Credit: Getty
Jennifer Aniston has had her fair share of ups and down in life – but in a new interview, the actor said she looks back upon one particularly turbulent time as the beginning of a whole new chapter.
When beloved sitcom Friends ended in 2004, viewers had watched Ross, Rachel, Phoebe, Chandler, Monica and Joey navigate their way through a decades of ups and downs. And when a new chapter beckoned for its stars, we waved an emotional goodbye and followed along as they forged new identities, pursued new projects and embraced life without their famous characters.
As it so happens, Jennifer Aniston was also experiencing turbulence in her personal life around the same time as Friends came to a close.
Much like the countless break-ups, divorces and relationship problems that became a feature of the characters’ day-to-day lives in the hit TV show, Aniston explained in a recent interview that she found her own life imitating art in the early 00s.
Speaking to Ellen DeGeneres on the series finale of The Ellen Show, Aniston opened up about finding her personal and professional life in tumult as Friends came to an end.
“Well, the ending of Friends, well, you know, I got a divorce and went into therapy,” she joked. “Oh, and then I did a movie called The Break-Up.”
Despite the breakdown of her marriage to Brad Pitt, which generated both intense public scrutiny and media hysteria, and filming a true-to-life anti-rom-com about a break-up, Aniston went on to explain that she viewed that difficult period as the opportunity to start afresh.
“I just kind of leaned into the end,” she continued.
“I just was like, you know what guys, let’s just put this… let’s make this a completely new chapter. Let’s end everything. Let’s just end everything and then start new. And I mean, it worked great.”
Aniston’s forward-looking mentality definitely paid off. Since her time on Friends, the actor has gone on to star in a number of standout projects, including her acclaimed role in the movie Cake and her current award-nominated gig on The Morning Show, which is set to return for season three later this year.
Ultimately, whether we look at endings as closing circles, shutting doors or finishing chapters, change always has the potential to bring about beautiful new beginnings, even if we can’t see it at the time. As Aniston’s own series of endings proves, life often has a way of blossoming in unexpected ways, if only we have the resolve to move forward.
Images: Getty
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