Jennifer Aniston Opens Up About the Burden of Rachel Green and the Dark Struggles That Followed

Jennifer Aniston is one of Hollywood’s most beloved actresses, a household name thanks to her iconic portrayal of Rachel Green on the hit sitcom Friends. For ten seasons, from 1994 to 2004, Aniston’s charm, comedic timing, and impeccable hair made her a fan favorite around the globe. But behind the global admiration and relentless re-runs of Friends lay a difficult truth—one that Aniston herself has only recently begun to speak about publicly.

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In a candid interview during The Hollywood Reporter Roundtable, where she appeared alongside dramatic TV heavyweights like Reese Witherspoon, Helena Bonham Carter, Zendaya, and others, Aniston shared a surprisingly raw confession. “I could not get Rachel Green off of my back for the life of me,” she admitted. “I could not escape Rachel from Friends, and it’s on all the time and you’re like, ‘Stop playing that f—ing show!’”

While most actors dream of a role that turns them into a global superstar, for Aniston, the very role that defined her early career became a cage. Every audition, every role offered afterward, was filtered through the lens of Rachel Green. Her comedic flair was so convincing, so universally loved, that it cast a shadow over her attempts to break into more serious, dramatic roles.

Aniston’s frustration was never about resenting the role that made her famous—rather, it was about the industry’s resistance to see her as anything else. “Once you play comedy, they don’t think you can do drama; and if you’re only seen as a dramatic actor, they don’t think you can do comedy,” she explained. “They forget that we’re actors and we actually have it all in there.”

In 2002, Aniston made her first real attempt to shed the Rachel persona with The Good Girl, a quiet indie film in which she played Justine, a disillusioned store clerk who begins a dangerous affair with a mentally unstable co-worker. The film marked a dramatic departure from the bubbly, stylish Rachel—and it was exactly what Aniston needed. “The Good Girl was the first time I got to really shed whatever the Rachel character was,” she said, “and to be able to disappear into someone who wasn’t that was such a relief to me.”

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Critics praised Aniston’s performance, and the film even launched a short-lived Oscar campaign. While it didn’t result in a nomination, it signaled a shift in her career. A more serious Jennifer Aniston had arrived. But it would take more than one film to silence the Rachel Green comparisons.

In 2014, Aniston took things even further with Cake, a heavy, emotionally draining role that required her to dive deep into the psyche of a woman suffering from chronic pain and unresolved trauma. The performance earned her nominations from the Golden Globes, Critics Choice Awards, and the Screen Actors Guild—but once again, an Oscar nomination narrowly eluded her. “It was probably the most difficult role I’ve ever done, emotionally and physically,” she once reflected. “But it was also the most rewarding.”

What many didn’t know at the time was that Aniston’s commitment to breaking out of the Rachel mold wasn’t just about career ambition. It was also a means of confronting her own inner turmoil—a quiet battle she fought for years. The pressure to prove herself, the media’s constant scrutiny of her personal life, and the persistent labeling as “America’s Sweetheart” created a disconnect between who she was publicly and privately. Friends and colleagues have since revealed that during the early 2000s, Aniston struggled in silence, feeling creatively stifled and emotionally exhausted.

“It’s strange,” a close source once said, “Everyone saw her smiling and glowing, but she was in this space where she felt like nobody truly saw her—just the character.”

That mounting pressure, paired with years of living under a microscope, led Aniston to take a step back and reevaluate her relationship with fame and herself. It was during this period that she took on more challenging roles and began seeking projects that reflected her true range and voice.

Now, with The Morning Show, Aniston seems to have finally found that balance. Her portrayal of Alex Levy, a morning news anchor navigating scandal and moral ambiguity, has earned her critical acclaim and a Screen Actors Guild award. It’s a role that’s unapologetically layered, vulnerable, and fierce—much like Aniston herself.

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Ironically, just as she finds her stride in dramatic storytelling, Aniston is set to revisit Rachel Green once again in the long-awaited Friends reunion special. Though originally delayed due to the pandemic, the special has become one of the most anticipated television events in recent years. And while it will no doubt be a nostalgic trip down memory lane, Aniston returns to the role on her own terms this time, no longer confined by it.

What Jennifer Aniston’s journey reveals is the complex reality behind fame. Success doesn’t always come without cost. For Aniston, Rachel Green opened doors but also closed some. It took courage, perseverance, and quiet strength to break out of the mold, face her shadows, and forge a career that reflected all the depth she always had within.

And in doing so, she’s not only earned industry respect—she’s also reclaimed her voice.