Jennifer Aniston 'Ordered To Lose 30lbs' Before Landing 'Friends' Role
Jennifer Aniston was told by her agent that she "had to lose 30lbs if she wanted to stay in Hollywood" shortly before she landed the role of Rachel in Friends.
In a new book that celebrates the 25th anniversary of the iconic sitcom Generation Friends: An Inside Look at the Show That Defined a Television Era, author Saul Austerlitz revealed the scrutiny Aniston faced because of Hollywood's unrealistic and sexist ideals.
Austerlitz says that the star was often told she was "too fat" for the roles available, disclosing that she was forced to drop over two stone to secure the role. "She had to lose thirty pounds if she wanted to stay in Hollywood.
"Los Angeles was a tough place to be an actress - it was a tough place to be a woman - and Jennifer Aniston's agent was reluctantly levelling with her."
Upon being told that she had to wear a leotard for one call-back, Aniston told her agent that "this'll blow it for me", as she acknowledged the industry's unobtainable beauty standards.
"Aniston was hardly fat - everyone could see she was beautiful - but as the show she would one day become indelibly associated with later made a point of noting, the camera added ten pounds," Austerlitz said.
Aniston previously spoke about Hollywood's obsession with weight, and said she was grateful that her agent "gave it to her straight" about how to make it in the industry.
"My agent gave it to me straight," she told Rolling Stone in 1996. "Nicest thing he ever did... The disgusting thing of Hollywood - I wasn't getting lots of jobs 'cause I was too heavy."
She added that it made her follow a healthier diet, adding: "I was like, 'What?!' But my diet was terrible. Milk shakes and French fries with gravy. It was a good thing to start paying attention."
Meanwhile, it was reported that Ralph Lauren has curated a Wear To Work collection based on Rachel's style, consisting of many of Green's distinctive '90s and '00s pieces, given an update for 2019.
Aniston will appear on our TV screens next in Apple TV+'s The Morning Show with Reese Witherspoon and Steve Carrell.
You Might Also Like
