Jennifer Aniston, Beloved For Friends, Celebrates Her Birthday

She starred in one of the most popular and durable television programs of all time; she temporarily brought Instagram to a standstill with a single post; and she’s beloved the world over. And Jennifer Aniston has all of that, and more – including a special milestone – to celebrate.

Happy Birthday, Jennifer Aniston!

And that’s because she was born to actors John Aniston and Nancy Dow on February 11, 1969, in Los Angeles, California, which means that this fan-favorite performer is turning 52 years old today! Though her parents desperately wished she would choose a different profession than them – preferably one in the legal field – Aniston knew from an early age that an actor’s life was for her.

She made the move to New York where she landed small roles in Off-Broadway productions such as For Dear Life and Dancing On Checker’s Grave. When acting opportunities were lean, Aniston supported herself with part-time jobs including waitressing and working as both a telemarketer and a bike messenger.

In 1988, she landed a small, ultimately uncredited role in the feature film Mac and Me. This was followed by parts in several one-season-and-done sitcoms – Molloy (1990), Ferris Bueller (1990), The Edge (1992), Muddling Through (1994) – and starring roles in Camp Cucamonga (1990), a made-for-TV movie, and the horror film Leprechaun (1993).

Despondent over what she perceived to be a stalled career, Jennifer Aniston approached Warren Littlefield, the head of NBC entertainment, for reassurance when both happened to visit the same gas station.

Littlefield encouraged Aniston to pursue her dream, and within a few months, he secured her casting in Friends. Aniston would spend a decade playing Rachel Green, winning a slew of awards (including a Primetime Emmy and a Golden Globe), and inspiring a hairstyle…though it could have all gone so differently.

Not only was Aniston originally in the running for the Monica Geller part – which eventually went to Courteney Cox – but the actress also had to decide between accepting the offer to appear in Friends or join the cast of Saturday Night Live.

During her tenure at the comedy series, Aniston appeared in a number of films including box office phenoms Bruce Almighty (2003) and Along Came Polly (2004), as well as Office Space (1999), Rock Star (2001), and The Good Girl (2002).

In the intervening years, Aniston has appeared in a plethora of other movies – including Marley & Me (2008), He’s Just Not That Into You (2009), The Bounty Hunter (2010), Horrible Bosses (2011), and its 2014 sequel, Mother’s Day (2016), and the Netflix original, Murder Mystery (2019) – as well as several TV shows like Dirt (2007) and Cougar Town (2010), both starring Courteney Cox, and 30 Rock (2008). She has been starring in, and executive producing The Morning Show since 2019. Entertainment Hub would like to wish Jennifer Aniston a very happy birthday.