - I know. What is it with me and these relationship problems? I don't understand it. She just can't get a break. Yeah, so she's also dealing with that, the Ross situation and our tables have turned and now it's the other way around and now I am yearning for his love. Oh, it's all just so complicated!
Q - In terms of Ross and Rachel, if they were friends of yours would you advise them to get together?
A - Yes. Absolutely. Sure. Because they are friends and that is the best way to start a relationship. You know each other. You know everything about the other. You are comfortable. There are no secrets. You can communicate easily, you know if you are 2 pretty stable human beings you should not have a problem. It seems to be the ideal way to start a relationship and they love each other. It's beautiful.
Q - Are you as wise about your own personal relationships?
A - Well, actually I say that because I was in a 5 year relationship that started in the same sort of circle of friends, a very close circle, and we just fell in love and it was wonderful. It's not there anymore -- but that's ok because we are still very good friends and will be forever. It's just that our time in this life is complete.
Q - Are you involved with anyone at this time?
A - No...no.
Q - Where would you have time anyway?
A - I don't know. It's sort of sad. I'm living out all these relationships in my professional life and just searching for it in my real life. It will happen.
Q - Tell me also a little bit about working with Ed and someone who is so close to your age?
A - I know, it's just this whole group of people is unbelievable. Being in New York is such a different energy. I'm not putting down L.A. and the film world out there and the business world, but I think its just a different energy there. It's just different and it feels really good. And New York is also home to me - and Eddy is just so great, and he is just so available, and he knows what he is doing. And everybody is eager, and they are not jaded yet and it's just unbelievable.
Q - You mentioned this group of friends that you have. Do you have a core group of friends in your real life that sort of are like the friends that you have on the show?
A - Yes I do....it's really nice and its rare. I mean I was lucky to move to Los Angeles and find extremely good group of people to surround myself with. I didn't have to go through those seedy crowds in order to find a good group. They were just there. It's like family.
Q - Has all the fame that you have gotten from the show changed your relationships with your real life friends?
A - No thank god, because they understand and everybody is in the business in some form or other and they are great. The only difference is I don't see them enough and that is hard. And I tend to feel guilty about that alot - but they are great and they understand and they are still there.
Q - How do you keep in touch with them when you are traveling around so much - how do you squeeze them in?
A - Well, whenever there is time they are there. I don't travel that much yet - at least whenever there is a weekend or an evening we can have a dinner together or play games one night or whatever.
Q - Are you like the Rachel in that group of friends or the Monica?
A - No. Maybe a combination of them all. It's interesting. I would say a combination of both because there is definitely a little bit of Rachel in there. I will stop denying that - I will just admit to it.
Q - About the hair thing, whoever would have known?
A - It was a mistake and I don't know how this has all become such a huge deal. Really, it will go away soon. I'm going to grow out my hair, i'm going to cut it all off. It's fun, I have to say, but you know that is the last thing I ever expected to happen -- my hair becomes such a big deal. I'll think "What am I doing wrong that people are focusing on my hair?"
Q - Does it drive you crazy though that everywhere you go...?
A - Yeah, my friends say "I thought I saw you the other day from behind, I was yelling your name and it wasn't you, it was your haircut." So yeah, that happens alot.
Q - So now you'll get it all cut off and they will all cut it too!
A - I don't know what I will do.
Q - So you also grew up with an actor for a father. Did he coach you early on? Did he give you career advice?
A - Well his first advice was "don't do it." The last thing he wanted me to do was go into this business and I, of course, hearing a "don't do it," said "I am going to do it." And I just sort of plowed through and did it and now of course he gives me great advice. He's a good business man and he gives me business advice. He's a good guy.
Q - Do you talk to him about specific characters and that kind of thing?
A - No, we don't really do a lot of that kind of discussion actually. Sometimes we do, but it's like I said, it's more about handling the career and what to do and what not to do, you know, fatherly advice.
Q - Right, which is good, (umm hmm) it's good to have somebody that you can trust that way, too.
A - Yeah. It's really good.
Q - Well, all the "Friends" characters now are working on different movie projects.
A - It's pretty amazing how that happened.
Q - Is that going to make, for one thing is that going to make it harder for all of you to stay friends (no) off set and all that too, are you getting more scattered? I just mean because you're all so taken up in terms of your time, do you still have time to spend with each other off set?
A - Oh yeah, well, Courteney is here, her production, she's doing a movie here, "The Commandments" and her production office is in the same building as ours. We saw each other yesterday, so it'll be easy to still see each other. I hope so anyway but who knows, when summer comes we might have to go different directions.
Q - Do you plan to stick with the series or are you more interested in doing movies at this point?
A - Oh, I'm gonna stick with it until it's finished. Absolutely, I wouldn't run away from it. Of course I'm interested in movies, but it's seeming that's it's all possible, so, you know, best of both worlds.
Q - As long as you don't sleep, (yeah, i don't need to sleep) it's possible to do it all.
A - I have a life. That's not necessary, you know, to just plug away.
Q - Do you think that the other cast members on "Friends" feel the same way, that they want to stick with the series as well?
A - Oh yeah. We have a very special thing here and I don't think anybody wants to abandon it. It's too much fun and it's too fulfilling, and people really like it, so we'll do it as long as we can.
Q - That's great. OK, besides the hair, Rachel is such a good dresser, do you have... (Jennifer: Do you think so?) Oh, I love the way she dresses, do you not like it?
A - I do and I don't. I think she has sort of an offbeat quality about her. It's not sort of the hippest trend, but she kind has an upscale, you know, rich girl kind of look to her, chanel-ish. Chanel's hip, I guess, I don't know. I'm so fashion ignorant, I don't know.
Q - So you don't like shopping as much as Rachel does?
A - Oh, no. No, that's not true. I do love to shop. I just don't know how to put clothes together very well, but I'm learning. I'm also learning designers now, because people would say that's a "Diego de la Ville" and I'd be like "a who?" So I had to learn all of that, 'cause you always have to sort of say what you're wearing, I'm discovering - so, learn those lessons quick.
Q - So, do they ever try to get you in something and you're like "uh, I just don't want to wear that?" (Jennifer: Yeah, sometimes) So for Rachel, you have some say...
A - Oh, they're great about that. If you don't feel comfortable, they won't make you wear it.
Q - Did you have fun doing "Saturday Night Live?"
A - Well it was scary, so scary -- and it's such a chaotic kind of energy that they do. I mean, they're changing stuff up until the last minute, they're looking at cue cards, it's live and, wow, it was frightening, but it was great. I mean it's fun, it's sort of - you know, something you've watched forever and always dreamed about doing and it's great, absolutely fun. And I've known David Spade for a while so it was sort of fun to do that bit with him. And David Schwimmer was so great, he carried the show just beautifully. And it made it feel a lot safer, knowing he was there and Lisa was there, all of those guys were there so it was fun.
Q - So you would go back and host?
A - Oh yeah! It's fun, it's great, they're great, and the new cast is just wonderful, and the writers are very good.
Q - In terms of your celebrity, now it seems like "Hardcopy" loves you. Do you find you can't do anything now, without seeing video of it later on?
A - It's really horrible and unnerving. I mean, you wonder what did these shows do before "Friends" came along! They just invade your entire life and it's just horrible. You have little video cameras everywhere! You walk out of a restaurant, your personal down time, and there's a big old flashing light. They don't speak to you, they just come in your face and just, it's just weird. The stories are made up and they're not true and but you know, you have to eventually just sort of learn to laugh at it and put it aside cause it's not gonna go away. You just gotta sort of put everything into perspective. You know, take the punches as they come.
Q - It's part of your life, huh?
A - That's a whole new deal, though. Very weird.
Q - What's the most outrageous thing that they've said about you at this point, which one made you laugh the hardest?
A - Which one made me laugh the hardest? Well I think that I dated *every* guy on "Friends." (Oh, and you didn't?) Noooo. (I thought that was true) Nooo. (That's my gospel) Are you kidding? (No) Well, no. I'm sure there was a funnier one, but the funny thing is that they have linked me with all the guys on "Friends," Noah from "ER," somebody else from years ago who I haven't seen in forever, and I'm actually the only person on the show who hasn't been a relationship in the entire year. But I'm the one that gets picked on. It's just, it's unbelievable.
Q - So your real love life isn't as exciting as they would make it out to be?
A - Well, the big long relationship ended - so you take time off. You know, I'm happy being solo.
Q - So you eventually want to get married and have a family?
A - Oh yeah, oh yeah, absolutely. I look forward to that, can't wait, lots of kids!
Q - Oh, you want lots of kids? (umm hmm) Great.
A - Not a lot, but you know, four.
Q - Well, tell me about what other projects are going. I actually heard that you were going to be in like five different movies. (Really?) Yeah, yeah, I keep reading she's gonna do this one, she's gonna do that one, so I think that a lot of people are claiming you but you haven't agreedyet. Do you have other projects that are definites planned after this?
A -Yeah, there's a couple that are floating around. Nothing has been decided yet and set in stone, but there's definitely a couple that are really wonderful that I look forward to doing. So I hope the rumors are true.
Q - Can I ask you one more thing about this film, what attracted you to it?
A - Well, besides Eddie and Mike and just having seen "Brothers McMullen" and loved it: the character, the script. It was a nice character driven story and I was just attracted to the whole essence of who Rene was and playing that out. In the whole picture, all the ingredients fit perfectly and I just was very excited that they asked and came to me.
Q - Well, when I interviewed the producers before they said they couldn't imagine anybody else doing this part now, that you were so "Rene" to them.
A - Wow, that's a big compliment.
Q - Thank you, Jennifer.
A - Thank you, EXTRA, it's been so good to see you.

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