Jennifer Aniston was born in Sherman Oaks, California, she spent a year of her childhood living in Greece with her family. Her family then relocated to New York City where her parents, John Aniston and Nancy Dow, divorced when she was 9.
Jennifer had her first taste of acting at age 11 when she joined the 'Rudolf Steiner' School's drama club. It was also at the 'Rudolf Steiner' School that she developed her passion for art. She began her professional training as a drama student at New York's High School of the Performing Arts. In 1987, after graduation, she appeared in such Off-Broadway productions as "For Dear Life" and "Dancing on Checker's Grave".
In 1989, she landed her first television role, as a series regular on "Molloy" (1990). She also appeared in "The Edge" (1992), "Ferris Bueller" (1990), and had a recurring part on "Herman's Head" (1991). By 1993, she was floundering. Then, in 1994, a pilot called "Friends Like These" came along. Originally asked to audition for the role of Monica, Aniston refused and auditioned for the role of Rachel Green, the suburban princess turned coffee peddler. With the success of the series "Friends" (1994), Jennifer has become famous and sought-after as she turns her fame into movie roles during the series hiatus.
Aniston has previously dated musician Adam Duritz and was engaged to actor Tate Donovan. Her high-profile relationship with movie star Brad Pitt was frequently publicized in the media. She married Pitt on July 29, 2000, in a lavish Malibu wedding. The two separated on January 7, 2005, and Aniston officially filed for divorce on March 25, 2005. The divorce was finalized on October 2, 2005. Media reports have speculated that the split was due to an extramarital affair on Pitt's part (with actress Angelina Jolie) or due to Aniston's refusal to have children. Aniston vehemently denied this in an August 2005 Vanity Fair interview, stating, "I've never in my life said I didn't want to have children... I've always wanted to have children, and I would never give up that experience for a career. I want to have it all".
She has also stated that the loss of her longtime therapist, whose work helped to make the separation from Pitt bearable, more than a year ago was "devastating".
Summing up her relationship with Pitt, Aniston has said that their marriage, which she does not regret, was "seven very intense years together" and that "it was a beautiful, complicated relationship". She owns a house in Carmel-By-The-Sea, California, in the same town as Brad Pitt.
Since the couple's divorce, Aniston has been romantically linked with actor Vince Vaughn, the two have announced they are engaged.
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