Aniston Leaps From 'Friend' To Film
After ten years as one of our favorite "Friends," Jennifer Aniston kicked off her post-sitcom career with the film "Derailed," out on DVD today. Jess Cagle, entertainment contributor and People magazine's editor-at-large, has details in The Early Show's home theater segment.
She has had a busy film and TV career, and also been a tabloid favorite. All too well, Jennifer Aniston understands the price of fame, but she manages to take it all in stride.
"It's not just being famous. It's my job. It's what I get to do. It's acting," she told Cagle in an interview. "Fame is sort of a very bizarre part of it, of course. But I love my job. I couldn't really do anything else. I don't want to do anything else. So, you just figure out a way to deal with all of that."
"Friends" created Aniston's comedic girl-next-door persona and with a recent string of films, she's had the pleasure of working with some of Hollywood's hottest leading men, including Jake Gyllenhaal in "The Good Girl" ("One of my dearest, love him" she said), Jim Carrey in "Bruce Almighty" ("Fun," she adds), and Ben Stiller in "Along Came Polly."
"Lucky girl," says Aniston. "I've had some great costars."
But the 37-year-old actress knew it was time to try something new when along came the script for the thriller "Derailed."
"I wanted to get off the shelf, I wanted to move into another food group," said Aniston. "You know, it's something that I found. First of all, it came my way. I felt very lucky about that. I've always wanted to do a thriller. This is such a well-written one. There was not a loophole in it."
The role would give Aniston the chance to show audiences her range. In "Derailed," Aniston and British actor Clive Owen play strangers who meet on a train and soon begin an adulterous relationship with consequences.
"Let's not judge," said Aniston of her "Derailed" character, Lucinda Harris. "She's just doing the best she can. She's a little complicated. She's a little layered, a little lost. Come on, she sees Clive Owen on a train. What would you do?"
Aniston's next leading man is rumored beau Vince Vaughn, who she stars with in the new romantic comedy "The Break Up," due in theaters June 2. She and Vaughn have been feverishly followed in the tabloid press ever since they began dating last year. The same goes for Aniston's ex-husband, actor Brad Pitt, and his pregnant girlfriend, actress Angelina Jolie.
Aniston and Pitt called it quits last year after four years of marriage.
While Aniston can definitely sell magazines (she currently graces the cover of Vogue, and in a story addresses recent tabloid hysteria: "I'm so tired of being part of this sick, twisted Bermuda Triangle").
The real question is: does she have what it takes to be a box office darling? Box office totals for her recent films signal that the answer is yes. Making the transition from TV star to movie star isn't easy, but the further Aniston gets from "Friends" the better.