Almost everyone has heard of the series Friends. For Jennifer Aniston, the sitcom was a massive career boost. But if it had been up to her father, she should have pursued a different job. Ironically, he was an actor himself.
Who is her father? In Hollywood, the term Nepo-Baby
is often heard. The term describes individuals who received a boost in their careers due to their parents. Jennifer Aniston is also the daughter of an actor.
John Aniston worked as an actor since 1962. His biggest role was probably in the series Days of Our Lives. He appeared in 2,761 episodes (source: IMDb). Overall, he worked as an actor in the series until his death in 2022, thus practicing his profession for 60 years.
Yet her father specifically advised her against becoming an actress. Fortunately, Jennifer Aniston went ahead anyway.
Just get a job, a real job
What did John Aniston advise his daughter? In the YouTube format Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard, Dax Shepard regularly talks with well-known personalities about their careers and the issues they faced. In a recent episode (via YouTube), Jennifer Aniston is a guest. During the episode, the actress also discusses the beginnings of her career.
Shepard asks Aniston what influence her actor father had on her career aspirations. She responds:
The benchmark was simply work, because he said:
You shouldn’t do this. My father told me,please don’t do this, you will only experience rejection. You will study science in Athens. You will end up in Greece anyway. Just get a job, a real job.
In the video, they also discuss that parents only want security for their children and that the profession carries a high risk. But Aniston sums it up with: Whatever drives you, if you find a passion for something and love it, then do it.
She also comments again on the Nepo-Baby topic. She says that through parents one might open the door to an industry, but if one is bad
, one would not just be able to continue.
How did Aniston’s career unfold? For Jennifer Aniston, it has paid off not to listen to her father’s wishes. Since 1988, she has played various roles, initially only in lesser-known series and TV movies. In 1993, she had her first film role in the trash horror movie Leprechaun.
The big breakthrough came in 1994 with the series Friends. Since then, she has starred in countless films, mostly comedies, including:
- Bruce Almighty (2003)
- The Bounty Hunter (2011)
- Kill the Boss (2011)
- We’re the Millers (2013)
Since 2019, she has played one of the main roles in the Apple series The Morning Show, which received its 3rd season in 2023. The many Apple productions should not be underestimated. There is also a comedy series that should be seen: A brilliant comedy series with “Marshall” from How I Met Your Mother is perfect for anyone missing Scrubs
