Aniston already distancing herself from Rachel and 'Friends'
By ELLEN A. KIM SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER REPORTER
There is an unofficial contract reluctantly signed by Hollywood celebrities that reads: Thou Must Relinquish Complete Privacy to Get Publicity for Thine Movie/TV Show So That Thou Canst Haveth a Career.
When Jennifer Aniston started dating Brad Pitt she saw most of her privacy slip away. "People believe you're public property, public domain," she says. "I don't understand that, truthfully."
Jennifer Aniston inked her name in blood somewhere between being part of NBC's smash hit "Friends" and marrying heartthrob Brad Pitt. And while she sees that the public is more interested in any tidbit about their personal life ("Jen Calls Brad Her 'Goofball!'" is a recent revelation) than her musings on film acting, she doesn't get why they can't leave her and her famous husband alone once in a while.
"People believe you're public property, public domain. I don't understand that, truthfully," she says.
"When we're working, when we're on the red carpet, that's one thing. When it's our Saturday afternoon, that's another."
It's a long way from her first attempts at showbiz; failed TV shows like "Ferris Bueller" and "Muddling Through" and the 1993 horror flick "Leprechaun" didn't exactly make the daughter of soap-opera star John Aniston (Victor Kiriakis on "Days of Our Lives") a household name.
With "Friends," the '90s found the actress thrust into the spotlight: for losing 30 pounds before her audition ("I wasn't fat, I was just Greek," she has said); for negotiating higher salaries with the rest of the cast, for inspiring a hair craze with a certain layered cut called "the Rachel" (after her character on the show).
Once she was linked to Pitt, 37, with whom she was set up by their reps in 1998, Aniston, 33, saw most of her privacy slip away. They married in a lavish Malibu ceremony in July 2000 amid high security and $100,000 fines for talking about the wedding.
Meanwhile, Aniston's big-screen efforts were mostly lukewarm: "She's the One," "Office Space," "Picture Perfect," "The Object of My Affection" and "Rock Star" heralded her acting chops but never met the level of her TV career.
In "The Good Girl," Aniston plays Justine, a married, unhappy discount-store clerk who embarks on an affair with a troubled younger co-worker.
That could change with "The Good Girl," a Fox Searchlight independent film that opens Friday. It shows a new side of Aniston's Emmy-nominated comedic talent as well as a flair for drama. In it she plays Justine, a married, unhappy discount-store clerk who embarks on an affair with a troubled younger co-worker (Jake Gyllenhaal) with whom she feels a bond.
Aniston, who is calling from Los Angeles to promote the film, is friendly yet rightfully guarded as she attempts to broker the line between fulfilling her duties as a celebrity and maintaining her own sanity.
Critics seem to like this departure from playing Rachel, which is probably what you wanted to accomplish. Is feedback like that important to you?
Of course it is. At least they're not saying that it's just like Rachel. Any kind of nice feedback is good. It's rare. Parts like this don't come along very often.
You worked with an acting coach to get rid of some "Rachelisms." What were those?
(Aniston's cell phone rings; she apologizes and turns it off.) Animation and more perky qualities and physical perkiness. We tried to strip it down ... there was nothing specifically except facial expressions and using my hands a lot. ... She just told me to sit on my hands and put weights on my hands. Then you just feel like you have the weight of the world on your shoulders.
You have a sex scene with Jake Gyllenhaal, who's 21. How did you break the ice?
We met each other and adored each other right off the bat. It was easy. As for the bedroom scene, we just bit the bullet, man, it was quick. Miguel (Arteta, the director) had it all set up and ready to go. It was two takes and we were done. You just dive in fast and furious as you can. Like diving into a cold pool.
What did you like about Justine?
She makes so many morally incorrect choices, and yet somehow you have compassion for her because she was not given the tools to know how to be good to herself, or love herself, or love her husband. I loved her flaws; I loved how unapologetic it was written. All of the characters, really. There's no apologies.
Which makes it a dark film.
Life is depressing sometimes. People were saying, "You must've been really depressed (making the film)." No. Life is filled with happiness and sadness and this is the backdrop for the movie. It was the perfect opportunity to show these people and these situations.
We wanted to reach out to tell a story that everyone can relate to. Movies like this, Middle America doesn't really get. They stay in New York and Los Angeles. They don't get the art movies. I know that from my in-laws. And I don't know why.
You got to introduce this film at the Sundance Film Festival earlier this year. How was your first Sundance experience?
You know what I loved? The energy there is so supportive, everyone is happy for people to succeed. And not to mean that people aren't happy for you to succeed elsewhere, it's just a different air, a condescension that people have here (in Hollywood). Somehow you find yourself walking into the room and feeling bad -- that energy that's not positive. It's wonderful to see people so excited for your movies ... It's a shame there's not more of that energy.
There's a lot of talk about escape in the movie. Getting away from a mundane life. So when you're having one of your long work days or a day when you have to do, like, 80 interviews ...
Like today. (Laughs.)
Like today. Do you have those notions to escape, like those old Calgon commercials?
You mean, like "Calgon, take me away!"? I actually just said that this morning. I actually said that at 6 a.m. I woke up and that's the first thing I said, because I had the longest day in the world in front of me.
So what do you fantasize about?
Just getting in the car with my husband and my sister and driving and doing nothing for two days and getting a great book. I think about going to a Mexican restaurant with my girlfriends.
Where's your fantasy place?
Truthfully? Being on a beach in the Caribbean.
Justine works at the Retail Rodeo. What's the worst non-acting job you've held?
Telemarketing. I sold timeshares in The Poconos. People were just not happy with telemarketing phone calls. I was so not a good telemarketer.
So are you nicer to telemarketers when they call you?
(Snacking sounds) Sorry, I'm chewing in your ear. I'm eating lunch right now. Um, I get more phone-company phone calls, I just say "Sorry, can't talk right now." But I wonder, is there anybody who actually says they have time to talk?
They probably don't have the chance. The telemarketers just start talking. Why did you take the job then?
It was a job that made a lot of money if you did it well. I didn't do it well. I was just trying to move to Los Angeles. I needed to get a good-paying job. All you do is make phone calls to people a couple nights a week? That should be relatively easy and you can make up to $800 a week. I don't think I got more than $200 a week. I lasted a month and a half.
Some of the critics are saying this film will finally make you a "movie star." What do you think about this?
(Sighs.) I don't know what that means. I don't know how people determine that. There's a part of you that loves it and goes, "Oh, that's nice to hear." And there's a part of you that says, "Well, you better not bank on that." I don't want to be a "movie star." I don't like movie stars very much. (laughs) Being catered to like that.
How is that different than being a television star?
There's a little bit of difference. I guess I'm more talking about people's personalities, the "movie star" personality. You know what I mean.
Do you have a hard time seeing yourself on the big screen?
It's a weird thing to see yourself very large and acting. I always see right through it.
Are you nitpicking at yourself the whole time?
No ... I have to say "The Good Girl" was the first time it was somewhat easy. I liked who I saw.
Has all this attention on you made you a lot less trusting of people?
Yes, slightly. People sit there and say things about you all the time that are not nice and unfair. You do the interviews, your words get twisted. They twist it to make you sound a certain way. It's hard not to be guarded. 'Cause you know you're nice, and you put it out there. The media really likes to build you up and rip you apart.
But you knew going into your marriage that you were going to become the media's big fascination.
Because we kept it quiet so long.
Did you set certain restrictions for yourself on how much or little you would discuss about your personal life?
Absolutely. You have to keep it as much your own as you can.
OK. I have a bunch of supposed "facts" about you from your fan sites on the Internet and I want you to tell me if they're true or not.
All right.
Did you officially change your name to Jennifer Pitt?
Not professionally. (Personally), yes.
When you were 11, did you have a painting displayed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art?
I was younger than that -- third grade. It was actually a crayon -- no, it was charcoal. I still (draw) whenever I have a minute. I doodle now. I haven't done a painting in 10 years.
Is your favorite way to kill time surfing the Internet?
No, oh God, no.
Are you really moving to Australia for six months while Brad shoots "The Fountain" with Cate Blanchett?
Good God, no.
Yeah, that didn't sound right considering you have a show to do.
Yep. I'm doing a job.
Were you supposed to be in the Madonna film "Swept Away"?
Nope. That's a rumor.
All right, that's it for the rumors. Are you a morning person?
I'm a nighttime person.
What do you do on your off day?
That's part of the stuff I'd like to keep to myself.
Will you direct an episode of "Friends?"
I can't now ... I had to give it over to our first assistant director. I would like to direct an episode of "Friends," and I may want to direct in the future.
Conan O'Brien joked that you guys will return for another season if they gave you the country of France. Is there anything like that they could offer that would make you even think about a 10th season?
Well, France sounds pretty good. I mean, who doesn't want France? But, um, no.
Connor